Hi Natalie,

If you post a similar question in the Ask the Nurses section, you'll probably get a professional answer on Monday or Tuesday.

Meanwhile here's my interpretation, as someone who has the same cance (the Nurses will correct me if I'm wrong):

Low Grade (gernerally this means slow growing)
Epithelial Dysplasia (pre-cancerous cell changes and
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cancer of the cells lining the oesophasus.

The reason no-one spotted this earlier may well be because it was too small to be seen, or it has only developed during the time he has been treated for other problems with his oesophagus which may have caused the cancer.

My own cancer was caused by acid reflux, which I had suffered from for many years. I'm guessing he's had similar problems.

The really good news (which probably doesn't feel like good news at the moment) is that this has been detected at Stage 1. Survival rates are very high if it can be detected at such an early stage and fall off rapidly as you get to Stage 4. 

Best wishes
Dave

Hello NatalieC1990,

Welcome to Cancer Chat. I just wanted to let you know that I have asked our nurses to respond to your thread so there's no need to actually repost your message on Ask the Nurses. Our nurses will respond to you in the next few days - they are not around over the weekend. 

It's great you have had a response from Dave which seems very helpful and who has experience of oesophagus cancer so feel free to pick his brains too :)

If you need clarification on anything, you can also ring our nurses at any time on this free number 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Best wishes,

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello Natalie and thanks for your post

I am one of the nurses and our moderators wondered if there was anything that we could say that might help at this difficult time.

As nurses we don’t usually interpret medical reports as this is not our area of expertise. This needs to come from your partner’s doctor.

I must admit I’m a bit confused about your partner’s exact diagnosis. Low grade epithelial dysplasia refers to abnormal cells in the oesophagus. This is often associated with a condition called Barrett’s oesophagus. We know that this condition can increase the risk of developing oesophageal cancer but the majority of people will not develop it. You can read more about this by clicking here.

A squamous cell carcinoma is an oesophageal cancer. These cancers develop from cells that make up the inner lining of the oesophagus. They tend to develop in the upper and middle part of the oesophagus and you can read about this here.

Your partner’s doctors are better placed to clarify his exact situation as they have all his medical details. He can contact the specialist’s secretary to try and find out more information. If he has difficulty with this, he can speak to his GP as they should be able to help with this.

I hope you both know more about his situation soon. Please do get back to us if you have any more questions or call us on 0808 800 4040. We are here from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Kind Regards,
Celene