Persistent heartburn or swallowing difficulty should be checked for oesophageal cancer, says charity

(Left to right) John Claffey, patient advocate for the Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF), Padraig Harrington, patron of OCF and Gillian Schorman patient advocate at the launch of the OCF Lollipop Day 2026. Picture: Jason Clarke

Almost 70% of people would not recognise early warning signs of oesophageal cancer although over 75% of adults experience heartburn which can be one of those signs, new Irish research shows.

Golfer Padraig Harrington, whose father died from oesophageal cancer, has now urged people to learn the symptoms of this often treatable disease and not wait three months as is typically the case.