Thousands of thank yous to OG Cancer Department

An ‘inspirational’ patient has decided to not just give back to the department who treated her but give back more than £12,000!

Emma Bussey was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in October 2012 and has been helping to raise money for monitoring equipment at the Norfolk and Norwich University’s Gissing Ward where she was treated ever since reaching a phenomenal final total of £12,025.

Emma said: “Having cancer was a horrible chapter in my life and I need to bring that chapter to an end. I first started raising funds because I wanted to say thank you to the people who saved my life, to the hospital. I shall be eternally grateful to them”.

“It gave me another focus other than my illness and it gave people around me a focus for their support.”

Mr Ed Cheong, NNUH consultant Laparoscopic and Oesophagogastric Surgeon added: “It is a huge amount of money which will make a great difference to the people we treat with the same cancer as Emma’s. The money will be used to purchase monitoring equipment with each machine costing £3,000 so this will make a great addition. It will also go towards oesophageal cancer research.”

Over the last 18 months Emma has helped organise a number of quizzes, singing events, gifts in lieu of birthday presents, 2 coffee mornings, a pop up café for cyclists, the local Brownies have supported her fundraising appeal, as has friend Mark Blazey who ran the Norwich Half Marathon in aid of the cause, and over £2,500 raised by Emma’s husband Peter’s 700km non-stop cycle ride from London to Edinburgh.

If you would like to support the hospital charity then please contact Louise Cook on 01603 287107 or email fundraising@nnuh.nhs.uk

Note to editors
The 2014 National Oesophagogastric Cancer Audit independently showed that NNUH have the lowest mortality rate (0.5%) and shortest hospital hospital stay (8 days) after major complex cancer surgery making it one of the leading cancer centre in the country with excellent outcomes after oesophageal and gastric cancer surgery.

Oesophageal cancer is a very aggressive cancer that affects the oesophagus. The incidence of oesophageal cancer has risen by 500% in the last 4 decades. The incidence is rising faster than any other cancer in the Western world, and UK has the highest incidence in the world (Norfolk has the 5th highest incidence of oesophageal cancer in UK).

The key risk factors for both oesophageal and stomach cancers is increasing age, with more than 95% of oesophago-gastric cancers diagnosed in people aged 50 or over in England. It is also more common among men (particularly white British men), than women. Other risk factors include:
• Smoking – the biggest lifestyle risk factor for both oesophageal and stomach cancers, accounting for nearly 7 out of 10 cases of oesophageal cancer and nearly 1 out of 5 cases of stomach cancer
• Alcohol – around 2 in 10 cases of oesophageal cancer are linked to consuming alcohol on a regular basis
• Being overweight or obese is linked to around 2 in 10 cases of oesophageal cancer
• Barrett’s oesophagus: chronic and severe reflux can lead to Barrett’s oesophagus and, in a small number of cases, can develop into oesophageal cancer.
• Diet: approximately 1 in 5 cases of stomach cancer are associated with a consuming too much salt (more than 6g per day on a regular basis)
• Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infections are linked to nearly 1 in 3 cases of stomach cancer
• Heartburn/regurgitation – A strong association has long been identified between these symptoms and oesophageal cancer