Man with persistent heartburn gets life-saving diagnosis after wife spots key warning signs
Man with persistent heartburn gets life-saving diagnosis after wife spots key warning signs
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A man's life was saved by his brother-in-law after his wife recognised that his persistent heartburn could be a sign of cancer. Jenny Mosley, 56, tragically lost her brother Ade, 53, to oesophageal cancer in October 2018, just six months after his initial diagnosis.
This loss taught her the importance of not dismissing signs like persistent heartburn, which she then noticed in her partner Dave, 48. Dave had been managing his heartburn with over-the-counter antacids for over a decade. Following her brother's death, Jenny got Dave registered for a capsule sponge test pilot with Heartburn Cancer UK and Cyted, the device maker. The test revealed Dave had Barrett's oesophagus, a condition that can lead to oesophageal cancer if untreated.
READ MORE: Family devastated as 'most loving, kind-hearted woman' dies after falling down pub stairs. Jenny, from Southampton, Hampshire, believes her brother's death led to the life-saving diagnosis for her husband. She said: "We never connected the dots before. For years, we just assumed over-the-counter treatments, like Gaviscon, were enough, but Ade's experience made us realise how dangerous ignoring symptoms could be.
"Dave had persistent heartburn for at least eight years, maybe 10, before being properly checked.When we got the results, it was a mix of emotions. Relief that we caught it early. But also fear of what could have happened if we hadn’t taken action. Ade would be proud to know his experience helped save Dave’s life.".
Before he passed away, Ade was working overseas as an electrical engineer and didn't even have a UK GP when his symptoms became unbearable. He was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy but his cancer had advanced significantly and Abe died in October 2018 - six months after his diagnosis.
