
Dad’s life changes after sandwich incident leads to devastating cancer diagnosis
The First Signs
Longstaff, who is determined to extend his time with his five-year-old son, first noticed something was wrong while working on a landscaping project. Recalling the incident, he told BristolLive: “I am a landscaper by trade, and I was doing a job for one of my friends when his partner made me a bacon and sausage sandwich. When I was eating it – I hadn’t put any sauce on or anything – it sort of got lodged in my oesophagus, and I had a good pint of water, but it still wouldn’t budge.
“It was to the point where you’re thinking you’re choking. I thought to myself, ‘Am I not chewing it properly?’”
Concerned by the unusual symptom, he consulted a doctor who recommended an endoscopy. However, before he could undergo the procedure, he vomited blood and later noticed blood in his stool. Alarmed, doctors ordered him to go to the hospital immediately.
Diagnosis and Treatment
On Christmas Eve, scans revealed a massive 35cm tumour in his lower oesophagus. Initially, he hoped for keyhole surgery to remove the tumour, but further tests confirmed the cancer had already spread to his liver, severely limiting his treatment options.
Currently, he is undergoing immunotherapy to help his white blood cells attack the cancer, along with chemotherapy. However, he acknowledges that these treatments are not curative. “It is palliative, and it is to keep me comfortable so I don’t die straight away,” he said. “I couldn’t have knocked it back. It is something to attack the cancer; otherwise, it is going to spread all over