Latest news with #oesophagealcancer
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Pain relief is available for gynaecological procedures – so why isn't it used?
Your article about oesophageal cancer (NHS pharmacies to pilot 'sponge on a string' test to spot cancer precursor, 9 July), reminds me of the recent one about poor uptake of cervical screening (One in three across UK are overdue for cervical cancer screening, 20 June). You cite embarrassment and pain as major barriers to improving screening, but the misogyny of healthcare is of crucial importance. Women wait months to see gynaecologists then are given no pain relief for painful procedures. They put up with this as they don't want to be put back in a queue. There is access to topical lidocaine spray and entonox, and it should be routine. Having just retired after 43 years as a women's health nurse and midwife, my practical tips for women are: always ask for a small speculum dipped in water. They are less painful and water does not alter results (GP surgeries seem to use long speculum as routine. I never found one necessary, sizing down is the key to finding a cervix). Never agree to put your hands underneath you to help the practitioner. This is a red flag for a wrong-sized speculum, especially if the woman has a retroverted uterus. You don't have a problem, the practitioner does. Please get screened, but expect kindness as a basic SewellPrinces Risborough, Buckinghamshire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'My heartburn symptoms turned out to be cancer'
John Hatton admits he was not a "big fan" of going to the after persistent heartburn and swallowing issues, he went to his GP - and the appointment saved his dad, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire, was aged 54 when he was referred to hospital, where tests showed he had stage three oesophageal undergoing chemotherapy and surgery, John, now 56, has been told by his oncologist there are no signs of cancer, and he has urged others with persistent heartburn or swallowing issues to get checked by a GP. "It doesn't hurt to go to the GP," he added. "The GP is happy to see you if you've got indigestion regularly or for a considerable amount of time. "Go and get yourself checked out." The summer before being diagnosed with cancer, John said he struggled to swallow food on a few occasions but "didn't think anything more about it" as his symptoms were relieved by taking indigestion in September 2023, he went to his GP as he was feeling unwell. He told the BBC that he was sent to hospital and treated with antibiotics for a chest infection after an X-ray found a clouded area on his lung. A week later, he was struggling to eat and drink and was sent back to then the clouded area had disappeared. More tests followed, including a type of endoscopy, which found a tumour on his recalled being "stunned" when the doctor told him he had cancer and said he just laid on the bed "numb" until his wife arrived. He added: "It hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm a fit chap, running around, working, driving around the country, going on holiday - everything just comes to a grinding halt." John says he had chemotherapy and major surgery in February 2024, losing a third of his stomach and 8cm (3in) of his came out of hospital on his 55th birthday after eight days in hospital following surgery and was skiing in Switzerland ten months later. "I'm a big skier, and that was quite an important target for me to do," John added."I just want to live life and enjoy life. I've got a 13-year-old daughter, and I want to spend my time with her, watching her do sports and just enjoy life."John had his most recent scan in May and the oncologist told him there are currently no signs of cancer. Mr Ahmed El-Sharkawy, a consultant surgeon at the Royal Derby Hospital, told the BBC that John had made an "incredible" recovery and said the hospital wished him "the very best for the future". According to the NHS, oesophageal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, and, in the East Midlands, 80% of cases are diagnosed too late. Mr El-Sharkawy added: "The vast majority of patients that we see are in advanced stages of the disease, and that's eight out of 10. And as a result of that, we're often seeing poor outcomes." The surgeon added symptoms include problems swallowing, unexpected weight loss with associated persistent indigestion or reflux type symptoms, particularly if they last more than three weeks, or are not getting better with said: "We see significant survival benefits when patients present early, and as a result, we're really keen to raise awareness about some of the symptoms that may be associated with oesophageal cancer."
