Herald - Lantern Dispatch 2 April '86

Rx Health Watch — by Dr Robert C Beitman

Dear Dr. Beitman: I read ,your volumn each Week and wish to congratulate you on how you make difficult topics easy to understand. It so hap pens that I work in an allied medical field, but like many others. I don't quite understand terms that 1 frequently hear Would vou be kind enough to expfain the term "neoplasm "? C.T Swain ton .Dear C.T. : Due to the tremendous publicity that the word cancer has achieved, often we find patients are uneasy at its mention. In addition even health care professionals. including doctors and nurses are rejuctant to use the term. This is understandable because cancer is the third leading cause of death in the United States today. OF COURSE, in the last two decades tremendous amounts of time and research have gone towards cures. It is currently possible to cure or significantly improve many forms ot cancer as a result of recent research. Examples would include the leukemias. lymphomas, Wilm's tumors, choriocarcinoma, breast and testicular cancers. Sadly, there are many types of cancers with which we are not terribly successful once they are diagnosed. Examples of these are esophageal and pancreatic carcinoma. THE AMERICAN Cancer Society feels that at this time our greatest successes revolve around efforts to educate the public to early detection. The signs and symptoms "of cancer are referred to as "Warning Signals". x They include a lump or thickening in the breast, I M sfi L itm

chronic cough or hoarseness of the voice, a change of bowel or bladder habits, trouble swallowing or chronic indigestion, a lump or color change on the skin, and abnormal discharges from any part 'of the body. Weight ioss. anemia and extreme fatigue also warn of underlying problems. I PERSONALLY know of several patients who switched doctors because the suggestion of the disease "cancer" was raised. Accordingly. there are several terms we often use to refer to a cancer or a suspected cancer. The physician may point to a "shadow" on a chest xVay or barium enema or refer to a "growth" or "mass". The termTancer is equivalent to neoplasm. Sometimes we talk of a "malignant growth", a "mitotic process", or a "neoplastic process". These three terms are equivalent and suggest a very serious form of uncontrolled growth which potentially could claim the life of the patient. CONVERSELY, a "shadow."' "mass," "growth," or a "spot" might be laymen's terms for a benign tumor. A tumor is not necessarily malignant or benign. It can be one or the other or have elements of both. However. "Neoplasm" does reflect a malignant, cancerous state. In any case, rather than there being any confusion, when the doctor talks about a "shadow", "spot", or "tumor", you should ask if it is benign or malignant, this distinction is the one most significant in tepifs of determining the coprse of the therapy, prognosis and treatment optioiKT Health Watch is an public education project of the American Cancer Society of which Dr. Beitman is president of the Cape MayCounty Unit. Letters to the doctor should be addressed care of his o//ice. 100 N. Main St.. Cape May Court House. N.J. 08210

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l&s Tulip-Time in Cape May.? -J&Cxi v The /itinual Tulip Festival ||3fl|Jjj [/ V SPONSORED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IjtllfilSf // r 0F' GREATER CAPE MAY & THE CITY 0F CAPE MAV A AVaF/y April 26th thru May 3rd M jff 6 What a beautiful way to welcome Spring ! Thousands of K&| ji * I 1/ tulip bulbs have been planted all over Cape May and are Mil / I M about to burst into bloom f There will be dancing, music. k A ft / JYl dutch foods... even a tulip king & queen! Oh Wednesday. 1 Jvj j\ I /f 11 April 23rd there will be a special supplement devoted to J\ 1 ft i jA I /<§ it the events and schedule of the festival. Photos, stories Ffljjn| 1\ \ \/k ||\ I / \ and a coloring contest will be included... » 9V Jj |l\\ \|/ p . » IIA .1 / I Look For The Special K Tl I \ If • I \ W I Section Of The . III Wtl \ \Jf \ \ w Herald Newspapers \ |||F| V \ ' I