I had heartburn for years before discovering I had a deadly cancer

As a physically fit businessman who enjoyed walking, skiing and dancing in his spare time, John Wardman, 60, had no reason to worry about his health. 

The Nottinghamshire father-of-one ate well, drank moderately and enjoyed weekend hikes with his wife. 

His only complaint was acid reflux – which occurs when stomach acid travels back up the food pipe, causing heartburn, chest pain and difficulty swallowing. 

He remedied the problem with over-the-counter treatments such as Gaviscon, which works by forming a protective layer on top of the contents of the stomach – helping to stop stomach acid flowing back up the food pipe. 

It also contains antacids that can help relieve the pain and discomfort caused by excess stomach acid. 

‘I just thought it was one of those things,’ he said. ‘If I had a glass of wine or ate something spicy, I’d take it and just carry on.’ 

It was only when he woke up choking in the middle of the night and suffering from agonising chest pains on holiday that he began to think something more serious might be going on. 

He said: ‘My symptoms didn’t settle when I was away relaxing, so when I came back I contacted my GP.’

His doctor prescribed a more powerful antacid, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which work by reducing the amount of acid produced in the stomach. 

But, his symptoms only got worse. 

‘I suddenly became aware of the sensation of food travelling down my throat,’ he remembers. 

‘It didn’t feel normal and it worried me.’ 

Trusting his instincts, Mr Wardman went back to his GP.

An endoscopy and further scans confirmed early-stage cancer of the oesophagus.

Doctors believe it may have been caused by a condition called Barrett’s Oesophagus, where some of the cells in the oesophagus grow abnormally as a result of long-term reflux. 

Sadly, by the time doctors caught the disease, it had already spread to surrounding tissue, spanning 4cm of his oesophagus. 

Now, the father-of-one is urging people to take acid reflux and heartburn seriously, as early treatment gives patients the best chance at survival. 

‘For two or three years before my diagnosis, I relied quite heavily on Gavsion,’ he says.  

‘But I’m deeply grateful that I eventually acted on my symptoms instead of relying on medication alone. 

‘Doing something made all the difference. It meant the cancer was picked up earlier and treatment could start quickly.’ 

Since his diagnosis, Mr Wardman has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy, surgery to his food pipe and now faces more gruelling chemotherapy – to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back. 

Oesophageal cancer is on the rise and is closely linked with risk factors such as obesity, poor diet, smoking, alcohol and acid reflux. 

It is now the UK’s fourth biggest cancer killer in men. 

In the UK 9,300 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer a year, according to Cancer Research UK. 

But the disease is often dubbed a silent killer, because its symptoms are not easily recognisable, until it’s too late. 

Around one in four cancers are diagnosed at stage four – meaning it has spread to another part of the body. 

Mimi McCord, Founder of Heartburn Cancer UK, said: ‘Many people live with heartburn for years and simply manage it with over-the-counter remedies like Gaviscon or Rennie. 

‘They often don’t realise that persistent heartburn or acid reflux can sometimes be a warning sign of something more serious.

‘Oesophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the UK, yet awareness of the symptoms is still very low. That’s why stories like John’s are so important.

‘If heartburn or reflux keeps coming back, particularly for three weeks or more, it’s important to speak to your GP rather than continuing to self-medicate.’