'My heartburn symptoms turned out to be cancer'

John Hatton was 54 when he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer

John Hatton admits he was not a "big fan" of going to the doctors.

But after persistent heartburn and swallowing issues, he went to his GP - and the appointment saved his life.

The dad, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire, was aged 54 when he was referred to hospital, where tests showed he had stage three oesophageal cancer.

After undergoing chemotherapy and surgery, John, now 56, has been told by his oncologist there are no signs of cancer, and he has urged others with persistent heartburn or swallowing issues to get checked by a GP.

"It doesn't hurt to go to the GP," he added. "The GP is happy to see you if you've got indigestion regularly or for a considerable amount of time.

"Go and get yourself checked out."

John went on a skiing trip 10 months after surgery at the Royal Derby Hospital

The summer before being diagnosed with cancer, John said he struggled to swallow food on a few occasions but "didn't think anything more about it" as his symptoms were relieved by taking indigestion tablets.

Then, in September 2023, he went to his GP as he was feeling unwell.

He told the BBC that he was sent to hospital and treated with antibiotics for a chest infection after an X-ray found a clouded area on his lung.

A week later, he was struggling to eat and drink and was sent back to hospital.

By then the clouded area had disappeared. More tests followed, including a type of endoscopy, which found a tumour on his oesophagus.

John recalled being "stunned" when the doctor told him he had cancer and said he just laid on the bed "numb" until his wife arrived.

He added: "It hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm a fit chap, running around, working, driving around the country, going on holiday - everything just comes to a grinding halt."

John says he had chemotherapy and major surgery in February 2024, losing a third of his stomach and 8cm (3in) of his oesophagus.

He came out of hospital on his 55th birthday after eight days in hospital following surgery and was skiing in Switzerland ten months later.

"I'm a big skier, and that was quite an important target for me to do," John added.

"I just want to live life and enjoy life. I've got a 13-year-old daughter, and I want to spend my time with her, watching her do sports and just enjoy life."

John had his most recent scan in May and the oncologist told him there are currently no signs of cancer.

The surgeon said there were "significant survival benefits" when patients presented with early symptoms of the cancer

Mr Ahmed El-Sharkawy, a consultant surgeon at the Royal Derby Hospital, told the BBC that John had made an "incredible" recovery and said the hospital wished him "the very best for the future".

According to the NHS, oesophageal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, and, in the East Midlands, 80% of cases are diagnosed too late.

Mr El-Sharkawy added: "The vast majority of patients that we see are in advanced stages of the disease, and that's eight out of 10. And as a result of that, we're often seeing poor outcomes."

The surgeon added symptoms include problems swallowing, unexpected weight loss with associated persistent indigestion or reflux type symptoms, particularly if they last more than three weeks, or are not getting better with medication.

He said: "We see significant survival benefits when patients present early, and as a result, we're really keen to raise awareness about some of the symptoms that may be associated with oesophageal cancer."