Main symptoms of oesophageal cancer
There are many possible symptoms of oesophageal cancer, but they might be hard to spot.
They can affect your digestion, such as:
- having problems swallowing (dysphagia)
- feeling or being sick
- heartburn or acid reflux
- symptoms of indigestion, such as burping a lot
Other symptoms include:
- a cough that is not getting better
- a hoarse voice
- loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- feeling tired or having no energy
- pain in your throat or the middle of your chest, especially when swallowing
- black poo or coughing up blood (although these are uncommon)
If you have another condition, such as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, you may get symptoms like these regularly.
You might find you get used to them. But it's important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse, or do not feel normal for you.
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
- you're being sick for more than 2 days
- your poo is black or dark red
- you have symptoms of oesophageal cancer you're worried about, but are not sure where to get help
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
- you have problems swallowing
- you've lost a noticeable amount of weight
- you have heartburn most days that lasts for 3 weeks or more
- you have symptoms of oesophageal cancer that get worse
- you have a condition that causes digestion symptoms and they're not getting better with your usual treatments
Important
These symptoms are very common and can be caused by many different conditions.
Having them does not definitely mean you have oesophageal cancer. But it's important to get them checked by a GP.
This is because if they're caused by cancer, finding it early makes it more treatable.
What happens at the GP appointment
The GP may feel your neck and tummy.
They might arrange for you to have a blood test.
Referral to a specialist
You may get an urgent referral for more tests or to see a specialist in hospital if the GP thinks you have symptoms that could be cancer. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.