The good news is that the bad news could be worse.

Back in the Crown and Cushion, Minley after my appointment with Mr Singh at Frimley Park this morning it was noted that for the first time in recent history I was unable to finish the wild mushroom tagliatelle that I had ordered for lunch. My lack of appetite was not so much caused by the discomfort of swallowing but more a result of trying to digest the information I had just received. The data from the CT scan and the Endoscopic Ultrasound confirmed a significantly long (10cm) tumour in the tissue of the esophagus and also affected lymph nodes. This alone would have meant a combination of chemo and surgery to be a possible course of treatment for this primary invasion, but the CT scan also registered something in the lungs the likes of which the equipment used so far was unable to determine. Therefore it would be necessary to await the outcome of an imminent PET scan before introducing the possibility of a secondary tumor into the equation. If that proves to be the case then I understand surgery is not an option and the cancer would have to be managed by means of chemo- and radiotherapy.

Luckily as my liver appeared to be unaffected I had no hesitation in ordering a second pint of Bishop's Finger whilst at the same time raising another digit or two in the direction of all infernal cancers!