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Gut doctor warns of 'ticking timebomb' cancer risk that millions are walking around with...and the simple remedy that can prevent it
A gut health doctor has revealed a surprising cause of a deadly cancer on the rise in Britain, and millions may be at risk without realising. Gastroenterologist Dr Wendi LeBrett warned that many people are unaware acid reflux—when juices from the stomach travel back towards the throat—was a potential risk factor for oesophageal cancer. Oesophageal cancer forms in oesophagus the tube that carries food and drink to the stomach and is incredibly deadly, with 9 out 10 patients dead within 10 years of being diagnosed, usually because of its subtle symptoms. Acid reflux is a risk factor for the disease as the acidic liquid damages the sensitive tissue in the tube can lead to changes in cells that can become cancer. Dr LeBrett said acid reflux—which causes problems like heartburn— can be a hidden condition with up to a third of sufferers not suffering 'typical symptoms'. In an TikTok clip watched over 70,000 times, she said: 'About 60 to 70 per cent of people with acid reflux have the typical symptom of heartburn—the burning sensation in your chest often after eating'. 'That means around one in three do not have typical symptoms or know they have the condition.' As such Dr LeBrett, from Idaho in the US, said people need to keep track of the hidden signs of acid reflux. 'Watch out for a chronic cough, particularly at night when acid reflux is worse,' she said. 'Breathing problems can also be a symptom as the acid irritates the airways and can exacerbate conditions like asthma. She added: 'Problems swallowing is also an atypical symptom.' The medic also explained that dentists may spot signs of acid damage to your teeth. Signs include yellowing of teeth as well as cracks and increased sensitivity. She urged anyone frequently experiencing these symptoms to seek help from a medical professional. One commenter on the video said: 'I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last year. I'm 36. I've had acid reflux most of my life but never thought anything of it. I had all those symptoms you mention but was gaslit and dismissed by my doctors.' While another viewer said that: 'not me having a chronic cough because of my acid, getting it checked next Monday.' Doctors may be able to advise on lifestyle changes or prescribe medication and investigations to combat the problem. Untreated acid reflux can lead to a condition called Barrett's oesophagus. This is where cells in the tube have started to change abnormally and are at higher risk of becoming cancerous. Cancer charity Cancer Research UK (CRUK) estimates between 3 and 13 per cent of Barrett's oesophagus will go on to develop oesophageal cancer. This translate to someone with the condition having an 11-times greater risk of being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer than someone without Barrett's oesophagus. Overall, CRUK estimates about three in five of the near 9,500 cases of oesophageal cancer diagnosed in Britain each year are preventable. Smoking is considered one of the biggest risk factors for the disease with about one in three cases of the cancer in Britain caused by the habit. In addition to heartburn and indigestion a sore throat, especially when swallowing, is another common sign of the disease. Patients are urged to get it checked out by a doctor if they notice it getting worse or remaining for a long period of time. Data also suggests that oesophageal is on the rise in Britain with cases having increased 3 per cent overall since the 90s and 10 per cent in men specifically. Earlier this year figures showed 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. The cancer kills 22 patients per day in the UK, one of the highest rates in Europe. 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.
