A CHARITY that supports people with oesophageal cancer is demanding more hope and quicker change in a campaign to mark its 20th anniversary.

Heartburn Cancer UK (HCUK) was set up 20 years ago by Mimi McCord after her 47-year-old husband, Michael, died just nine weeks after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer (OC).

Cancer of the oesophagus is now the 7th biggest cancer killer in the UK, despite being only the 14th most common. Around 8,000 people are diagnosed with it each year. Since the 1970s, 10-year survival rates have only gone up from four per cent to 12 per cent, despite 59 per cent of oesophageal cancer cases being preventable.

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Chair of HCUK, Mimi McCord, said: "Too many people are dying because of oesophageal cancer. It’s wrong that more than 20 years after Michael died and we set up the charity, we are still saying the same things. Not enough has been done to find a cure for oesophageal cancer or to diagnose people with OC or Barrett’s soon enough and not enough people know that heartburn can be a warning symptom."

Heartburn affects one in ten and is often dismissed as a harmless problem, although it is estimated that around 500,000 people in the UK have the pre-cancerous condition Barrett’s oesophagus. Around 10% of these people will go on to develop oesophageal cancer at some stage.

The Cytosponge or "Heartburn Sponge Test" is a small capsule on a string which is swallowed by the patient. It expands in the stomach to form a sponge and is then removed a few minutes later, collecting cells from the inner lining of the oesophagus.

Identifying cell changes in screening is important to ensure conditions such as Barrett’s do not progress to become oesophageal cancer. Screening allows cell changes to be identified and simple, curative treatment to be offered.

Basingstoke Gazette: the heartburn sponge test can be done in a GP surgery and spot the worrying cell changes and cancer

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Mimi explained: “We want more people to know the warning signs and to push their doctors to adopt the heartburn sponge test at their own surgery, so more people can get a faster diagnosis. If cancers are caught early it helps increase their chances of survival.

“We want pharmacies and supermarkets to alert people who buy antacids that persistent heartburn can be a warning sign, and they should speak to their doctor if their symptoms haven’t gone after three weeks."

HCUK supports people across the UK, runs regionalised awareness campaigns, and is backing the development of the Heartburn Sponge Test, which is currently being trialled in some GP surgeries and some hospitals.