Oesophageal cancer
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of oesophageal cancer
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- Heartburn (acid reflux) that won't go away
- Pain in your breastbone, back or throat
- Weight loss
- Poor appetite
- Ongoing cough
- Vomiting or regurgitation of food (food that comes back up when swallowed)
All these symptoms can be caused by other common conditions, but it’s important to go to the GP and get any unusual changes checked, especially if they go on for more than 4–6 weeks.
Can I be screened for oesophageal cancer?
Testing for oesophageal cancer when you have no symptoms is called screening. There is no national screening programme for oesophageal cancer. This is because there isn’t a test sensitive enough to test for oesophageal cancer, the cost would be too high and the test itself would only pick up a small number of oesophageal cancers.
People who have Barrett’s oesophagus are screened regularly. This is because Barrett’s oesophagus can lead to a type of oesophageal cancer called adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. The most accurate way to test for the presence of oesophageal cancer is by carrying out an [endoscopy] (a tube and camera put down your throat into your oesophagus).
If you are worried about your risk of oesophageal cancer, talk to your family doctor.
Continue reading about oesophageal cancer
Talk to a Cancer Nurse
Support Line
Our Daffodil Centres
