Patient thanks Sheffield experts for care as city hosts leading international conference on coeliac disease
5 September 2024
Sheffield is holding a prestigious international conference that attracts leading experts in the field of coeliac disease and gluten-related illnesses.
The International Coeliac Disease Symposium is being hosted by Sheffield Gastroenterology, based at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and takes place at Sheffield City Hall from 5-7th September.
It is the first time an international gastrointestinal (GI) meeting has been held in the UK since 2009.
The biennial meeting is the largest global meeting for health professionals, researchers, scientists and others working to promote scientific knowledge, education and quality of care in coeliac disease and gluten-related disease.
Coeliac disease is a condition where the immune system attacks a person’s own tissues when they eat gluten, damaging the gut and affecting the proper intake of nutrients.
Around 600 delegates from around the world will attend, including top experts in the field.
Sheffield is a leader in this area of medicine and is the NHS England National Centre for Refractory Coeliac Disease, a rare of form of coeliac disease.
Professor David Sanders, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: “We are very excited to be hosting this international conference, which is the culmination of the work of a large group of people here and reflective of the expertise and global reputation we have in Sheffield.
“It is a huge opportunity to raise awareness of coeliac disease, share research ideas and knowledge of new treatments for the benefit of patients.”
Lindsay Cavanagh, 56, of Leyland, is one patient who has benefited from the expertise in Sheffield.
She was referred to Sheffield because her coeliac disease was not responding to a gluten-free diet. She was diagnosed with refractory coeliac disease, a rare form of the illness which doesn’t respond to the elimination of gluten. Investigations into her symptoms resulted in cell changes being spotted and a diagnosis of small-bowel lymphoma, a type of cancer, being made.
Following this diagnosis, Lindsay was able to be treated for cancer with high-dose chemotherapy over six months, followed by a stem cell transplant. The cancer treatment took place in Blackpool, closer to her home. In August she was given the news that she was cancer-free.
Lindsay said: “The service and treatment that I have had in Sheffield has been phenomenal. Although the journey I had to go through has been a very hard one, I had no choice for myself and my family. I didn’t
want to entertain the thought that I might not make it.
“I truly believe that if wasn't for the team in Sheffield then I would not be here today. The early intervention picked up on the cell changes and gave me a chance.
“I still feel tired and am building my resilience, but I can now look forward to the privilege of growing old."
Professor Sanders said: “Lindsay’s case highlights how crucial the refractory coeliac disease service is for this group of patients, and its direct impact on improving patient outcomes and mortality.”
More information about the International Coeliac Disease Symposium is available here: icdsmeetings.co.uk
