Heartburn is a common symptom that can lead to various illnesses. Now, scientists say that regular bouts of heartburn lasting for more than three weeks could be a sign of cancer.
When a person is suffering from persistent and regular bouts of heartburn that usually last for more than three weeks, it could be a sign of cancer, health experts warned on Monday. Based on the new campaign 'Be Clear On Cancer', it is recommended for patients to visit their physician if they suffer from this condition.
Heartburn is also called pyrosis, cardialgia, or acid indigestion. It is usually characterized as a burning sensation in the chest at the area of the sternum. It is caused by the regurgitation of gastric acids to the esophagus that gets irritated. Sometimes, it can be a sign of ischemic heart disease or heart attack. However, recent reports state that this can also be a sign of esophageal or stomach cancer.
Daily Mail reported that a survey was done by Public Health England and it revealed that one in two people (approximately 55%) with heartburn for more than three weeks would visit their physician. This type of cancer should be diagnosed early to improve the chance to survive and for treatments to work. They added that 67% of people who have esophago-gastric cancers and were diagnosed early can survive for at least five years.
According to the findings from the survey, 59% of the respondents were not aware that heartburn can be a symptom of cancer and 15% of them know that it can also be linked to cancer.
"People may be reluctant to visit their doctor about persistent heartburn, thinking that it's something they just have to live with. But heartburn most days for three weeks or more could be a sign of cancer. The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the higher the chance of survival. If we're to improve early diagnosis rates, we need to encourage people with symptoms to go to their doctor, which is what this latest Be Clear on Cancer campaign aims to do," said Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England.
Based on the American Cancer Society estimates, around 24,590 cases of stomach cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2015 while 10,720 people will die from this type of cancer. On the other hand, there are 6,980 new esophageal cancer cases diagnosed and 15,590 deaths from esophageal cancer.
