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Our Guest For A Special Program
"You and Your Aging Parent"
presented by:
Jan McHale, Geriatric Consultant
Sunday, April 6th, 1997 at 2:00 p.m.
22800 Civic Center Drive • Southfield • Michigan
Refreshments will be served
Please RSVP by Friday, April 4th, 1997
Call Kathy Ostrowski today
at
(810) 350 1777
-
CONFIDENTIAL CASH!
INTERNIST
PRIMARY CARE
SPECIALIST
BRUCE KAPLAN, M.D.
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(810) 559-2202
810-206-1100
accepting new patients
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giving them much higher
doses of chemotherapy to
destroy the cancer cells be-
cause the blood stem cells
reconstitute a patient's
blood system."
Before the intensive
chemotherapy begins and
after the patient's stem cells
are collected, a catheter is
surgically implanted in the
patient's chest so that her
stem cells can be later
transplanted directly into a
vein.
"We have nine apheresis
and stem cell collection sta-
tions in the Transplant
Unit," says Dr. Klein. "Pa-
tients spend three to five
hours a day on a machine
that spins and separates
the blood. The number of
days a patient spends on
the machine is determined
by the amount of stem cell sup-
ply needed."
The stem cells are then tak-
en to a cryopreservation area
for frozen storage. Following the
4-5 day high dose chemothera-
py, the patient is discharged
and stays at the nearby Inter-
national Center apartment com-
plex for a couple of weeks,
usually with a family member.
During this period, she
returns daily to the outpatient
clinic for evaluation and re-
infusion of her own stem cells.
Within 14-21 days, the patient's
bone marrow supply is replen-
ished.
Dr. Klein is in charge of
seven clinical trials focusing
on breast cancer. Elaine Weiss
of West Bloomfield is a partici-
pant.
Mrs. Weiss was first diag-
nosed with breast cancer in
1993. Following a mastectomy
and chemotherapy, breast can-
cer reappeared last year. Mrs.
Weiss was referred to Dr. Klein,
and during the past few months
she completed the initial
chemotherapy program — one
day of treatment every three
weeks for four cycles.
A catheter was surgically put
in place for transplant of her
stem cells. At the time the pho-
tos were taken for this article,
Elaine Weiss was donating her
own stem cells through the
apheresis process.
"Even though I understand
intellectually what is taking
place, it's a complete shock each
time I hear the diagnosis — can-
cer," says Mrs. Weiss. "It never
seems to get easier. After a pe-
riod of time I adjust, but there's
always that fear of dying. It's
almost like grief— shock, anger,
depression, adjustment.
"I do know that without the
support of my family and
friends, and especially my hus-
band, I'm not at all sure I would
have made it this far. I need
these people."
❑
An apheresis unit at the
Karmanos Cancer Institute.
Taking On
Insurance Plans
According to attorney Lisa
Gleicher of Gleicher and
Reynolds PC in Detroit, Blue
Cross has recently agreed to
pay for high dose chemother-
apy and stem cell transplan-
tation for Level IV breast
cancer patients.
"Imagine the emotional cri-
sis of these families," says Ms.
Gleicher. "They've just
learned that they were diag-
nosed as basically terminally
ill and then they learn that
their insurance company
won't pay for the treatment
that their doctors recommend.
The stories of sacrifice that
families have made so that
their wives, daughters and
mothers could get treatment
are heart breaking."
Lisa Gleicher has repre-
sented several women who
have sued their insurance
companies to cover the cost of
treatment. She takes on this
work pro bono.
"Before September of 1996,
less than a year ago, insur-
ance companies denied pay-
ment to women who required
this kind of treatment for
their survival. Their reason
was that the treatment was
experimental.
"Well, 90 percent of Level
IV breast cancer patients are
in clinical trials because it's
been recognized that the ag-
gressive treatment works.
What woman in her right
mind would want to be in the
control group and not receive
the aggressive treatment
when her own doctors have
told her that's the only treat-
ment that will give her a
chance?"