Thanks for appreciating my update Mick, also other members who have read and responded to it ( Steve, Graham and Imagine ).
Naturally I’m sorry to learn about your brother, and I’m sure you’re aware the outlook is not usually good . Unfortunately the oesophagus ( gullet ) is a site where cancer is increasingly diagnosed in the UK, especially in men. It’s the ninth most common cancer in UK - relatively less common in Philippines. Risk factors may include smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption and acid reflux – but most people having these DON’T get this type of cancer, and we don’t yet fully understand why it may develop in others. Ironically helicobacter may decrease the risk of one type of this cancer ( while causing illness elsewhere, as I have already said ).
