Reducing OAC deaths

February is Oesophageal Cancer Awareness month in UK

#OesophagealCancerAwareness

What you need to know and what needs to be done.

What is it?

1.1 It starts with acid reflux – the movement of stomach contents into the oesophagus.

1.2 Refluxing acid burns the oesophagus and can cause pain, but not everyone feels it.

1.3 The body may protect itself by producing acid resistant cells known as Barrett’s Oesophagus.

1.4 Those cells may mutate to cancer.

What people get wrong

2.1 Acid reflux is not caused by food; it is due to a malfunctioning Lower Oesophageal Sphincter – though food can cause obesity resulting in reflux.

2.2 Acidic foods do not burn the oesophagus; stomach acid is far stronger – though acidic foods may irritate the inflammation causing heartburn.

2.3 One person in 20 has Barrett’s but only 1 in 20 of them know.

2.4 Cell mutation to cancer has nothing to do with acid or reflux but copying errors in the cell cycle.

How to reduce your risk

3.1 Watch for signs of acid reflux. Heartburn, cough, constant throat clearing, swallowing difficulty.

3.2 See the doctor sooner rather than later. Too many don’t see the doctor until it has reached stage 4 cancer when it’s too late. Anything less can be treated.

What doctors often get wrong:

4.1 It is not only white, obese, middle aged men. Young, fit young women can get it, too.

4.2 Acid suppressant medicines are great but they do not reduce reflux.

4.3 Anti-reflux surgery does not reduce cancer risk.

Actions:

5.1 Utilise new technologies (e.g. cytosponge) to look for oesophagitis, Barrett’s Oesophagus and cancer.

5.2 Prescribe Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs). (They do not have dangerous side effects.)

Ask me to send you a free printed copy of Down With Acid -lite.
(https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/dwa-lite)

Supporting evidence:

1.1 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/sphincters-burps

1.2 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/heartburn

1.3 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/complications/barrett-s-oesophagus/put-simply

2.1 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/food

2.2 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/alkaline-diet

2.3 https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196%2814%2900107-4/fulltext

2.4 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/treatment/reducing-cancer-risk

3.1 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/appendices#h.p_ID_34

3.2 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/complications/oesophageal-cancer#h.slv6kxq6blsj

4.2 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/complications/oesophageal-cancer#h.slv6kxq6blsj

4.3 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/reflux/surgery-cancer-risk

5.1 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/diagnosis/cytosponge

5.2 https://sites.google.com/view/down-with-acid/home/acid/medication/ppi-dangers