Member's statement: Oesophageal Cancer
Member's statement by Mr Stewart Dickson on .
- MLA
- Mr Stewart Dickson
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 9 December 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Oesophageal Cancer
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4697866
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Today, I celebrate a very personal milestone: I am five years cancer free.
I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer on 11 July 2019, and five years ago today, at 7.30 am on Monday 9 December 2019, the day after my birthday, I was in an operating theatre in Belfast City Hospital. Nine hours later, I was recovering in intensive care, following an oesophagectomy, one of the longest and most complex elective surgeries, and I returned to the theatre 24 hours later due to complications and had a 12-week stay in hospital. Oesophageal cancer is one of the six least survivable cancers in the world, one for which there is currently no widespread screening for early detection. Approximately 220 cases are diagnosed in Northern Ireland each year, from which only 17·3% of people are alive five years after diagnosis. The poorly developed cancer strategy coupled with the worst waiting times anywhere in the United Kingdom make for bleak reading in Northern Ireland. As chair of the all-party group on cancer, I call on the Department of Health and the Minister of Health to redouble their efforts to deliver a strategy and improve outcomes for all cancer patients. We need to support the work of the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre and the wider network of clinicians, researchers and others, including the internationally acclaimed research work done at the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research. Cancer patients cannot wait. Cancer cannot wait. I am a trustee of the cancer charity, OGCancerNI. We support, communicate with and advocate for patients, families and health professionals. We fundraise for research, and we support families and carers. Our volunteers work tirelessly not only to fundraise but to get our message out: catch it early. We provide emotional and practical support to patients and a weekly information point at Belfast City Hospital. On a personal note, I want to place on record my thanks to all those who supported me in my cancer journey, including my GP, Dr Ian Kernohan; the team at Antrim Area Hospital that did my diagnostic scope and gave me the devastating news that I had oesophageal cancer; the Macmillan nurse specialists who took time to talk to me in Antrim; the team in the Cancer Centre, who gave me hope and support; my oncologist, Dr Richard Turkington; the cancer nurse specialists who guided me through gruelling chemotherapy; my surgeon, Mr Andrew Kennedy, who, a number of days after surgery, gave me the good news that my surgery had cured the cancer; the theatre staff and intensive care staff; the staff in ward 2 north; and the family and friends who journeyed with me through all of that. Thank you. The radical re-plumbing of my body brings me daily challenges, but I am a survivor and grateful to all who have helped me. Oesophageal cancer, like many other cancers, does not differentiate between age or sex, and knowing and recognising the signs and symptoms are crucial to early diagnosis. If anyone suffers from any of the following symptoms for longer than three weeks, consult your doctor: persistent indigestion; difficulty swallowing food or food sticking; heartburn and acid reflux; hiccups that will not go away; and unexplained weight loss.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to share my personal story today and to encourage others.
552 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.66).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.66 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.50 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.38 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.10 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.01 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:40 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.