Newspaper Page Text
14A
February 19, 2004
Living
SENIOR HEALTH FOCUS
Q: My husband has abused alcohol for years and I'm worried about liver
cancer. Can you tell me the signs and symptoms? S.R. Edgefield, S.C. ‘
According to David R.
Squires, M.D., a board
certified oncologist on
University Hospital’s Med
ical Staff, many people
with liver cancer have no
signs and symptoms in the
early stages of the disease.
Therefore, the disease may
not be diagnosed until it’s
advanced. When symp
toms do occur, they may
include:
AIDS infection upsurge seen in black male college students
AP Mdical e
Medical Editor
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -
A sudden, surprising increase
in HIV infections has been
discovered among male black
college students in North
Carolina, and officials fear the
same is probably happening
across the southern United
States.
The upsurge is driven by
young men having risky sexu
al encounters with other men.
Typically they do not consid
er themselves to be gay or
bisexual and may even have
girlfriends, as well.
“Its a public health emer
gency. I don't know any other
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UNIVERSITY
This program is made possible in part by the generous support of:
loss of appetite and
weight
abdominal pain
nausea and vomiting
general weakness and
fatigue
an enlarged liver
abdominal swelling
yellowing of the skin and
the whites of the eye
However, most cancers
found in the liver are not
way to put it,” said Dr. Peter
Leone, HIV medical director
at the state Health Depart
ment. HIV is the virus that
causes AIDS.
The increase was first
noticed in late 2002, and offi
cials now believe it began in
mid-2001 and is still continu
ing. :
The high rate of AIDS
infection among U.S. blacks
has been one of the most
striking difficulties of AIDS
prevention.
Blacks are 11 times more
likely than white Americans
to get AIDS. Even though
they make up 12 percent of
the population, they account
for 39 percent of AIDS cases
Heart disease is the leading killer of women. So being informed and knowi'ng how to recognize the signs
of a heart attack are important, but not enough. It’s also essential that you seek medical treatment
within one hour of symptom onset. This is when drugs and other treatments will be most effective.
Women’s Heart Advantage * is a program offered by University Health Care System and their commu
nity partners. It was designed to help you learn more about the specific signs and symptoms women
exhibit, and how impdrtant it is to act quickly if you experience them. This is especially important if you
are among the 93 percent of ot right here in the C.S.R.A. who have at least one risk factor 118
(IPYa diseése. o - ' : ‘
To learn more, talk to your physician or call 706/828-2828 (local) or 1/866/601-2828 (toll-free)
and request a Women's Heart Advantage Information Kit.
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
AUGUSTA FOCUS
primary cancers. They
have metastasized, or
spread, from another part
of the body.
While the disease can
affect people of all ages
and races, certain factors
may increase the risk of
primary liver cancer,
including:
Gender. Men are two to
three times as likely to
and 54 percent of new HIV
infections.
Among black men, like
whites, the leading cause of
infection is sex with other
men. Experts have long
lamented the high rate of
risky sex among gay black
men. Poverty is often listed as
a strong contributor, so the
new findings among relatively
well-off college students were
unexpected.
“We are very concerned
about it,” said Dr. Ron Vald
iserri, deputy HIV chief at the
federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
“Most Americans would not
think about college students
as a high-risk group.”
develop liver cancer as
women.
Race. Asian-Americans
have the highest rates of
liver cancer in the United
States.
Chronic infection with
Hepatitis B or C. Theses
diseases are now the lead
ing causes of primary liver
cancers.
Indeed, a CDC study on
10 campuses in the 1990 s
found a very low infection
rate.
The North Carolina data
were presented Tuesday Feb.
10, in San Francisco at the
11th Annual Retrovirus Con
ference. Also at the confer
ence, officials presented newly
gathered data on HIV infec
tions in New York City. Over
all, one percent of the citys
population carries the virus,
including four percent of
men in their 40s.
Nationwide, an estimated
900,000 people have HIV.
The CDC says that in recent
years infections have risen
somewhat among gay men of
IR SR fln%?_@@_ NOVARTIS
Alcoholism and cirrho
sis of the liver, a progres
sive and irreversible disease
that causes scar tissue to
form in the liver.
Smoking.
Exposure to certain
chemicals, including
arsenic.
If you have a medical
all races and fallen slighdy
among women.
The North Carolina
researchers found 84 newly
infected male college students
over the past three years, 73 of
them black. Only one black
student admitted using
injected drugs, and just two
said they had sex only with
women. The rest apparently
were infected through sex
with men.
Leone said HIV appears to
have been recently introduced
among black college students.
People are much more likely
than usual to pass on the virus
through sex during their first
weeks of infection, and this
might explain why so many
question or need help find
ing a physician, please call
ASK-A-NURSE at SER!
VICE (737-8423) or
800/476-7378. If you have
a question you would like
addressed in this column of
would like more informa
tion on University’s Seniork
Club, please write to
Shirley Mclntosh at 2803
Wrightsboro Road, Suite
51, Augusta, Ga. 30909.
students have caught it. i
When the students were
questioned, three-quarters
said they thought they were
not at high risk of HIV,
despite frequent anal inter,
course without condoms with
different male partners. :
Another possible factot
may be an especially intense
stigma against HIV anci
homosexuality in the South;
making the students less like’
ly to discuss their sexual iden?
tity or consider themselves
gay. -
“We have a very marginals
ized group,” he said. “They
don't identify with the mes?
sages targeted to gay whitd
mCfl'.”""{?' 1 a 1 10t ..,-,:"