Sometimes he is at fault or not. Esophageal cancer is a deadly health risk that can happen to anyone. Prolonged trouble with the throat or reflux is sometimes not enough to make a person alert.
The UK has the highest number of esophageal cancer cases in Europe – twice the continent’s average. Experts blame this state of affairs primarily on excessive alcohol consumption by the British. Each year, 8000 people in the United Kingdom are diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Obesity is another risk factor. At the moment, esophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK, and the survival rate is not good – seven out of 10 patients die within a year of diagnosis. “The problem is that we have the highest obesity rate in Europe and drink more alcohol than the European average,” says Dr. Rachel Thomson of the World Cancer Research Fund. – People have a real impact on lowering the risk of developing esophageal cancer through lifestyle changes.
Three people affected by this disease have agreed to share their stories with us.
Gary Roberts
Upon hearing the diagnosis of “inoperable esophageal cancer,” computer scientist Gary, 39, thought it was over. Fortunately, he still lives in Manchester with his wife Lynn, 37, and their five-year-old son Thomas. They are just expecting a second child.
“I had trouble swallowing and I suffered from reflux,” he says. – Unfortunately, I did the worst possible thing: I searched the internet and made a diagnosis myself. I checked the symptoms and what could be causing them. Cancer was at the bottom of the list. Since I hate doctors and hospitals, I still haven’t made an appointment. I put it off for three or four months. I lost a lot of weight, the clothes hung on me as if I had borrowed them from someone else. Some people told me I went gray. It was only when my parents told me to see a doctor that I went to calm them down. I had to have an endoscopy – a camera down my throat. I felt a bit like I had the whole BBC crew inside me. It was Friday, April 3, 2009. On Monday I applied for the results. The doctor took me to another room where a woman was already waiting. I did not pay much attention to this fact until the doctor told me it was a nurse from the Macmillan Foundation. Such news turns life upside down. I had no idea what was wrong with me, but I was still shocked to sit there listening to the doctor and nurse explain what was wrong with me. I started a family, my son was only two years old. Hundreds of thoughts ran through my mind. How much time do I have left? Will I see my son grow up? How will they do without me? The doctor explained that I had the largest type of tumor that had metastasized my liver in addition. Due to its size, they were unable to operate on it, they could only try to improve my quality of life. The prognosis was terrible. I was told that I would be given three different types of chemotherapy and that I would require six series of chemotherapy. The treatment took place in a Manchester hospital. I had to accept that the end was near for me and I didn’t have much time left. This situation was especially difficult for my wife and family, it was difficult for them to bear it all. But then a miracle happened. After three treatments, the tumor shrank significantly. This never normally happens. At one point, the surgeon called me Superman. It must have been good news for me. Perhaps, however, I had a chance. I was told that if the tumor shrinks, they might be able to operate on it – and that’s exactly what happened.
The cancer was removed on November 24, 2009, my wife’s birthday. I still have regular checkups and my doctor is delighted with the results. I don’t know why I got sick. I do not smoke, I am not overweight. I eat healthily. I drink alcohol from time to time – a few beers during a game, but not more. I was just unlucky.
David Simpson
David, 63, used to be a pub owner in Bedfordshire, drinking heavily, even 14 beers a day. – At the beginning of 2009 I started having problems swallowing food – it was sticking in my esophagus, I had to regurgitate – he says. – It was getting worse and worse with me, until in March I could not even swallow a bite from Sunday lunch. Then my wife Deborah sent me to the doctor. My GP referred me for endoscopy. The specialist did the examination and said I had cancer – although the results have yet to be confirmed. When I gave this news to my wife, we both cried, but I decided not to give up. In my youth, I used to smoke up to 40 cigarettes a day, but I quit in 1987. As a pub owner in the 80s, I drank up to 14 beers a day, but by the time I got sick, I had practically quit alcohol. After the diagnosis, I decided to give up red meat, caffeine and dairy products, and instead made myself healthy vegetable smoothies. When I went to get my results in June, I took my wife with me. I heard that the tumor is 35 – 40 cm long and extends all the way to the stomach. I was shocked that the cancer had been developing in me for so many months and I was ignoring the obvious symptoms. I finished chemotherapy at Bedford Hospital in August, and then my tumor was removed. The six-hour operation was a success, but I lost 10 percent. stomach. Apparently, my internal organs had moved and my lung performance was diminished. After returning home, I began to slowly but gradually recover. I was breathless on a regular basis, but I remembered that it was okay that I was lucky to be alive at all. Nobody knows what exactly causes cancer, but I wish I had changed my diet sooner and had little knowledge of the symptoms of this cancer. I am very grateful to the Macmillan Foundation for the support it has shown me and Deborah. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today.
Laurel Johnson
Laurel (52), a single mother of three, is a London nanny. She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer when she saw her doctor with prolonged pharyngitis. “I had a sore throat, but because I had infections often, I didn’t pay much attention to it at first,” she says. – However, when the pain persisted for a long time, I visited my family doctor. He immediately referred me to the hospital, where I had an endoscopy. It was in June 2006. I asked the specialist if he could see anything and he replied that I had a tumor. I was in shock. Nothing can prepare you for such news. When the doctor told me I had cancer, I had a hard time understanding what he was saying. I was petrified. I lost a lot of weight. Before, I was a size 14, but after diagnosis, I went down to eight. For months I was barely able to eat anything. Over time, even swallowing water became a problem. It took me half an hour to swallow three tablespoons of soup. Doctors performed further tests until they confirmed that the tumor was malignant. They advised me that due to the location of the tumor, surgery would not be a good solution – it was life-threatening. I was advised to radiation and chemotherapy, which started in July. I was treated in hospitals in Tooting and Sutton. After the chemo, I felt very bad and had to be hospitalized. In March 8, I heard that it was in remission and that the cancer was gone. Due to long therapy, I had to quit my job and it was difficult for me to find a new one, despite very good qualifications.
I don’t know why I developed cancer of the esophagus. I will have a glass of wine from time to time, but very rarely. I don’t smoke and have always been a very energetic person. Many people regularly complain of a sore throat, so it is difficult to spot the first symptoms of the disease. But people generally know when something bad happens in their body.
Text: Lynsey Haywood