Telegraph
21-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Bernie Ecclestone fired everyone in the team apart from me
As a man who came up with some of Formula One's greatest innovations, it is not a surprise that Gordon Murray marvels with fascination about the futuristic robots that operated on him last year. For decades, Murray – who spent two successful decades in F1 with Brabham and McLaren – has suffered from acid reflux, which increases the risk of oesophageal cancer. At the start of 2024 he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma [cancer that starts in the glands]. 'For 15 years I've been going for an endoscopy every year and a biopsy. We caught it with one of those. The problem with oesophageal cancer is that it doesn't have many symptoms until it's too late, which is why the survival rate is very low,' Murray tells Telegraph Sport. Murray's brother Terry died of the disease 11 years ago. From there it was a choice of having surgery straight away or chemotherapy first and then robotic-assisted surgery. Murray chose the latter. 'The oncologist spent the best part of an hour going through the possible side-effects with me and my wife before I started the chemo and boy I got everything,' he says. The most extreme of the side-effects was atrial fibrillation, where Murray's heart rate soared to 180bpm. To remedy this, his heart was stopped and restarted. This delayed his procedure but he eventually had the operation to remove the cancer in July last year. The Da Vinci XI surgical robot used in Murray's procedure is controlled by a doctor. In Murray's case this was Professor Shaun Preston, based at Private Care at Guy's Hospital. Preston and his team have now performed more than 250 robotic-assisted cancer operations. 'The Da Vinci robots allow keyhole surgery to be performed with a magnified, immersive, 3D image that is better than the naked eye,' Professor Preston explains. 'It is like operating from within the abdomen and/or chest.' This groundbreaking technology, which allows surgeons to operate with greater precision, was a natural point of fascination for Murray the engineer. 'The surgeon sits on the other side of the room with a PlayStation, basically, and you are lying there and everything is done with robots,' he says. The surgery was a success and Murray was out of intensive care within six days. He claims to be back to working 11-hour days – although he has been getting used to being fed by tube. Murray, as enthusiastic as ever at 78, sees the similarities in the medical technology used in his operation and his own career. 'It's a bit like us prototyping a racing car. That's the fun bit for me: when you think of an idea and then you have to develop it before you actually go racing,' he says. 'Racing' is still what Murray is best known for, 35 years after he left F1. His years helping to revive Brabham, working with then owner Bernie Ecclestone, were undoubtedly the peak of his (and arguably anybody's) innovation in motorsport. Murray moved to the UK from his native South Africa in 1969 as a 23-year-old. Not too long after, he secured a job on Brabham's design team after meeting with then-designer and co-founder Ron Tauranac. In 1972 the struggling outfit was bought by Bernie Ecclestone, who sacked everyone in the technical team apart from Murray. He became chief designer at just 26, starting a period of revival that would result in 22 grand prix wins and two world championships. 'I should have gone home and had many sleepless nights thinking about it. But I didn't. I just came in in the morning and got stuck in and designed a car I thought would win,' Murray says. 'Bernie Ecclestone was my business partner for 14 years at Brabham. He fired the other four guys and just kept me in and said right, you're it, you're the chief designer – I want a brand new Formula One car.' To this day, Murray is still not totally sure why Ecclestone decided to keep only him on board. 'Nobody has ever got the real answer. One time he said 'I found him under a dust sheet in the corner of the design office'. Another time it was everybody – I don't know who 'everybody' was – told me to fire Gordon so I decided to keep him. Bernie loves coming up with these fun answers.' Murray has a suspicion that interest from other teams – he designed Alain de Cadenet's Duckhams LM for the 1972 edition of Le Mans and was approached by Italian team Tecno to design their F1 car – made Ecclestone think he was worth retaining. Murray says he would 'hate' to design F1 cars today because of the lack of freedom for designers. Back then the latitude in the regulations allowed him space to come up with some of motorsport's most enduring innovations and designs, including structural carbon fibre and pull-rod suspension. There was also the introduction of strategic pit-stops and refuelling in F1 towards the end of the 1982 season with the BT50. 