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RELIEF page 67

Cancer
AnswerNight

On the Front Line:
New Weapons
in the War on Cancer

Presented by

Laurence H. Baker, D.O.

Deputy Director, U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center

Join us for Cancer AnswerNight and learn
life-saving answers to commonly asked questions, including:

Can chemotherapy be effective without being toxic?
When should a bone marrow transplant be considered?
Why should patients participate in clinical studies?

To find out more, call our Cancer AnswerLine nurses
from 9 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-865-1125.

Comprehensive Cancer Center

University of Michigan
Health System

http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu

Don't Play Around with a Sports Injury

Board Certified in:
• Sports and Preventative Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Geriatrics

Dr. William Gonte

Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine
4400 Town Center Suite 250
Civic Center Drive • Southfield

(810) 354-0730

Bartlett's esophagus, a condition
resulting from the body protect-
ing the stomach from acid by
growing cells similar to those
found in the intestine. While this
may help relieve the burning
symptoms, the cell change often
is linked to cancer, Dr. Cutler snid.
And, he continued, while
some medications can help the
sufferer, treatment at times calls
for surgery. In this procedure,
called fundoplication, part of the
stomach is wrapped around the
lower esophagus which places
more pressure on the sphincter
to help keep it closed and avoid
reflux. ❑

Change In Lifestyle
Can Ward Off Heartburn

Thursday, Oct. 24, 1996
7-8:30 pm with Q & A
Marriott Hotel at Laurel Park Place
(1-275 and 6 Mile Road in Livonia)
This event is free of charge.

MEM. .1=1111M.-
4 ■ • ■ ••••I FUN=

the regularity and severity that
patients experience. While most
experience heartburn only oc-
casionally, for some the condi-
tion is chronic.
"Patients need to know when
to treat heartburn on their own,
when to select an antacid or an
1-12 blocker, and when to get ad-
vice from their physician. If heart-
burn occurs at least twice a week,
then it's probably chronic," says
Dr. Cutler. "The problems occur
when people go for months or
years before seeking treatment
which means complications can
develop."
One serious complication is

Now Accepting
New Patients

RUTHAN BRODSKY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

y making a few simple lifestyle changes, heartburn suf-
ferers can avoid the pain, local doctors say.
Dr. David Rosenberg, a West Bloomfield general practice
family physician with a specialty in geriatrics, frequently
encounters patients who complain of the symptoms of heart-
bum.
"I ustially tell my patients to eliminate or cut down on caffeine-
containing foods like coffee, tea and cola, and lose weight if need-
ed," he said.
Other doctors suggest that
the time of a meal or the
amount consumed may be
contributing factors to the oc-
currence of heartburn.
For example, eating meals
two or three hours before bed-
time instead of just before
climbing beneath the sheets
may lessen reflux by allowing
the stomach acid to decrease.
Eating smaller meals and
avoiding fried foods and alco-
holic beverages which tend to
weaken the lower esophageal
sphincter can do the trick for
some.
The general consensus
among physicians for finding
relief is to treat yourself with
over-the-counter medications
when there's mild discomfort
about once or twice a month.
If taking other prescription
medications, read the fine
print on the package of the
heartburn remedies about
possible drug interactions.
Above all, see a doctor if
symptoms take place more
than two or three times a week and persist for more than two to
four months. This is especially true if the pain is accompanied by
nausea or vomiting or a cold, clammy sensation.
"The important thing is to let your primary care physician know
how you feel because heartburn symptoms may be due to more
serious conditions such as ulcers. The wrong treatment only masks
the problem," Dr. Rosenberg said. "Consult a physician if there's
any rectal bleeding, persistent pain, nausea, vomiting, weight
loss, or family history of stomach cancer." ❑

For more information, call (800) HRT-BURN, American
College of Gastroen.terology.

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