oesophageal cancer at 31?

[Muffintop8]

Hi everyone I’m 31 I have two small children. For the last year I have had the worse disabling pain in the middle of my chest below the breast and upper back. It comes every couple of weeks and it has me on the floor in pain. It feels like hunger pangs x1000000000. I’ve had every anti acid under the sun, an endoscopy and mrcp plus a gallbladder scan. All clear. I ended up in a&e yesterday and they have requested I see my gastro (who is sending me for a ct scan) and request a barium swallow which checks for spasms and tumours. I’m so terrified I can’t even concentrate and all I’ve done is moan at my babies (3&4) I’m living in so much fear because I know this pain isn’t normal and causing me so much anxiety I just wanna cry and run to the hospital evry 5 minutes. My gran died of throat cancer and grandad had stomach cancer so they have always been in the back of my mind. I just can’t cope and don’t know what to do or who to turn to. My gp has said there nothing more they can do or refer to as far as the pain goes so I have no one (professional) I’m just so scared this is gonna be it for me and my biggest fear is leaving my kids. I’m hoping to speak to my gastro today and get a referral even if she can refer me and I’ll pay private to get this done I just hope she calls me

How did you get on OP, I’m so sorry you’re going through this horrible time.

Hi Op, so sorry you are in so much pain. You definitely don't have esophageal cancer though as this would have come up in your endoscopy. And also, esophageal cancer is practically unheard of in under 50s (and when it does happen it tends to be in people who had bulimia or smoked a lot).

What are your bloods like? All normal?

You've had this symptoms for a year and as awful as that is, if you're not losing weight and are not developing more troubling symptoms, the chances that it's cancer-related are probably very low. Cancer tends to cause worsening symptoms.

I know it's really hard to not worry. But you may be having a bad case of GERD.

I have very similar symptoms but the anti acids do help. My symptoms get much worse when I'm stressed - I have GERD and it sucks as other than anti acids there's not too much they can do.

All the best and I hope you'll get good news from your CT scan

Btw, my grandad had esophageal cancer. He started losing weight in August and by December was skin and bones. He was regurgitating his food and had lots of trouble swallowing. But other than that, he had no pain.

An endoscopy found a tumour at the bottom of his esophagus. He passed away sadly.

My uncle also had esophageal cancer. He had absolutely no symptoms and was having a routine endoscopy due to Barrett's esophagus. Caught early, had an esophagectomy and is now cancer free.

So the fact you've had a clear endoscopy should put you at ease

OP have you been tested for hpylori? If not please ask your GP to be.