Downloads

Summer Newsletter 2024

What is Oesophageal Cancer?

This booklet explains what Oesophageal Cancer is, along with its symptoms, how to reduce the risk, types of testing and the treatments.

What is Gastric Cancer?

This booklet explains what Gastric Cancer is, along with its symptoms, how to reduce the risk, types of testing and the treatments.

Achalasia Leaflet

Achalasia is a rare disorder of the food pipe (oesophagus), which can make it difficult to swallow food and drink. In this leaflet, you will find the symptoms, causes, diagnosing and treatments of Achalasia.

A Guide to Life after Surgery

This is the OPA’s most comprehensive overview of the surgical operation and the consequent life-altering pathway to the fullest recovery possible. Diagrams illustrate the nature of surgery for an oesophagectomy and for a gastrectomy, and the changes to the anatomy of the digestive tract. It is useful not only for those who have undergone either of the two surgical operations, but also for carers, relatives and friends of the patient. It will help them to understand what stages of post-operative treatment, gradual recovery, and consequent changes in life-style the patient has been, or is going through. It offers brief advice on questions to ask in preparing to undergo surgery, and detailed advice on managing the new patterns and problems of eating and drinking that post-surgical patients may experience. It also addresses other aspects of living that may change, such as driving, eating out, sleeping , family relationships and getting back to work, and ends with some detailed suggestions for healthy eating. This booklet can be read alongside the booklets listed below on: Preparing for surgery: ‘Oesophagogastric Cancer, the patient’s pathway’, and Problems, remedies and recipes for healthy eating: ‘Swallowing & nutrition – when it’s difficult’.

Swallowing - Nutrition when it's difficult

Possibly the greatest change to the lifestyle of the post-oesophagogastric surgery patient occurs with eating and digesting food. This booklet offers advice on, and recipes for, balancing the diet, including the addition of food supplements. It addresses some of the principal eating problems such as loss of appetite, nausea, indigestion, and diarrhoea, and explains the effects of having a stent fitted, or undergoing radiotherapy of chemotherapy, on eating and digestion. Extra recipes can be found in the OPA’s booklet ‘Recipes for when food is a problem’.

OPA Recipes for When Food is a Problem

This is a book of recipes and food ideas for people who may need to put on weight, have difficulty in swallowing, or who are living with the after-effects of surgery on their stomach and/or oesophagus (gullet).

Notes for a Carer

Caring for a cancer sufferer or survivor is not a time-limited commitment, for which patience, understanding, empathy and warmth are indispensable qualities that can enhance the sufferer or survivor’s quality of life. This booklet offers useful advice, information and encouragement to those shouldering the role of carer, including related websites for working carers and – thanks to Age UK’s research and information services – advice on claiming Carer’s Allowances and Attendance Allowance, and on purchasing a subsidised bed wedge for elevating head and torso in bed. See our website for further information.

The Patient's Pathway

This gives a brief overview of the stages of pre-operative preparations following a diagnosis of oesophageal or gastric cancer, of the surgery itself, and of recovery and post-recovery follow-ups.

OPA Leaflet

This foldout leaflet introduces the work of the OPA, to which one can donate, and suggests ways to contact us by phone, email, or even ZOOM (by prior arrangement). We can also offer to contact one of our volunteers for you to talk to, as they themselves will either be having or will have had surgery for this cancer. We encourage oesophageal/gastric cancer patients looking for support to join a local support group if they wish: details of groups nationwide (with addresses and meeting date) can be found on our website.

Dual Purpose Card

Recognising that after surgery for oesophageal or gastric cancer, patients often cannot eat full restaurant portions, OPA has devised a two sided card that can be discreetly shown to waiting staff in a restaurant. The first side states "Due to a serious medical condition I require urgent access to toilet facilities". The second side states "Due to a serious medical condition I am unable to eat normal portions of food. Please provide me with a child's size portion". We have these cards in the following languages: Download in English (also available in the OPA Shop) Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish (to order in these languages, please email enquiries@opa.org.uk or order in the OPA Shop)

Reflux Disease Booklet

This booklet offers a brief but comprehensive overview of the nature of the disease, its symptoms, and the different ways of dealing with it and their benefits and risks. These ways range from simple changes in personal lifestyle, through to the use of medication, the non-surgical insertion of a metal device at the juncture of the oesophagus and the stomach [known as the LINX system], to a surgical operation to alter the position of stomach and oesophagus [known as Fundoplication].

