Why people have a . Taking the two series together, the esophageal cancer rate was still 40 times that expected of people without any known esophageal disease, but the risk remained small for each individual.The risk is even lower when it is considered that, of the patients with Barren’s esophagus in these studies, 85 per cent were cigarette smokers and 76 per cent were ‘addicted to alcohol’. As these two habits are known to raise the risk of esophageal cancer, and may be instrumental in causing Barrett’s esophagus in the first place, it is difficult to calculate the risk, if there is any, of cancer if you have Barren’s esophagus, , you must stop.