One in three men unaware of oesophageal cancer, survey finds

Noelle Ryan, founder of the Oesophageal Cancer Fund with oesophageal cancer survivors Helen Reilly, Andrew Kelly and Brona Wright at the launch of the Oesophageal Cancer Fund Lollipop Day for 2025. Picture: Andres Poveda

Nearly one in three men, 30%, in Ireland are unaware of oesophageal cancer, with a charity saying there is a "significant misunderstanding" in the symptoms of the disease. 

The Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF) said 500 people are diagnosed with this form of cancer each year in Ireland and it affects more men than women in Ireland, by a ratio of eight to one. It has a five-year survival rate of 25%.