Reflux Disease Leaflet

This leaflet explains the various symptoms of reflux disease, how it can damage not only the throat but also the oesophagus and lungs, and why it is important to be reviewed, as soon as you notice it, by your GP.

Barrett's Oesophagus Leaflet

This leaflet explains how longer term, poorly controlled acid reflux can lead to an alteration to the cells lining the wall of the oesophagus: a condition known as Barrett’s Oesophagus. Its causes and manifestations are explored in some detail here. Although this condition runs a statistically very small risk of developing into oesophageal cancer, it is advisable to have at least one check up, which can be done in a few different ways. If and when an alteration to the wall of the oesophagus has been detected, further treatments which could help to avoid the development into a cancer and the need for a surgical operation, are also described here.

Dumping Syndrome and Common Problems after Surgery

‘Dumping’ is a distressing sensation, akin to a diabetic’s hypo- or hyper-glycaemic episode, that people who have had an oesophagectomy can experience after eating. James Gossage, a specialist in oesophageal surgery, explains the alterations involved to the anatomy of the stomach and the gut, the consequences of eating certain foods, and the steps that can be taken to minimise the occurrence of this unpleasant syndrome. Further information can be found in the OPA booklet ‘Guide to Life after Oesophageal/Gastric Surgery’.

Laparoscopic Fundoplication Anti-Reflux Surgery

This foldout explains the reasons for needing to undergo this surgical intervention designed to combat the causes of reflux disease, the preparation for this operation, the operation itself, its risks and possible side effects, and the usually brief recovery period that follows.

Silent Reflux

RefluxUK Leaflet

RefluxUK understand how reflux can impact on your health and day to day quality of life. Their mission is to help you understand the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing, and to treat them. They see people with traditional reflux symptoms, for example heartburn, and also those with LPR and SIBO, and specialise in surgical treatment.

RefluxStop Leaflet

RefluxStop™ is the latest development in anti-reflux surgery and it is creating excitement among clinicians and patients alike. Its effect is to restore the normal healthy anatomy at the base of the oesophagus, through a day case laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery procedure.

LINX Leaflet

LINX is a metal device, a flexible ring of magnets, which can be installed at the juncture of the oesophagus and the stomach, to help prevent the reflux of stomach acid into the oesophagus, and thus also lessen or completely eliminate the need for oral antacid medication. This leaflet illustrates the device, and lists its contribution to improving the user’s quality of life, without necessitating any surgical intervention.

Putnams Bed Wedge Pillow Leaflet

Both doctors and the practitioners agree a wedge pillow can help to relieve the symptoms of Acid Reflux (also called Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease, or GORD) and heartburn by elevating your torso to prevent acid from burning the lining of your oesophagus while you sleep. Using a bed wedge to elevate your upper half can severely reduce acid reflux.

Christmas Newsletter 2023

Welcome to the Christmas 2023 issue of the OPA Newsletter. Enjoy the read!

Dietary advice for patients experiencing dumping syndrome after oesophago-gastric surgery

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham patient information leaflet on dietary advice for patients experiencing dumping syndrome after oesophago–gastric surgery.

Zoom Instructions

This document will help you to join, host and schedule meetings on Zoom. It includes written instructions as well as links to video tutorials.

OPA Legacy Leaflet

The OPA‘s patron, Fiona Wade, whose father died when his oesophageal cancer was diagnosed too late, introduces this fold-out leaflet, to invite anyone connected with the OPA and its services to consider making a gift or a bequest. This could help the OPA with its campaign to raise awareness among present and future generations of the signs and symptoms of this cancer, and encourage them to take preventative action as soon as possible via their GP and an early diagnostic investigation.

OPA Fiona Wade Appeal Leaflet

We are delighted to announce the launch of the Fiona Wade Appeal for the Oesophageal Patients Association. OPA Patron and TV actress Fiona Wade, better known as Emmerdale’s Priya Sharma has a personal connection with the OPA, having lost her father to Oesophageal Cancer. ‘I had never heard of his type of cancer before and I always feel to this day that if we had been more aware of oesophageal cancer or reflux disease then, for sure, earlier diagnosis would have made a huge difference and maybe saved his life.’

James Gossage talk at OPA London Zoom Meeting - 14th November 2020