'I did some calculations on the lap-time differential between half tanks and full tanks and that was very easy to calculate. We knew that going from empty tanks to full tanks was about 2.5sec a lap. So, if you could start on half tanks you would have a second-a-lap advantage, every lap,' Murray explains. 'Because there were no rules about refuelling I used pressure – we had a couple of old beer barrels and we pressurised one, I think 2.5bar or something and we could get 30 gallons of fuel in in three seconds. It was highly dangerous!' The problem was that turbo-charger issues were so persistent that they only got to the pit stop once in that period. The chance of a real and lasting advantage, Murray believed, had disappeared. 'Because we never finished a race, I said to Bernie 'we've completely blown it'. We've shown them now for about four or five races what we're going to do and when we arrive at the first race in Brazil [next season], everybody will have a half-tank car, a pit-stop car and they didn't. I couldn't believe our luck!' When you think of innovation and Gordon Murray and embody it within a single Formula One car, though, the machine that will pop into most people's heads is 1978's Brabham BT46B, or the 'fan car'. The design came about almost by accident. Brabham's flat-12 Alfa Romeo engine was too large to go down the ground-effect route of the Lotus 78, so Murray had to come up with another solution. He did so by studying the regulations and finding a loophole. The idea with the fan was to use it to create downforce – which it did, enormously – but because its 'primary purpose' was cooling it was not classified as a moveable aerodynamic device and was permitted within regulations. Getting it to last was problematic, though. 'We did some private testing at Donington and then Brands Hatch and the fans, which were composite plastic, all exploded,' Murray says. 'With only one week before the Swedish Grand Prix I had to recast all the blades in magnesium and machine the plastic hub for the fan in aluminium. When we got to Sweden I had no idea if it would work.' Although Niki Lauda and John Watson had to adapt their driving styles to get the best from the new car ('I had to explain to them that their approach to a corner – forget everything they knew') the Austrian won the race at Anderstorp by 34 seconds. However, after protests and wrangling between the teams and the sport's governing body, the fan concept was banned. Murray's time at Brabham ended in 1986 after two drivers' titles. By that point he decided he wanted out of F1. 'We lost Nelson Piquet, we lost the tyre contract, we lost the BMW engine contract. I thought I've just won two world championships… I should go and do something different. Bernie by then had definitely got his mind set on running Formula One,' Murray says. Ron Dennis at McLaren had eyed Murray to replace Ferrari-bound John Barnard. After some persuading, Murray took up the offer to become the team's technical director for 1987. At the time, McLaren had a reputation for stuffiness and rigid formality. Woking was a stark contrast to Brabham, partly down to the enormous difference in resources. Murray says he was still given latitude to operate, technically and personally. 'My contract said I had a completely free hand, even the way I dressed – so it didn't change much there. Likewise, just like Bernie, Ron Dennis gave me a completely free hand with the technical side of the business.' The result was a perfect end to a storied F1 career and 'a nice way to bow out': three double world championships, with Ayrton Senna taking two drivers' titles and Alain Prost the other. Of all the drivers Murray worked with, it is no shock that he rates Senna as fastest. But he has a lot of affection for another Brazilian – Nelson Piquet, who won two drivers' championships in 1981 and 1983 in Murray's cars. 'He had a bicycle and a flat nearby and he came in every day and sat at my drawing board and asked questions all day. The interaction I had with Nelson in those seven years was very, very special.' After leaving F1, Murray designed the McLaren F1, the company's first sportscar. Its revolutionary design, fittingly, utilised a carbon fibre monocoque. 30 years ago last weekend, a modified F1 GTR won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the last road car to do so. Of all Murray's achievements, he calls this 'top trumps'. 'Forget the fact that it was a GT car, not a prototype – it wasn't supposed to win. I think that is a much harder thing to do than winning a world championship in Formula One because you only get one shot at it. 'When I first thought about doing Le Mans in '72, I was terrified because I knew what went wrong in a grand prix car in two hours. That is like doing a whole season without stopping.'
