Former teacher warns not to ignore persistent heartburn following cancer diagnosis

A former primary school teacher is urgung people to take ongoing heartburn seriously.

Gill Kohler, from Standish in Wigan, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer two years ago after her niece noticed how frequently she reached for over-the-counter indigestion remedies.

The 62-year-old is now backing the Heartburn Health Roadshow, delivered by Heartburn Cancer UK with Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, part of the NHS.

The roadshow will visit Greater Manchester in October, to raise awareness so potential warning signs of oesophageal cancer – sometimes called cancer of the foodpipe – are recognised earlier.

The initiative will share practical information and amplify lived experience stories to help people understand when persistent symptoms deserve attention.

Gill, a mum-of-three and grandmother-of-six, had been working as an assistant headteacher when she first noticed problems.

She said: “I was on holiday in Portugal when I started finding it hard to swallow red wine – it felt like it was getting stuck.

“I thought it was a throat infection and would clear up when I got home. Then I developed a pain between my shoulder blades, almost like something was lodged there all the time. I thought I’d maybe scratched my throat and kept waiting for it to ease.”

Instead, Gill relied more heavily on Gaviscon to soothe the discomfort. When her niece Caeli came to stay, the turning point came.

“We were supposed to be sharing a bottle of wine, but she noticed I’d drunk more Gaviscon than wine. That’s when I realised I had to see the doctor.”

Gill booked a GP appointment and was quickly referred for an endoscopy.

She said: “I still thought it would be nothing, but I could feel the atmosphere in the room change partway through the