Celebrity4 min(s) read
Kim Kardashian has revealed a new health diagnosis that has left her family worried because it affects the same part of the body as the cancer that killed her father.
The reality TV star, 45, revealed she had been diagnosed with esophagitis in a new trailer for Season 8 of The Kardashians.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Esophagitis is inflammation of the tissues lining the esophagus.
While esophagitis is separate from esophageal cancer, the diagnosis is significant for the family because Robert Kardashian died of esophageal cancer at 59 in 2003.
"I have something called esophagitism," she said in the trailer while getting her hair done.
The clip then cuts to footage of the SKIMS founder lying in a hospital bed undergoing a medical examination.
Someone off-camera asks: "Didn't your father… isn't it what he died of?"
Her mother, Kris Jenner, was visibly emotional as she spoke about the news, saying: "I can't, it makes me want to cry."
The trailer did not reveal the severity of Kardashian's esophagitis or what may have caused it.
Esophagitis is a "swelling and irritation, called inflammation, of the tissues that line the esophagus. The esophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and drink from the mouth to the stomach."
The condition can make swallowing painful or hard and can cause chest pain.
There are many possible causes, including stomach acid "backing up into the esophagus," infections, allergies, and certain oral medications.
Treatment depends on the underlying cause and how much damage has occurred to the tissue.
In some cases, complications can include dehydration, unhealthy weight loss, and scarring or narrowing of the esophagus.
Robert and Jenner welcomed Kim in 1980 and also shared Kourtney, 47, Khloé, 42, and Rob Jr., 39.
The attorney was renowned for representing former NFL star O.J. Simpson during his highly publicized murder trial.
Khloé previously opened up about just how quickly her father's health deteriorated after he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
"My dad died really quickly," she said in an April 2025 episode of her Khloe in Wonder Land podcast. "He had esophageal cancer and I think he died six or seven weeks after diagnosis."
The Good American founder continued: "I don't think he could accept himself that it was terminal, but he never used those words with us."
Khloé said his death left her struggling with guilt "for not spending more time with him" during her teenage years.
"That guilt turned into anger," she recalled. "I was like, 'I need someone to blame, so I’m gonna blame my dad, 'cause he didn’t tell me that it was terminal.'"
She eventually became "totally at peace" after discussing her grief during the first season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2007.
"A house got lifted off of me after that conversation," she said. "That was the last time that I cried when talking about my dad. I let go of all of this guilt and this anger, and now I could talk about my dad with smiles and happiness and admiration and understanding."
Esophageal cancer develops when cancerous cells in the esophagus multiply and form tumors.
Per Cleveland Clinic, symptoms are not always noticeable during the early stages. When they do develop, they can include problems with swallowing, weight loss, heartburn, and hoarseness.
Other possible symptoms include chest pain, vomiting, coughing up blood, and pain in the throat, back, behind the breastbone, or between the shoulder blades.
There are two main types of esophageal cancer: Adenocarcinoma, the more common type in the US, develops in tissue that produces mucus to help with swallowing and affects the lower esophagus.
Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the cells lining the esophagus and generally affects its upper and middle sections.
The new season of The Kardashians will premiere on October 8.
