A man diagnosed with esophageal cancer has recounted the first symptom he noticed but doctors ignored.

The first signals

At first, it was barely noticeable: swallowing was getting a little harder. Mark ignored it; he thought it was just acid or a slight throat irritation. A sip of water usually felt better.

But after two months, the situation worsened. Even soft foods were difficult to swallow, and what had once brought him joy now caused him fear. Realizing it wouldn’t go away, Mark consulted a doctor.