'Forgotten' cancer is highlighted

'Forgotten' cancer is highlighted

A high-profile campaign is running to highlight a "forgotten" cancer for which the north-east of England and Cumbria are blackspots.

Experts say along with Scotland the areas have the highest number of cases in the world of a form of cancer of the oesophagus.

A pioneering unit set up 20 years ago at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) deals with 550 new cases a year.

The campaign aims to increase detection of stomach and oesophagus cancers.

Prof Michael Griffin set up the Northern Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Unit at the RVI in 1989.

He said cancer of the stomach and oesophagus was the fourth highest cause of cancer death in the UK.

And the North East, including Cumbria, and Scotland had the highest cases of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus in the world.

Chronic indigestion

The campaign will include stands at hospitals and shopping centres and advertising on Metros and buses.

Prof Griffin said: "We decided to champion it because we have such high instances here and there is a lack of awareness of the oesophagus and stomach.

"You can feel a lump with other cancers but you can't self-examine the oesophagus or stomach."

He added: "We feel people are not aware of it enough and that it's a bit forgotten because people don't know what's inside."

It is hoped the campaign will alert people to the symptoms, which include chronic indigestion and heartburn, and seek treatment earlier.

Prof Griffin said among the causes was lifestyle, with overweight people who have diets high in saturated fats more at risk.

Over the last 20 years, the RVI unit has pioneered aggressive new surgical treatments to treat the disease and also worked to detect it earlier.