The purpose of the day is to increase awareness of the disease and to raise money for research and patient treatment.
We hope that lollipops will make people conscious of swallowing, as difficulty swallowing is one of the common symptoms. We also hope that the profit we make from selling lollipops will enable more research and better treatment and amenities for patients suffering from this disease.
Oesophageal cancer is one of the most lethal cancers and it is growing in incidence, particularly in Ireland. Traditionally, it has predominantly afflicted older males, but is increasingly seen in younger people and women. In fact, the Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF) was set up in memory of Lucilla Hyland who, at 41 years, died of the disease in August 2001.
Professor Tom Walsh, consultant surgeon at Blanchardstown Hospital and the Blackrock Clinic, and professor in surgery in the Royal College of Surgeons, specialises in this form of cancer and has been researching the disease for some years. The funds raised will help scientists and doctors to further their studies on oesophageal cancer.