This is a great question. For the year preceding my diagnosis, I had what I called food malaise. Really not interested in eating and foods tasted different. My husband and I discussed this at the time, but did not connect it to cancer. My first symptom was several months later and was only when I drank a soda. I had a tingling sensation at 28cm-right where the cancer was found. (behind my sternum) When I first went to the gastroenterologist with this concern-I had to wait 2 months for the appointment, then they booked my endoscope 4 months out. That is 6 months of waiting. They should have known better. I certainly wish I had. I would have kept calling drs. to get an endoscope sooner. I have been repeatedly disappointed with some of my medical care throughout this diagnosis, but at the same time I depend on them to help me. That is the conundrum! So yes...weird tasting food...loss of interest in food. YES to both. Unfortunately, this discussion is happening privately. It is not like breast cancer where everyone knows about symptoms and early detection. How to get the word out? Where are the advocates of this disease?