Many people do not know that they have this particular cancer until they start to notice symptoms, usually difficulty in swallowing. However, the tell-tale signs may be there earlier. A misunderstanding of the symptoms, both in the general public and sometimes in the medical profession, results in a late diagnosis. Staging and treatment of this cancer is complex and involves contribution from multiple health professionals.
ABOUT OESOPHAGO-GASTRIC CANCER
Our aims
Our charity aims to improve the understanding of this cancer by raising awareness, together with providing support for patients and those involved in caring for them.
People diagnosed with this form of cancer face many challenges. Those who can be operated on may encounter life-changing issues.
PROGRESS is there to help. It can also offer practical advice and assistance to all, regardless of what medical path they are on.
Why we started
The charity grew out of discussions between patients attending a Guildford support group and the health care professionals involved in their treatment. In these discussions, it was clear that more support was needed. It was also abundantly clear that an early diagnosis was fundamental to improving outcomes.
This support group continues to meet, but the charity provides an opportunity to do more. Having been gifted some money it was decided to create
PROGRESS, with four medical trustees – a surgeon, oncologist, clinical nurse specialist and specialist dietitian, all with first-hand knowledge of OG cancers – and four patient survivor trustees, who know from personal experience what it is like to be diagnosed and treated for oesophago-gastric cancer.
We are here to help
Our objectives, as stated on our Charity Commission entry, are to enhance the welfare and quality of life for patients, carers and families, to increase awareness of symptoms, to assist in treatment choices and to provide information on what help is available. The charity also aims to support the development of the local clinicians delivering care, and to clinical research into OG cancers.
The Charity aims to work with local patient support groups whilst having a wider scope for the benefit of patients, carers and professionals across a large part of southern England.
OUR TRUSTEES
Our Constitution requires there to be four medical trustees and four patient trustees.
In the summer of 2025 we opened up a process to appoint two new patient trustees. We received more than a dozen applicants and all had much to offer. We selected and appointed two. Unfortunately, one of these has since developed health complications and has stood down. The remaining Trustees decided that, as the candidate process had been conducted recently, we could ask one of the other suitable applicants if they would stand. We are very pleased to announce that, as of January 2026, Paul Davison has become a patient Trustee, replacing Dave Paterson. See below for details of all Trustees.
Mr Abbassi-Ghadi is a Consultant Upper Gastro-intestinal Surgeon, specialising in the treatment of oesophageal and gastric cancer. He is the clinical and MDT lead for oesophago-gastric cancer at the Royal Surrey County Hospital and is an internationally recognised tutor of robotic surgery.
He is an Honorary Reader at the University of Surrey, the Divisional Research Lead at the Royal Surrey, and is actively involved in oesophageal cancer research. His research interests include the role of exercise in the augmentation of innate immunity and he supervises a PhD project funded by the World Cancer Research Fund.
He achieved his medical degree at The University of Nottingham and went on to finish his specialist training in London, where he developed extensive experience in advanced operating techniques and minimal access surgery. During his surgical training he was awarded The ALSGBI Braun Aesculap Fellowship, which took him to the National Cancer Centre in Seoul, Korea. He completed his PhD at Imperial College London, investigating the role of mass spectrometry in cancer diagnostics and published his work in leading journals such as Cancer Research.
Having grown up in Guildford, he is proud to be offering his expertise back to the local community. His primary focuses are providing a personalised treatment that is holistic and supported by clinical evidence.
I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2013. After my surgery I started to attend the local Guildford OG Cancer Support Group. Through this, I was invited to become a Trustee of PROGRESS.
This followed an active career in aviation. Having left school with a handful of O Levels I took an apprenticeship as a Post Office engineer. I achieved my City and Guilds qualification by, by the time I was 25, I was bored and looking for something else.
My love was flying and I set about getting myself qualified to be a pilot, giving myself five years to achieve this goal. I succeeded, and at the age of 32 I was flying to Amsterdam every night taking British newspapers to Holland, returning at first light, whatever the weather.
I moved on to work with several airlines, some I would regard now as a bit dodgy. But I was flying around Europe, meeting lots of interesting people in lots of interesting places. This led to me becoming a Training Captain for British Airways, later joining one of the new budget airlines.
