A Co Armagh mother, Jennifer Dummigan, shares her experience with oesophageal cancer, diagnosed in 2024, and encourages others to heed changes in their bodies following concerning research funding findings for less survivable cancers. She highlights her symptoms and the treatment she received, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis.
A mother from Co Armagh is encouraging people to pay closer attention to any changes to their bodies after she received treatment for one of the six less survivable cancers. 54-year-old Jennifer Dummigan, who is from Craigavon, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2024.
The mum-of-two shared her story as concerning new findings revealed today show a significant lack of research funding for cancers which are prevalent but less survivable. Jennifer told Belfast Live : ‘I’d had some problems with stomach acid in my 30s but it didn’t seem to be anything serious. Back then the doctor just gave you lansoprazole and you said nothing more about it. ‘But then in December 2023 I started having a tickly feeling in my chest and realised I was losing weight and struggling to eat. I saw my GP who gave me antibiotics thinking it was a chest infection. ‘By the January I thought some foods were hurting me when I was eating and swallowing. I went back to the doctor who thought maybe it was helicobacter . I was put on courses of antibiotics for it yet I still didn’t feel well.’ After seeing no improvement, Jennifer was rushed to hospital around Easter 2024 when she collapsed in agony. She continued: ‘I was actually planting a tree in my backyard and I collapsed in pain and I thought I better get myself off to A&E here. I went to Craigavon Area Hospital, which wasn’t busy. I always say that was part of my luck because I listened to myself and was diagnosed pretty quickly. ‘I ended up having a camera test at the end of May and I was red flagged. It found a 5cm tumour in my oesophagus. It was a shock and I actually think I’m only starting to process it all now. ‘At the time I’d never heard of oesophageal cancer in my life and never heard of anyone having it. I started treatment on July 15 and had chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and surgery. ‘The treatment I received at Belfast City Hospital was really excellent and I had the all clear a couple of months ago. The treatment isn’t pretty, it’s a really painful cancer. It has changed my perspective on life and you learn not to sweat the small stuff.’ Less survivable cancers – such as those of the brain, liver, lung, oesophagus, pancreas or stomach – receive less than a fifth of all government-funded cancer research in the UK, according to figures obtained by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce following a number of Freedom of Information requests. This is despite these cancers accounting for almost 40 per cent of all common cancer deaths in the UK. Nearly 100,000 people are diagnosed with one of the less survivable cancers in the UK every year. Figures released by the Taskforce last year found that more than half of people in Northern Ireland diagnosed with one of the six less survivable cancers will die from their disease within one year. Jennifer added: ‘My advice to others would be if somebody has a prolonged issue I would be saying get back to your doctor and just say can we look at this, can we talk about this a wee bit more. ‘I’m lucky that my first symptoms were first noticed in December and I was treated six months later because I listened to my own body and knew something wasn’t right. ‘It’s been very hard but I’m an example of research saving lives. I hope we can start to prioritise these cancers and improve diagnosis and treatments for everyone facing them.’ The Taskforce is calling on the UK Government to recognise the scale of this challenge, reconsider current funding models, remove barriers and incentivise research into less survivable cancers. Anna Jewell, Chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, says the findings are a wake-up call: ‘It is unacceptable that less survivable cancers, which account for such a significant proportion of cancer deaths, receive only a fraction of the funding of overall cancer research. ‘We urgently need substantial investment in research for these deadly cancers to discover better detection and treatment methods, ensuring that more lives can be saved.’ Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
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