The Valentine Trust was founded as a charitable organization in April 2008 in honour of Michael Blake 14.02.52 – 15.02.08 who sadly lost his battle with Oesophageal Cancer after a long illness.
Sadly, oesophageal cancer is on the increase in the United Kingdom; particularly amongst middle-aged men and the mortality rate is high.
Although contemporary treatments are improving all the time, survival rates are still poor due to the following reasons:
- The cancer is very difficult to detect
- The public do not know or recognise the symptoms
- People do not see their Doctor early enough
Therefore, The Valentine Trust has been formed to raise awareness of oesophageal cancer, highlight the symptoms; and encourage people – particularly men to see their doctor at a far earlier stage.
In 2005 Oesophageal Cancer was the ninth most common cancer in the UK and the male/female ratio reported is much higher, generally around 5 to 10-fold. This makes it one of the highest sex differentials of any non-occupational cancer.
The risk of developing the disease increases with age with very few cases diagnosed in people under the age of 40 years.
In 2006 Oesophageal cancer was responsible for around 5% of all cancer deaths, making it the fifth most common cause of cancer death overall, the fourth in men and the sixth in women.
Like many other Cancers the impact is devastating to its victims and their loved ones, who have to learn how to cope with the devastating effects.
The Valentine Trust works closely with professionals who specialise in Oesophageal Cancer; together we hope that this charity helps to promote better outcomes for everyone affected by the illness in the future.