“It’s often caught much later because people aren’t aware of the signs,”- Heartburn Cancer UK

Charity calls for people not to dismiss persistent heartburn or acid reflux

Heartburn Cancer UK travelled around Greater Manchester raising awareness of oesophageal cancer between the 6th-17th October 2025, visiting various parts of the region.

Fiona Labrooy is the Chief Operating Officer of Heartburn Cancer UK; she admits that it’s not a very well-known cancer and the word oesophageal/ oesophagus is unusual and some people are unaware of where it is located for them. Fiona said: “We try as much as possible to say oesophageal/ oesophagus is food pipe, cancer of the food pipe.” The pipe connects the mouth to the stomach .

It’s important people don’t rely on long term self-medicating with heartburn relief products such as Gaviscon and Rennies. If they are having to do this regularly they should see their GP, according to the charity.

Fiona adds: “It’s often caught much later because people aren’t aware of the signs and symptoms to look out for.”

Signs and symptoms may include, unexplained weightless, heartburn, struggle to swallow, chest/throat pain.

Some people may have Barretts Oesophagus which is a ‘potentially precancerous condition’, where normal cells may turn to abnormal cells in the oesophagus which have been developed from stomach acid reflux causing dysplasia which then may or may not turn cancerous. Barretts should be monitored regularly or seek treatment if necessary . 

Fiona told Quays News how she believes the capsule sponge test, which can help detect the cancer, should be made available more widely as it can help with accessibility as people don’t need to go into hospital for this test to be done like they would for an endoscopy.

Alarmingly, oesophageal cancer in Greater Manchester is 8% higher than the national average.  It’s a sad trend as many other diseases are higher in the North West. Although, if caught early it’s one of the most preventable cancers. Although, it’s probably not one of the most well-known cancers. The oesophagus is located in the neck region and is the food pipe.   

Statistics from Cancer Research UK (2017-19) show that 69% percent of cases are men which shows it disproportionately affects them more than women. Sadly, it’s the fourth leading cause of cancer death for males. Positively, around 59% percent of cases are preventable according to data from 2015. 

The roadshow was proposed by the NHS Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance to bring a campaign and raise awareness in the North West of England due to the high prevalence in the area.

Whilst on the roadshow Heartburn Cancer UK used a truck to help them stand out in supermarket car parks, originally the box was used for testing for the cancer whilst on this campaign the truck was used to draw attention to people as a billboard.

Fiona highlights: “Persistent on going heartburn does need to be checked- you need a conversation with your GP” 

Speaking to Quays News, the charity say the roadshow was a great chance for them to get into the community.