04-17-2009, 02:39 AM
Prilosec is now an OTC med, and it's not too expensive when bought at Costco, and probably Sam's, although I've never been to one of those. Costco even has it on sale occasionally.
There is another form of esophageal cancer that's higher in the esophagus, and the cause is slightly different. A friend's husband died of that form, and he was also stage IV by the time it was diagnosed.
Trust me. Talk to your doctor and have this evaluated properly by a gastroenterologist. Better safe than sorry. Since my husband's diagnosis, I've heard of a number of other people who been diagnosed with one or the other forms, and the five year survival rate is very low for those who don't learn about the condition until it's advanced. And please don't misunderstand; I'm not diagnosing you by any means, but I've learned first hand how insidious this type of cancer is, so I strongly encourage you to have a decent understanding of it so you aren't tempted take it too lightly.
Do more reading, but I'll start with this quote:
"Definition of esophageal cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues lining the esophagus (the muscular tube through which food passes from the throat to the stomach). Two types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma (cancer that begins in flat cells lining the esophagus) and adenocarcinoma (cancer that begins in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids).
Estimated new cases and deaths from esophageal cancer in the United States in 2008:
New cases: 16,470
Deaths: 14,280
and
"Early esophageal cancer may not cause symptoms. As the cancer grows, the most common symptoms are:
* Food gets stuck in the esophagus, and food may come back up
* Pain when swallowing
* Pain in the chest or back
* Weight loss
* Heartburn
* A hoarse voice or cough that doesn't go away within 2 weeks
These symptoms may be caused by esophageal cancer or other health problems. If you have any of these symptoms, you should tell your doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Here's a link to more information on the site for the National Cancer Institute.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk...agus/page4
I apologize if I sound like some sort of alarmist, but learning about this really rocked my world, and I just can't let anybody else go through that if there's a way to avoid it!
There is another form of esophageal cancer that's higher in the esophagus, and the cause is slightly different. A friend's husband died of that form, and he was also stage IV by the time it was diagnosed.
Trust me. Talk to your doctor and have this evaluated properly by a gastroenterologist. Better safe than sorry. Since my husband's diagnosis, I've heard of a number of other people who been diagnosed with one or the other forms, and the five year survival rate is very low for those who don't learn about the condition until it's advanced. And please don't misunderstand; I'm not diagnosing you by any means, but I've learned first hand how insidious this type of cancer is, so I strongly encourage you to have a decent understanding of it so you aren't tempted take it too lightly.
Do more reading, but I'll start with this quote:
"Definition of esophageal cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues lining the esophagus (the muscular tube through which food passes from the throat to the stomach). Two types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma (cancer that begins in flat cells lining the esophagus) and adenocarcinoma (cancer that begins in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids).
Estimated new cases and deaths from esophageal cancer in the United States in 2008:
New cases: 16,470
Deaths: 14,280
and
"Early esophageal cancer may not cause symptoms. As the cancer grows, the most common symptoms are:
* Food gets stuck in the esophagus, and food may come back up
* Pain when swallowing
* Pain in the chest or back
* Weight loss
* Heartburn
* A hoarse voice or cough that doesn't go away within 2 weeks
These symptoms may be caused by esophageal cancer or other health problems. If you have any of these symptoms, you should tell your doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Here's a link to more information on the site for the National Cancer Institute.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk...agus/page4
I apologize if I sound like some sort of alarmist, but learning about this really rocked my world, and I just can't let anybody else go through that if there's a way to avoid it!