Diagnoses of a cancer that kills 22 patients per day in the UK are up to four times higher than the number in Europe, alarming data suggests.
Oesophageal cancer, which forms in the food pipe, is often caught too late due to patients dismissing symptoms as minor issues like heartburn or a sore throat.
It’s partly for this reason that 9 out 10 patients diagnosed die within a decade.
Now, new figures show Britain has one of the highest rates of the disease in Europe with medics warning cases, like other cancers, are on the rise among young adults.
Data show the UK has 14.2 new cases of oesophageal cancer per 100,000 people per year.
This is quadruple Italy’s 3.5 cases per 100,000 people per year, triple Spain’s 4.4 and double or almost double France’s and Germany rate of 7 and 7.7.
Only the Netherlands narrowly beats Britain in Western Europe, sneaking ahead at 14.9 cases.
Action Against Heartburn, the campaign group that analysed the data called for greater awareness of oesophageal cancer in Britain.
Oesophageal cancer, a disease of the tube in the throat that carries food to the stomach, is often caught too late due to easy to dismiss symptoms like heartburn or a sore throat
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Jill Clark, chair of the group, said: ‘Oesophageal cancer is a serious problem in the UK and it needs to be addressed urgently.
‘This data shows that UK incidence is over double that of France and four times higher than Italy.
‘Early detection can save lives so it’s crucial that everyone knows the signs and the importance of seeking medical help.’
She warned that heartburn, a problem that blights about a quarter of the population, is one of the key symptoms.
‘If you have heartburn on a daily basis, or if you continually have to take over-the-counter medication to relieve heartburn, you should see your GP to get a diagnosis of the underlying causes,’ she said.
A sore throat, especially when swallowing, is another common sign of the disease and patients are urged to get it checked out by a family doctor if they notice it getting worse or remaining for a long period of time.
While oesophageal cancer can strike anyone, those who smoke or drink, who are obese, or who regularly consume very hot drinks are more at risk.
Overall, charity Cancer Research UK estimates about three in five of the near 9,500 cases of oesophageal cancer diagnosed in Britain each year are preventable.
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Dr Sheraz Markar, an oesophago-gastric surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals, warned cases of the cancer were on the rise among the under-50s.
‘Oesophageal cancer is relatively uncommon worldwide but incidence in the UK is disproportionately high and we’re seeing a rise in cases in the under-50s,’ he said.
‘The reasons for this are unclear but could be down to lifestyle factors such as an unhealthy diet, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.’
He encouraged people to be aware of the potential signs of the cancer as an early diagnosis is potentially lifesaving.
‘In the UK oesophageal cancer is sadly often diagnosed once it has advanced or spread which makes it more difficult to treat, but there are good treatment options if it is caught early,’ he said.
Dr Markar’s warning comes amid among concern about rising rates of other types of cancer among the under 50s, particularly among disease that involves organs in the digestive tract.
Experts have noted an alarming rise in cases of cancer of the bowel and the gallbladder among young people.
One family who knows just how easy it is to dismiss the potential symptoms of oesophageal cancer, which kills some 8,000 patients each year, is that of Jenny Mosley.
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Jenny Mosley’s brother Ade, 53 (pictured left with Dave Morely,48 , right) died in October 2018, six months after he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer
Ms Mosley, from Southampton, lost her brother Ade to the disease in 2018.
His death, at just 53-years-old, came six months after he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, which he’d long mistaken for ‘harmless’ heartburn.
Her brother’s tragic death prompted Ms Mosley, 56, to encourage her husband, Dave, 48, to seek help for heartburn he’d been suffering for almost a decade.
In a bizarre twist, Dave’s heartburn was found to be sign of a change in the cells of his oesophagus that could one day become cancer.
Thankfully this was caught at an early stage which will allow medics to monitor the change, called Barrett’s oesophagus which has a 13 per cent chance of becoming cancerous, for any worrying developments.
Ms Mosley said: ‘Ade would be proud to know his experience helped save Dave’s life.’
Dave Mosley’s condition was spotted using an innovative capsule sponge test pilot, developed alongside Heartburn Cancer UK.
The test involves swallowing a capsule that dissolves in the stomach, which releases a sponge that collects cells from the oesophagus.
These cells are then analysed for signs of oesophagus conditions that could become cancer as well as the disease itself.
The quick and easy test can be done for those with persistent heartburn by a trained nurse in a mobile unit or a GP surgery, without the need to go to hospital.
Dave will now undergo regular endoscopies, a procedure where a camera to monitor any changes in his oesophagus.
In addition to heartburn and a sore throat, trouble swallowing, nausea and developing a hoarse voice are considered other potential oesophageal cancer symptoms.
While cases of the disease may be on the rise, data shows people in their late 80s are the most likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
