A dad-of-three has issued a warning not to ignore the signs after he was diagnosed with a deadly form of cancer.
Paul Marshall, 60, from Bangor in Northern Ireland, was diagnosed with stomach cancer just four days before Christmas in 2023 after experiencing a range of symptoms for around a year. Stomach cancer – along with brain, liver, lung, oesophageal, pancreatic cancer – is known as one of the less survivable cancers. Over 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of these six types of cancer in the UK every year, and they account for nearly half of all common cancer deaths. These cancers are overwhelmingly diagnosed at later stages compared to other cancers. Only 28% of patients are diagnosed at stage 1 or 2, compared to 54% for all cancers.
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He has put on an art exhibition exploring his experience with the illness
Paul, who had his stomach removed, says he was “fortunate” enough to be diagnosed early enough for treatment – but statistically he’s in the minority, as only one in five people with stomach cancer find themselves in his position. He told Belfast Live: “My ‘good fortune’ was that I was diagnosed early enough for treatment and surgery to be a pathway when only one in five stomach cancers are identified early enough for curative options to be available, which is a tragedy. Statistically the vulnerable group are men aged 55+ with lifestyle components that increase risk such as smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet.
“I’ve spent the year since diagnosis receiving chemotherapy and having my stomach surgically removed at the Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital in May 2024 and recovering from the physical and emotional trauma. The impacts of the treatments have been and continue to be very challenging, between early weight loss and having had my stomach removed I went from weighing 80kg to 55kg.”
Paul had his stomach removed and went from weighing 80kg to 55kg
Symptoms of stomach problems swallowing, a lump in your stomach and losing a noticeable amount of weight as well as frequent acid reflux and feeling full very quickly when eating.
Paul is now urging others experiencing any symptoms that are out of the ordinary to get checked without delay: “After ignoring persistent symptoms, I am cancer-free today because I eventually went to the doctor. If my symptoms had faded, I would have forgotten about them until it was too late. I now know that acting swiftly and not ignoring persistent issues in the stomach area is life-saving. Yes I am greatly weakened but I’m alive, without cancer, have been wrapped in love and feel grateful to be still here.
“The physical and emotional toll has been, and remains, enormous. Yes I won the war but now I’m struggling to come to terms with the life changing physical legacy that is the ‘peace’ and overshadowed by the knowledge that the cancer may return. I remain grateful however because every challenge met today means I have a dawn tomorrow. Giving up has never been an option but it’s not an easy path.”
Going through the experience has seen Paul start Bodyshots, an art exhibition about stomach cancer and how resilience, community and love helped him face the disease. It used images of Paul’s healed scar and weight loss to illustrate the impact of the various impacts on his body during the 12 months from diagnosis to completing treatment. Alongside the images were a selection of messages exchanged with friends and loved ones during that time.
Despite their prevalence, recent figures the less survivable cancers receive a fraction – just 16.6% – of the research funding given to more survivable cancers. The Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce is calling for government-level commitments to prioritise early detection, research funding and the development of new treatment options for these cancers with the aim of reducing the stark inequalities in prognosis.
Anna Jewell, Chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, said the reality that more than half of people diagnosed with a less survivable cancer will not live beyond a year is simply unacceptable. She added: “It is essential that all UK governments take immediate steps to develop and implement national action plans dedicated to less survivable cancers to improve the outcomes for patients with these devastating diseases. We can change the narrative and improve one year survival by setting specific targets, prioritising early diagnosis and improving treatment pathways to give every patient a fighting chance.”