DNA damage. This may deactivate suppressor genes and may lead to cancer. The lack of acid in stomach secretions (achlorhydria), for example, means that the bacteria responsible for converting nitrates to carcinogenic nitrosamines are not destroyed. About 5 to 10 percent of people with pernicious anemia will develop gastric cancer. And the chronic backup, or reflux, of stomach acids into the esophagus can irritate the glandular tissue at the junction of the stomach and esophagus, which may lead to cancer. Gastric polyps are another possibility, since they may become malignant .
