OG CANCER: MORE AWARENESS NEEDED
More than 400 people per year were diagnosed with oesophageal-gastric (OG) cancer each year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lorraine Pinkerton
N
ow, a Northern Ireland charity - OG Cancer NI – has launched a new campaign to encourage people with
symptoms of oesophageal and stomach cancer to contact their doctor as soon as possible.
OG Cancer NI Chair, Helen Setterfield – a retired school vice-principal and herself a survivor of oesophageal cancer – feels that pharmacists have a role to play in raising awareness of this less well-recognised type of cancer.
‘The current lockdowns and urgent need to protect the health service has affected the number of people contacting their doctors,’ Helen told PiF. ‘But it’s vitally important that patients contact their GP if they’re troubled by persistent heartburn that doesn’t go away, difficulty in swallowing, regurgitation or recurring hiccups.
‘Pharmacists may, for example, recognise that a patient is repeatedly buying over-the-counter products such as Gaviscon or Rennies, and should have a discussion with the patient to ascertain how long they have been troubled by heartburn or acid reflux and if they have any of the other symptoms of oesophageal and stomach cancer.
‘Recent figures show that there has been a drop in the number of those referred by their GP to the hospital due to showing symptoms in 2020 compared to previous years, so we want to make sure that we reverse that.
‘Early diagnosis leads to a much better chance of survival from this cancer - which has a 20 per cent survival rate of five or more years - according to the NI Cancer Registry 2019.’ Helen’s cancer was discovered when she presented at her GP surgery with symptoms of difficulty swallowing and of food getting ‘stuck’ in her oesophagus.
‘My GP immediately sent me for a scope,’ she continues. ‘It immediately showed a tumour in my oesophagus, which resulted in my having both chemo and surgery. Fortunately, due to my early diagnosis, I have now been in remission for 17 years.’
Unfortunately, both oesophageal and gastric cancers are both on the increase. There’s also an increasing link between the two, mainly because it can often be difficult to tell the difference
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