Working in a demanding job, I noticed I was becoming very tired and decided to get myself checked out. After numerous procedures it was discovered that I had oesophageal cancer. I was told to stop flying until this was sorted out.
It took a while, but some twenty thousand flying hours later here I am, a Trustee of
PROGRESS.
Dr Hewish trained at the Imperial College School of Medicine in London, followed by specialist training in Medical Oncology at Guildford and then the Royal Marsden. She acquired an MRC-funded PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research, which was followed by post doctoral research at the ICR as an NIHR Clinical Lecturer, including an AACR Scholar in Training award.
She has been a consultant at the Royal Surrey since 2014, specialising in the treatment of oesophago-gastric and lung cancer, GIST and cancer of unknown primary. Her specific research interests include interventional clinical trials, the wider utility of molecular diagnostics in cancer, and, more recently, cancer multidisciplinary team effectiveness. She is clinical co-chair for lung cancer with the Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance.
Dr Hewish moved from London to Surrey with her family at the time of her consultant appointment, and is proud to be able to contribute to the local community. As a Trustee of
PROGRESS, she aspires to further support patients living with this very difficult condition, and promote research, particularly at an exciting time when the drug treatments for this condition are improving.
Stewart was diagnosed with stage 3 oesophageal cancer in 2016, at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.
This came as a considerable shock, as he was enjoying an active early retirement after 30 years as a Fleet Street newspaper journalist, working as a foreign and war correspondent and an investigative reporter.
His diagnosis came on his 63rd birthday. He had no idea he was unwell until a routine endoscopy revealed that a previously-diagnosed Barrett’s oesophagus had developed into a cancer. He had no obvious symptoms but the many tests and procedures that swiftly followed left him in no doubt of the seriousness of his condition.
His overall health was good and, with no obvious evidence that his cancer had spread, he was considered strong enough for surgery, which took place in January 2017. He had a very good outcome and is now considered free of cancer.
Stewart subsequently attended meetings of the Guildford OG Cancer Support Group and he and his wife found them a great help. Through this he was asked to be a trustee of
PROGRESS. His hopes for the charity include increasing awareness of this cancer and raising money to support those who have been diagnosed with it.
Fiona has over 15 years’ experience as a specialist dietitian working with patients diagnosed with oesophageal and gastric cancer at the regional OG unit in Guildford. She supports patients to optimise their nutritional intake from diagnosis, throughout the staging process and during subsequent oncological and surgical treatments.
Her research interests include prehabilitation and nutritional optimisation for surgery, optimal route for nutrition support following OG resection and the investigation and management of the longer term complications following OG resection.
Fiona leads a national network of OG dietitians, represents dietitians on the council for the Association for Upper GI Surgery (AUGIS), and is an advisor for the NHS England Specification review for oesophago-gastric cancer service delivery.
Fiona is delighted to be a Trustee for the charity and excited to see what the charity can achieve to help current and future patients, their support teams and the hospital team to provide the best possible care.
Anna has worked within the Regional OG unit at the Royal Surrey, Guildford since 2012. She supports patients with oesophago-gastric cancer, gastro-intestinal stromal tumours and complex benign surgical patients, being involved in their care from diagnosis/staging, during all treatment and follow up appointments whether curative surgery, chemo/RT or palliative.
She qualified as a RGN from the University of Surrey in 1990, working as a surgical ward staff nurse then as a ward sister until 1999. She then changed career direction, moving to the community and qualifying as a District Nurse before joining the Royal Surrey to take up her current role as lead OG CNS.
My name is Patricia Wilson, and I am delighted to introduce myself as a Patient Trustee for PROGRESS, a charity dedicated to supporting those affected by oesophageal and gastric cancers.
For many years, my professional life revolved around the hustle and bustle of aviation. I had the privilege of working as an airport manager for a well-known airline overseeing operations and looking after VIP passengers as they passed through our busy terminals. It was a career that demanded both precision and a calm approach, skills I have found surprisingly useful in navigating life's unexpected turns.