Daily Mail
20-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Mother who had trouble eating and ended up being diagnosed with deadly cancer finally gets her 'fairytale' wedding
Bride Kerry Lenders has finally said 'I do' in a fairytale wedding that was put on hold after struggling to eat led to a shock cancer diagnosis. It had been suggested the 39-year-old was suffering from acid reflux when she began to have trouble swallowing. Certain foods like bread and potatoes would just seem to get stuck in her throat, and Kerry says her worrying symptoms became increasingly unbearable. 'I'd been having trouble swallowing for about two years and it just kept getting worse,' she says. 'It got to the point where I couldn't keep much food down - and the only things I could eat were soups and ice lollies and custard!' Kerry adds: 'I even ended up eating in a separate room from everyone else because my little boy would get worried. 'I had been told it was acid reflux, but I was concerned it was something more.' Anxious about having problems on her wedding day after deciding to tie the knot with her partner of 20 years Scott Catterall in January 2024, just two months before, the former dog groomer saw a specialist and underwent a series of scans and tests. And she was devastated when, in March last year, she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. 'After having the tests I was told it would take two weeks to get the results through … and got a call the next day saying the specialist wanted to see me. 'As soon as I walked in the room I could tell by his face that it wasn't good news and I said 'it's cancer isn't it'. I collapsed when he said he was sorry but yes, it was.' Kerry, from St Helens, had a 6.2cm tumour in her oesophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach. So when she should have been looking for wedding dresses and choosing a bridal bouquet, Kerry was beginning a gruelling 10 months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. 'My first thought was would I see my children grow up? It was horrendous. 'I didn't react how I thought I would. I thought I wouldn't get out of bed and would cry every single day (and I did cry for a couple of days). 'But then it was like fight or flight. Survival mode kicked in. 'Cancer had taken so many people I loved, my dad and my nan; Scott's sister, and others - it had wiped out half our family. 'I looked at the kids and thought it's not having me. 'I found out everything I could, and I got my battle gear on.' Kerry was treated at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool which she says 'was amazing' - 'the staff there are brilliant, especially my oncologist, Dr Amy Jackson' - and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiotherapy, as well as taking 10 chemotherapy tablets a day. She also had a feeding tube fitted after being told the treatment would make her symptoms worse before they got better, but she says: 'I never used my feeding tube, other than to take the chemo tablets which I crushed because they were like huge torpedoes. 'I discovered that some people are cured of cancer and then have to learn to eat again, and I didn't want to get over one problem, only to have another. 'Scott and I made nutritious soups and smoothies and I took manuka honey - doctors were amazed that instead of losing weight, I put it on! 'We didn't cancel the wedding, but we did put it on hold so I could put all my energy into my treatment. 'Scott was amazing. He was there for me every step of the way - proof that he's always been the right man for me.' When Kerry was finally given the all-clear in December last year, she smiles: 'I was on such a high. 'Then there was panic. There was a wedding to plan - so we went at it all guns blazing.' Kerry and Scott, 45, had decided to get married after their eight-year-old son Charlie asked why Kerry had a different surname from him and his sister Amelia, three. 'He said he wanted us to be a family,' says Kerry, 'and while we explained that we were a family, he said he wanted us all to have the same name. It struck at my heart.' Scott, who gave up his job as a travel agent to look after Kerry, says: 'We had always planned to get married - we'd been engaged for 16 years - but something always seemed to get in the way. 'Then we realised there would always be a reason not to do it - so let's just do it.' On Wednesday there were tears of joy as the couple married in an emotional ceremony at the 17th century Tempest Arms near Skipton, surrounded by close family and friends. It was a celebration, Kerry says, not just of her love for Scott, but of her relief and happiness at having been given the all-clear. 'It really is our fairytale ending,' she adds. 'If ever there was a time for a big celebration, this was it. 'Marrying Scott means more to me than ever after what we've been through. 'There were times when I feared it was never going to happen,' Kerry admits. 'But I pushed away the negative thoughts and the wedding became my goal to getting better. 'It wasn't just about getting married, it was a party to say we got through it as a team - and it was a big 'up yours' to cancer!' Scott says: 'Having gone through so much put everything into perspective. We had all our family and friends there and every guest had helped us to get to where we were. They helped us both through.' Son Charlie was ring boy and daughter Amelia was a flower girl and bridesmaid. Kerry said: 'Walking up the aisle was wonderful. I thought about Charlie wanting us to be a family and have the same name, and I thought of how hard going through cancer had been - but we did it!' 'It was an emotional day. There were tears,' smiles Scott. 'But they were tears of joy and happiness because now we can get on with the rest of our lives and making the most of every single day together.'
