Awareness Campaigns for Oesophageal & Gastric Cancer D. Perren, J. Shenfine, S. M. Griffin Northern Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Unit Newcastle upon Tyne

UK 5 th Most Common Cause Cancer Death in 2010

UK Oesophagogastric Cancer Statistics Oesophageal Cancer Incidence Gastric Cancer Incidence

Improving Outcomes  Patient selection/fitness  Critical care & enhanced recovery  Centralisation of services  Surgical technique  Oncology  Earlier diagnosis  Prevention

Prevention  Smoking  Alcohol  Diet  Obesity  Genetics  Screening  Barrett’s  Achalasia

Early Diagnosis Earlier diagnosis has the potential to improve outcomes to a far greater extent than any surgical or oncological measures

Open Access Endoscopy  OG cancer n=123 patients  85% had alarm symptoms  15% would have been ‘missed’ by guidelines  Earlier stage i.e. curable cases

Why Have an Awareness Campaign?  Patients continue to present with advanced disease  80% of delay is in people presenting to their GP  Public education is therefore the next crucial step  Highlights oesophago-gastric cancer as an important health issue  To bring health professionals together as a team across regions

Oesophagoose

Public Awareness Campaigns: Oesophagoose  Face-to-face interactions  Advertising  Public transport  Hospitals  Health clubs  Pubs  Media  Television  Radio  Newspapers

Concerns about the Awareness Campaigns  Vague symptoms in early disease  Common symptoms  Who to target  Unnecessary worry  Increased workload for GPs  Increased referrals to endoscopy  Value for money?

Conclusions: Oesophagoose Awareness Campaign 2009  Baseline knowledge is poor  Just over 50% knew what the oesophagus is  Knowledge levels were highest amongst people who had seen the campaign  Metro posters were most recognised aspect of campaign  Modest but manageable increase in endoscopy referrals  Discernable impact on presentation to GPs

Oesophagoose Awareness Campaign  May / June 2012  Questionnaire  359 responses over two weeks  Repeat of previous audit; allowing comparison

Oesophagoose 2012

Comments on Questionnaires  Terminology important  Level of information on posters  Answers to questions based on general health knowledge  Other health campaigns influence responses

Conclusions  Modest but manageable increase in endoscopy referrals (2009 data)  Discernible impact on presentation to GPs (2009 data)  Knowledge levels were highest amongst people who had seen the campaign  Symptom and risk factor recognition has improved after 4 years of campaigns  TV/radio and the Metro were most recognised aspect of campaign in 2012