My own cancer journey began on a quiet Boxing Day in 2022. It was during a lovely family lunch that I realised I could comfortably fit into a skirt I had not worn in quite some time. My daughter, ever observant, playfully suggested I hadn't zipped it up, but in truth, I had already begun to lose a lot of weight.
Fast forward to April 2023, after experiencing persistent tummy pains, my GP sent me to East Surrey Hospital. There, after a series of tests, I received the diagnosis of stomach cancer.
I was then transferred to St Luke's at Royal Surrey, where I was incredibly fortunate to be under the care of Mr. Singh. Given my age, I underwent a rigorous series of fitness tests to ensure I was strong enough to endure the upcoming operation and subsequent chemotherapy. Thankfully, my years of staying active paid off, and I was deemed fit and healthy.
On November 1st, I had the operation, performed by the skilled surgeon Mr. Walker, to remove the affected areas and numerous lymph glands. Just five days later, I was back in the comfort of my own home, a testament to the excellent care I received. More chemotherapy followed.
I am delighted to say I am now fit and healthy once more. Having personally navigated the challenges of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, I felt moved to help others. I applied to be a trustee for PROGRESS, and I am truly honoured to have been chosen.
I am so looking forward to dedicating my energy to raising funds and offering support to individuals and families as they face their own difficult journeys, and making a meaningful difference to those affected by these cancers.
I’m delighted to have been appointed a Patient Trustee for PROGRESS to help the charity raise awareness and provide support for those directly and indirectly affected by oesophageal and gastric cancers.
My professional background lies in Data, Sales and Marketing and I have held various roles across large corporate organisations and within a number of small businesses too. I love the idea of utilising data for good and have been lucky enough to lead teams that have been focused on doing exactly this.
My own cancer journey started with what I considered mild symptoms including a sensation of acid reflux and then a handful of mealtimes where I couldn’t swallow the first few mouthfuls, but once cleared was absolutely fine to finish the meal. Just prior to going on a big holiday, my wife suggested I should get checked out so I could enjoy the break without worrying or experiencing a similar thing happening. Initial checks suggested I should have an endoscopy and that found, after many further tests, a tumour at the base of my oesophagus and into the top of my stomach.
The first step of treatment was chemotherapy which commenced in August 2022 with the keyhole and robotic surgery being completed on 23rd November and thanks to the wonders of medical science and a fabulous team to support me at the Royal Surrey, I was back home on 1st December to start my recovery. The follow up chemotherapy commenced in January 2023 and I was back to work in April!
Whilst my personal journey with cancer had reached a positive outcome at this point, unfortunately my father-in-law received an almost identical diagnosis to mine in the spring of 2024 and had to complete a similar journey which my wife and I found ourselves in a rather knowledgeable position to support him through.
Ever since the start of my initial treatment, my own journey and then my fathers-in-law journey, experiencing and seeing the support offered by the Royal Surrey and the organisations associated with it, I’ve wanted to give back so being able to do this in this very privileged role, makes me very proud.
Stewart Payne
Stewart was diagnosed with stage 3 oesophageal cancer in 2016, at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.
This came as a considerable shock, as he was enjoying an active early retirement after 30 years as a Fleet Street newspaper journalist, working as a foreign and war correspondent and an investigative reporter.
His diagnosis came on his 63rd birthday. He had no idea he was unwell until a routine endoscopy revealed that a previously-diagnosed Barrett’s oesophagus had developed into a cancer. He had no obvious symptoms but the many tests and procedures that swiftly followed left him in no doubt of the seriousness of his condition.
His overall health was good and, with no obvious evidence that his cancer had spread, he was considered strong enough for surgery, which took place in January 2017. He had a very good outcome and is now considered free of cancer.
Stewart subsequently attended meetings of the Guildford OG Cancer Support Group and he and his wife found them a great help. Through this he was asked to be a trustee of PROGRESS. His hopes for the charity include increasing awareness of this cancer and raising money to support those who have been diagnosed with it.
There are lots of different ways that you can support us
GET INVOLVED
We’re a charity and we couldn’t continue our work without your help. Fundraise – choose a challenge, pledge your birthday or hold a cake sale. Volunteer – if you’re interested in joining our team of dedicated volunteers, we’d love to hear from you.
