My story began with an endoscopy at Runnymede Hospital in October 2018.

It diagnosed the reason for my difficulty in swallowing and a persistent cough and was short and to the point: 3cm malignant carcinoma of the oesophagus, Stage 3. Three ‘hot’ lymph nodes in my neck were also irritating my trachea, causing the cough.

With my first grandchild due at the end of October, it was the last thing I wanted to hear.

Identification

In November, I was selected to take part in the KEYNOTE 590 trial sponsored by MSD, to investigate a combination of conventional chemotherapy drugs plus pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug. This was a blind trial so I do not know if I had the full combination but the side effects were severe and I had to leave the trial after one infusion. 



Better news came after Christmas when a further PET scan ‘demonstrated a dramatic response’ in spite of the side effects. This reduction in the tumour made surgery a realistic possibility and I had to decide whether to opt for surgery (oesophagectomy, with a recovery time up to a year) or ongoing, essentially palliative chemotherapy.

Discussions with my prospective surgeon, my oncologist and my family and close friends followed. The final decision was to go for surgery, although it was made clear what a big operation this would be. It was a difficult decision because the reduced tumour eased my swallowing difficulties and my cough. It was tempting to think that this improvement could last. 

The final decision was helped by my oncologist’s advice that surgery offered the chance of a complete cure; it was vindicated by a late scan which showed that the tumour was developing again. 



My surgery took place in March 2019 over ten and a half hours. I was in intensive care for 5 days in RSCH, then a further 5 days in general care, full of wires and tubes. Gradually these all came out, except for my feeding tube which delivered 1000 calories a night for the next few months.

I was allowed home after 10 days as scheduled, with a box of liquid food bags. My recovery was gradual but always positive; as one of my daughters said, “If we had known you would be this well, this soon, we would not have hesitated”. I have had regular PET scans since, none of which have shown any sign of the cancer returning.

Life after treatment...

Treatment

Now in July 2025, I am well, eating anything I like and taking no tablets except for vitamin pills. And I have four grandchildren ranging in age from six to one and proud as punch of every one of them!



I want to thank Shaun Preston (gastro-oesophageal surgeon), Lisa Pitkin (ENT surgeon), Dr Ajay Mehta (oncologist), Dr Madeleine Hewish (oncologist), Fiona Huddy (specialist dietician), all the nurse specialists and staff and, of course, my family, who have helped me on my journey and enabled me to meet and enjoy my grandchildren.