A 50-year-old woman is likely suffering from which condition if she reports dysphagia and regurgitation?

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, along with regurgitation, suggests a problem with the esophagus that affects its ability to move food down to the stomach. Achalasia is a condition characterized by the impaired relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and the absence of peristalsis in the esophagus, which leads to the accumulation of food in the esophagus and symptoms such as dysphagia and regurgitation. The hallmark of achalasia is that patients have difficulty swallowing both solids and liquids, often experiencing regurgitation of undigested food.

In contrast, esophageal cancer could also cause dysphagia and regurgitation; however, it typically presents with additional symptoms such as weight loss or pain that may not be specified in this scenario. GERD primarily causes symptoms like heartburn and acid regurgitation, rather than dysphagia as a primary complaint. Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) usually manifests with epigastric pain and may not typically cause significant dysphagia or regurgitation unless there are complicating factors like gastroesophageal reflux, but this is less common.

Therefore, considering the combination of dysphagia and regurgitation, achalasia emerges as the most