A pensioner who was given a devastating diagnosis after swallowing "became painful" is now "hoping for a brighter future".
Retired dog groomer Lorna Cheetham, 80, said she noticed something was wrong when the gastric problems she had for years "worsened" and it became painful to swallow.
Last summer, an endoscopy revealed a tumour in her gullet and she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
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After gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Lorna was delighted to ring the end of treatment bell at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
The 80-year-old received the treatment as part of the clinical trial and is now hoping it will keep her oesophageal cancer in check as she "hopes for a brighter future".
As part of her treatment, she was asked if she wanted to go on the SCOPE2 trial by her consultant who explained the nature of the study.
He said it was a high intensity treatment, with a commitment to frequent visits and the possibility of side effects.
She said: "I knew that the treatment would be quite gruelling as this had been outlined by the consultant but I was determined to go through with it.
"Being part of this clinical trial would give me a better chance of overcoming the cancer and if it did not benefit me, it could benefit someone else further down the line.
"But I was lucky, I didn’t have many problems with the treatment and my consultant is really happy with how I have coped with it all."
Travelling to Liverpool from her home in Chester every day for five weeks, Lorna's treatment included the mixing of two types of chemotherapy, high doses of radiotherapy as well as blood transfusions.
Loran said her husband Roy was "relieved" with her progress, adding: "He was concerned about me at the beginning but he’s now very proud of how I’ve come through this.”
Lorna believes her good level of fitness before her cancer diagnosis helped her to cope with the treatment.
She will now be monitored with scans and other tests, and recommends others take part in a clinical research trial if offered the opportunity.
She said: "I’ve been lucky. I used to walk five miles every day with Roy and I think that being fit helped me to get through the treatment more easily.
"I was keen straight away to go on the trial. It was bit scary at first but everyone explained things so well and the care from everyone had been so good that I didn’t have second thoughts.
"And I believe that if this research does not help me, then it will help other people. Research is the only way cancer treatment is going to become better.
"Clatterbridge looked after me brilliantly. The team were great and I made many friends during my treatment. I’m so glad I went there, the staff couldn’t do enough for me."
Lorna’s lead clinician is Consultant Clinical Oncologist Dr Chinnamani Eswar, who is Principal Investigator on the Scope2 clinical research trial.
He said: "Lorna has coped extremely well with her treatment and we are grateful to her for taking part in this study. The Scope2 clinical research trial hopefully will help her and also other people with oesophageal cancer in the future."
As the ninth most common cancer worldwide, February marks Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Month and people are being urged to know the symptoms.
These include:
- If you’ve experienced heartburn for three weeks or longer
- If your heartburn persists even after avoiding trigger foods and changing your lifestyle
- If food gets stuck when you swallow
- If you experience persistent indigestion
More information can be found online by clicking here.
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