Updated 14:53 1 May 2026 GMT+1Published 15:03 17 Mar 2026 GMT

Dad, 35, recalls warning signs doctors missed before being diagnosed with 'inoperable' cancer

Dale Atkinson was told the devastating prognosis on his son's birthday

Callum Jones

A British dad has recalled some of the warning signs that were missed before he was diagnosed with cancer.

Dale Atkinson, 35, of Peak Health and Fitness, was diagnosed with oesophageal adenocarcinoma in October 2024, a 'cancer that's found anywhere in the oesophagus, sometimes called the gullet or food pipe', according to the NHS.

The type of cancer is often diagnosed late due to symptoms being misdiagnosed, with Dale being told the disease was far too advanced for surgery and that he could not be cured.

Dale had put down some of his symptoms to his hectic lifestyle bringing up two young children with his partner Ana. However, when they persisted, the dad knew something wasn't quite right.

"For years, I had always suffered with heartburn and acid reflux, which I put down to stress and working long hours," he explained.

Dale initially dismissed his symptoms (Supplied)

"Looking back, the warning signs had been there much longer than I realised."

Since 2019, Dale had been to his GP with acid reflux, acid rising during sleep, burning in his throat and nose and stomach cramps.

He was given omeprazole and told not to worry. When he returned to the doctor after the symptoms worsened, he was 'made to feel like I was wasting NHS time'.

Dale went on: "By 2023 and into 2024, the symptom had become more serious. I started to experience pain after eating, swallowing felt strange, as if food wasn’t going down properly, and I lost a significant amount of weight."

'Life kept hitting our family again and again'

On 15 October 2024, Dale's youngest son's first birthday, doctors discovered a tumor. Around two weeks later, he was told the disease had spread to his lymph nodes, upper abdomen and around his aorta and given a stage IV diagnosis.

Symptoms of oesophageal cancer can be subtle (Getty Stock Image)

He said: "I was told it was incurable and inoperable, and offered palliative treatment."

Heartbreakingly, around the same time Dale received his devastating diagnosis, Ana had also been diagnosed with lung cancer and had to undergo major surgery in October 2024.

Then on 27 October 2024, Dale's mum died suddenly, and the morning they found out was his eldest son's third birthday.

Dale said: "We still put up the balloons, sang songs and celebrated, smiling through the heartbreak.

"At that point, life felt like it was hitting our family again and again."

'Major progress'

Dale had initially decided against going through chemotherapy, but after 'advanced genomic testing', Dale felt there was a way forward following his devastating diagnosis.

Dale and his wife Ana (Supplied)

He added: "For the first time, I felt like I had a map instead of a diagnosis. One of the earliest useful results from that testing was chemo sensitivity analysis, and it came back in time to help guide my treatment decision.

"After discussions with my team about likely effectiveness, I decided to go ahead with CAPOX chemotherapy and pembrolizumab immunotherapy as part of my treatment plan, starting in December 2024."

The chemo was 'extremely tough', with Dale suffering from crushing fatigue and his whole family having to isolate at home because his immune system was compromised due to the treatment.

He also made some major lifestyle changes, switching to a 'low-carb, keto-inspired vegetarian' diet and undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy, red light therapy and infrared sauna sessions.

Dale revealed that recent scans have 'shown major progress' with his health.

"There has been major regression in metastatic disease and my primary tumour has shrunk significantly from its largest recorded size," he continued

"It’s not remission yet, but it is real progress."