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Heartburn's Deadly Secret: Oesophageal Cancer Rise
3 Feb
Summary
- Stage 4 oesophageal cancer diagnoses increased to 37% in England by 2022.
- Persistent heartburn may signal oesophageal cancer, a 'forgotten cancer'.
- One-year survival drops significantly from 89% at stage 1 to 26% at stage 4.
Andrew Stanley's personal battle with oesophageal cancer underscores a worrying trend in England, where the proportion of diagnoses at stage 4 has climbed to 37% in 2022 from 25% in 2013. This advanced stage often means the disease has spread and is incurable.
Action Against Heartburn, a charity, is raising awareness about oesophageal cancer, often called the 'forgotten cancer'. They highlight that persistent heartburn, especially when accompanied by difficulty swallowing, should prompt medical consultation. Andrew's own journey involved years of occasional heartburn before seeking help for swallowing issues, leading to a stage 4 diagnosis.
Survival rates for oesophageal cancer are starkly linked to early detection. While one-year survival is 89% at stage 1, it plummets to 26% at stage 4. Fewer than 20% of individuals diagnosed in the UK, where around 9,200 new cases occur annually, survive for more than five years.
Despite initial limited treatment options, Andrew participated in a clinical trial in Oxford, which proved successful, leading to remission. He shares his story to offer hope and emphasize the critical need for greater public and medical recognition of oesophageal cancer symptoms.
