'A huge shock': Helen Reilly on oesophageal cancer diagnosis and recovery

Helen Reilly was only in her 50s and atypical for oesophageal cancer, which is more common among older men

Helen Reilly, who was treated for oesphageal cancer in 2023, was only in her 50s when diagnosed. Picture: Moya Nolan.

When Helen Reilly started having difficulty swallowing starchy foods, like rice and potatoes, she wasn’t overly concerned.

“I wasn’t particularly worried, because my mother, who lived until she was 93, used to have this same sensation of things getting stuck,” says Reilly, describing how a year or so earlier she had noticed a tender feeling in her chest and “some discomfort in my digestive system” after eating.