The study is taking place in two hospitals across two regions (the East and North East of England) to provide geographical and socio-cultural diversity. Adult patients who have recently been diagnosed with oesophageal or gastric cancer are invited to participate by a Specialist Nurse/Researcher at the hospital. They are invited to complete a questionnaire about their symptoms, other illnesses they may have, their confidence with health information and in talking to doctors and nurses (health literacy). We aim to recruit more than 100 participants for this part of the study. We are also conducting face-to-face interviews with up to 40 of these participants within 10 weeks of their diagnosis to better understand their experiences before their diagnosis.

The results will contribute to our understanding of patient pathways leading to the diagnosis of oesophageal and gastric cancer. Together with other research, the results will contribute to new strategies for promoting earlier presentation, referral and diagnosis of these cancers, and safety-netting patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms who consult in primary care.