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Action Against Heartburn

We are a group of charities, organisations and individuals campaigning against Oesophageal Cancer, one of the UK's most devastating diseases. We campaign for earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments and improved care to help those who suffer from the illness.

About Action Against Heartburn


Tags: Cancer Health & Medical Advocacy, awareness & campaigning

Action Against Heartburn has been working since 2011 to raise public awareness about the signs and symptoms of oesophageal cancer. Each year in the UK some 8500 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer and about 7500 die from the disease. 75% of these cases involve adenocarcinoma which is strongly associated with persistent heartburn (acid reflux where stomach acids rise into the oesophagus), and Barrett's Oesophagus, a condition in which the cells lining the oesophagus start to mutate because of the acid. Fortunately, new scientific advances are giving us all hope, such as capsule sponge technology, the "pill on a string" where a patient swallows a capsule with a string attached, the capsule turns into a sponge in the stomach and a nurse drags it up through the oesophagus bringing cells with it. Pathology using AI can then identify people prone to oesophageal cancer. However, to make scientific advances more successful we need to have much greater awareness, interest and understanding of this dreadful disease.

Your Impact

We hold an annual Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Week each February, with the help of professional PR and media organisations, and we publicise the poor prognosis and low survival rates from oesophageal cancer. However, some people do have good outcomes and they are good enough to publicise their stories, so that we can learn and be inspired from their experiences. Our February Awareness Weeks are where we have most impact, but they need funding and financial support.