Worried it’s oesophageal cancer

 

Hi, I am awaiting an urgent endoscopy under 2 week rule, due to feeling like food is getting stuck when swallowing and pain around middle breast bone area. Symptoms for around 4 weeks. However what I wanted to ask was 8 month ago I had an upper torso MRI scan for a 13cm lipoma on back(now removed) , if there was anything serious in my oesophagus do you think it would it of been seen on they mri scan then.

  • Not sure about the mri but I'm getting the same thing. Seen an ENT but due to my age (I'm 32) he essentially told me its not cancer.

    No 2 week rule in Northern Ireland and have to wait 4 weeks for an endoscopy to find anything out, its so scary.

  • Hard to say but probably.

    Whenever I’ve had a scan in the past, the subsequent report has covered the whole part of the body scanned. e.g. an upper GI for suspected oesophageal cancer reported on my stomach and lungs too.

    Good luck!

    Dave

     

  • Thanks for your reply, I'm 43 with two young children, its definitely a worry and reading stories on here the big c does not care what age you are. Have you tried any PPI's for your symptoms? I was prescribed some and they did seem to help initially but then I felt no benefit after two weeks . Good luck and I really hope to get your appointment soon. I haven't got my date yet for my endoscopy.

  • Thankyou for your reply.  I was led to believe the mri scan would cover the whole upper body as the lipoma had grown deep into the muscle. 

  • I could eat again shortly after getting them havent had any major incidents of food getting stuck since starting the ppi's which is good but still getting acid reflux which is a pain. The ENT's I've spoken too just say at my age it simply can't be cancer (One said I would be the youngest who's ever attended the hospital to have it) but without a proper diagnostic test I can't honestly say. I've two young kids too. Sons 6 with autism and a 2 year old daughter.

    I'm honestly breaking down constantly just thinking about the worst case scenario. Hoping its just a hiatal hernia or something. It has similar symptoms. The ENT I visited a month ago looked at an xray I had the week before (I have covid with pneumonia) and said he couldn't see anything on the oesophagus. So hoping that means something.

  • Hi.

    I am 42 female going through this at the moment. I don't have problem swallowing but it was discovered during an endoscopy for suspected Barrett's oesephogus. 

    I know I am very lucky as they think they have caught it early. In the last couple of weeks I have been for a CT scan, PET scan and yesterday an endoscopic ultra sound. I am booked in with my specialist Friday morning for staging and treatment plan. 

    Wishing you the best of luck. It is unusual for women our age to get it but not unheard of.

    If you can get a second opinion. I hope everything works out for you. 

  • Yeah having issues getting any doctor to take my seriously. GP just said its extremely unlikely you have cancer, ENT I seen at a hospital visit said he was 99% sure I didn't have cancer and the other ENT I seen seems outright annoyed at me told me he refused to send me for any tests and only agreed to the endoscopy because I pleaded with him. Then I got an appointment with a GI which was cancelled and then an endoscopy appointment finally made on the 7th. I dunno what else I could do...

    If you don't drink and don't smoke they don't seem to think its even worth considering.

  • Hi [@davek]‍  apologies for joining on this conversation, I wondered if you had received my friend request? Thanks 

  • Hi Kim,

    Apologies - I’ve not been on here much in recent weeks and missed the invite - now belatedly accepted.

     

    Best wishes

    Dave