I had awful indigestion for two years – but every time I went to the doctors they sent me home and told me to tweak my diet. One finally took a look and found a rare and deadly cancer

• Anthony Vecchio was diagnosed with a tumour in his oesophagus
• The family launched a GoFundMe to help out 
• READ MORE: Healthy tradie reveals deadly cancer symptom he nearly missed

An architect who was handed a shock cancer diagnosis revealed the one persistent sign that went ignored for over two years.

Anthony Vecchio, from Sydney, suddenly began to experience ‘awful’ acid reflux and indigestion in 2021 – but the medication his GP provided didn’t seem to work.

He was misdiagnosed several times – with many assuming his discomfort was due to his diet or a bacterial infection.

The 36-year-old began to worry when his excruciating episodes only got worse, and he eventually saw a gastroenterologist in December 2022 for an endoscopy and colonoscopy.

Anthony was devastated to discover a tumour growth at the lower junction of his oesophageal tube.

‘I was at my lowest between the day of the discovery and consultation appointment. I had no self-esteem, I was feeling depressed, tired, upset and I cried a lot,’ Anthony told FEMAIL.

Anthony Vecchio, from Sydney , suddenly began to experience ‘awful’ acid reflux and indigestion in 2021 – but the medication his GP provided didn’t seem to work

An architect who was handed a shock cancer diagnosis revealed the one persistent sign that went ignored for over two years

‘I didn’t eat much and didn’t sleep well either. When I got to see the doctor for the biopsy result, it was confirmed that I had a malignant cancer tumour cell.’

Anthony was born with severe profound hearing loss and has struggled with various health issues like asthma his whole life.

‘I had issues connecting with my family and peers due to my hearing disability and spent most of my life single until I hit my early-30s.

‘My childhood and teenage years were really challenging because I couldn’t really hear anyone, and I was never a top student or the go-to friend for anything. 

‘I’m really lucky I have a supportive family – I don’t know where I’d be without them or how I could’ve gotten through my cancer diagnosis.’

But Anthony is not the only one in his family who had to bear the debilitating disease.

‘Romina and I had been dating for almost two years when I proposed to her in December 2020. 

‘We were planning to celebrate our engagement but had to cancel it after discovering my mother-in-law had been diagnosed with aggressive gallbladder cancer. 

‘She unfortunately succumbed to the terrible illness and passed away after fighting it bravely for six months.’

READ MORE: A throwaway remark from a friend on Monique’s 16th birthday set her on a 13-year spiral that nearly killed her 

The 36-year-old began to worry when his excruciating episodes only got worse, and he eventually saw a gastroenterologist in December 2022 for an endoscopy and colonoscopy

Anthony was devastated to discover a tumour at the lower junction of his oesophageal tube

Anthony revealed that dealing with that profound loss also impacted how he viewed his own cancer journey, and couldn’t help but draw parallels between the two situations.

‘My tumour was, thankfully, localised and hence could be treated – I was really lucky it hadn’t spread to other parts of my body.’

Oesophageal cancer typically has no concerning symptoms and does not manifest negative health impacts until the illness has progressed to stage three or four.

‘According to the surgeons and other health specialists I saw, it is rare for a young person to get oesophageal cancer as it is more common in people over 50 who have a history of heavy smoking, alcohol consumption, and a poor diet. 

‘I was never the most active person growing up but I exercised a couple of times a week and I never indulged in drinking or fast food.’

Anthony begun treatment in January 2023 and completed 23 rounds of radiotherapy and five rounds of chemotherapy over the course of five weeks

Anthony shared that the doctors and nurses at his treatment facility were kind and patient on his journey to recovery and helped him push forward

Anthony begun treatment in January 2023 and completed 23 rounds of radiotherapy and five rounds of chemotherapy over the course of five weeks.

He experienced several difficult side effects like fatigue, tiredness, nausea, and incontinence.

‘It was really hard to stay positive during treatment, my family and work was the only thing that kept me going,’ he said.

Anthony went under for a six-hour surgery at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney where two-thirds of his oesophageal tube and the top part of his stomach was removed.

‘I remember waking up and feeling shocked at the huge scar,’ he said. ‘The lymph nodes around my stomach were removed as a precaution, and my stomach was reconstructed and moved to connect to the upper oesophageal tube.’

He couldn’t eat or drink anything for two weeks afterwards, and had to be fed using tubes going in and out of his body.

The costs of specialists, hospitals, and other out-of-work expenses was too high to cover from donations and savings – so Anthony had to go back to work part-time weeks after his surgery

Anthony went under for a six-hour surgery at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney where two-thirds of his oesophageal tube and the top part of his stomach was removed

‘The first few days were terrible, I couldn’t even get up from the hospital bed and walk around the room.’

Anthony shared that the doctors and nurses at his treatment facility were kind and patient on his journey to recovery and helped him push forward.

‘I had to go back to working part-time soon after surgery because we couldn’t afford me not working,’ he shared sadly.

The costs of specialists, hospitals, surgery, and other out-of-work expenses was too high to cover from donations and savings. 

‘I still have reflux and indigestion but it’s not as bad as before,’ he said. ‘It’s hard for your mind not to go to the worst places after everything I’ve been through.’

Anthony’s cancer journey is not over yet, and he presently goes through regular check-ups, appointments, scans and pathology tests to monitor his oesophageal tube and stomach.

You can donate to help out with Anthony’s treatment costs here. 

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