Heartburn stories have appeared on this page many times. I suffer occasionally from it myself.

It’s common, worse after a heavy meal and you can suck on an antacid tablet to ease it.

But it’s crafty. Over the long term, it can develop into cancer. It’s a matter of knowing when.

With your doctor’s help it can be tracked and actions can be taken before it gets that far. The good news is a new kind of treatment can nip it in the bud.

Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux and seven million Britons have it. It occurs when acid leaks out of the stomach into the oesophagus, or gullet – it’s usually due to the valve at the bottom of the gullet becoming weakened.

New treatments will avoid the need for major surgery (
Image:
Getty)

When acid reflux happens regularly, it can irritate and inflame the gullet lining.

Occasional heartburn isn’t dangerous, as the cells in the gullet burned by the stomach acid will heal.

However, persistent reflux can damage these cells and about one in 10 chronic heartburn sufferers will develop a ­condition called Barrett’s oesophagus.

Although these abnormal cells aren’t cancerous, there’s a risk that over time they will become so. Before that they become pre-cancerous, a condition that’s labelled dysplasia.

Only about one in 300 Barrett’s oesophagus patients will develop cancer each year.

But when it happens, it’s a very aggressive cancer, and less than one in six patients survive more than five years. So early diagnosis is paramount.

Persistent reflux can damage these cells and about one in 10 chronic heartburn sufferers will develop a condition called Barrett’s oesophagus (
Image:
Getty)

Prior to dysplasia, heartburn patients are simply regularly checked on.

But when dysplasia or early cancerous changes appear, about two-thirds of the oesophagus is removed as a precaution and a new one is made from part of the stomach.

However, this is major surgery and can be fatal, so scientists have been looking for less invasive treatments.

The latest is radiofrequency ablation, or RFA. It provides lasting protection against cancer, it’s approved by NICE, and can be done as an outpatient.

The treatment uses heat to burn away pre-cancerous or cancerous tissue by inserting a fine electrode into the gullet.

It takes about 15-20 minutes to burn off the disease, making way for new healthy oesophageal tissue to grow in three to four weeks.

Post-operatively, patients get strong anti-acid ­medications until the infection settles.

Using long-term data, University College Hospital in London has confirmed this simple procedure ­eradicates Barrett’s oesophagus and gives a long-lasting protection against­ oesophageal cancer.

That is all good news.