http://www.thecharlottepost.com
Cljarlotte
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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004
1B
Health Watch
Study
gives hope
on cancer
recurrence
By Lindsey Tanner
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO - A reciorrence of
cancer after a diseased
prostate is removed is not
necessarily as dire as doctors
once believed, and radiation
could save the lives of many
men with such a condition, a
study found.
Until now, doctors believed
that certain ominous signs,
including rising levels of a
protein called PSA, usually
meant that the cancer had
not only returned but had
spread to other parts of the
body and was incurable.
These men generally were
not offered radiation but
were treated only with hor
mones, which can slow the
disease but cannot stop it.
But the new study suggests
that many of these men can
be cured with radiation,
because the cancer has not
spread after all.
The study, published in
Wednesday’s Journal of the
American Medical
Association, involved 501
men whose disease returned
an average of about 10
months after their prostates
were removed. All received
radiation to treat the recur
rence; half remained cancer-
free an average of four years
later.
For these men, radiation
“changed the natural history
of that disease,” said lead
author Dr. Kevin Slawin,
director of the prostate center
at Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston.
Previous data suggest that
in two-thirds of men who do
not get radiation for cancer
recurrence after surgery, the
disease will spread elsewhere
within 10 years and probably
prove fatal, Slawin said.
Fewer than 20 percent of
patients who suffer a recur
rence get radiation treat
ment, known as salvage radi
ation, Slawin said.
Dr. Mitchell Anscher, a
Duke University radiation
oncologist, said salvage.radi
ation is used too infrequently,
and often too late. The study
is significant and suggests
that radiation is warranted
for the majority of patients
whose recurrence was identi
fied via PSA levels, Anscher
said.
Prostate cancer is the sec
ond-most common mahgnan-
qy in men after skin cancer. It
Please see HOPE/4B
LIFE
c..
*v
When love calls?^
Charlotte’s too slow
to answer
By Artellia Burch
anelliaburch@ihecharlottepost.com
The unlucky in love shouldn’t be sur
prised by a survey that says Charlotte
is one of the vs^orst places to play the dat
ing game.
According to a study based on 24 cri
teria compiled and analyzed by the dty
study experts at Sperling’s BestPlaces
Charlotte ranked 71st out of 80 for the
best cities for singles..
One of the reasons the Queen City
ranked so poorly is its lovr percentage of
singles. According to the study,
Charlotte was in the 41st percentile
when it comes to the percentage of 18-
24 year-olds.
AXE Deodorant Bodyspray funded
the research. Why? AXE says it special
izes in the dating game and wants to let
young singles know where America’s
hot spots are when it comes to hooking
up.
Coffee shops, which dating experts say
are great meeting spots, was used as cri
teria for ranking the cities as well.
Charlotte ranked in the 16th percentile
of coffee shops per capita. Eighty four
percent of the cities studied had more
coffee shops per capita.
“I disagree with the study about coffee
shops,” said Elaine Stevens, Ph.D and
host of “Matters of The Heart,” a week
ly show of WBAV 101.9. “Charlotte has
become Starbucks heaven. Coffee shops
are good places to go to meet people.
People are there reading books, maga
zines and reading the paper. The coffee
shop is also a place to meet a person for
the first time if you connected with
them on-line.”
Charlotte also ranks in the 26 per
centile in gifts bought as jewelry for that
special someone category.
However Raleigh/Durham ended up
in the number four slot in the same
study. The Raleigh area has a much
larger 18-24 year-old population. Not
only does it have a larger population,
but also the percentage of the popula
tion that is single is much larger in
Raleigh, which is 68 percent compared
to 41 percent in Charlotte. Plus online
dating is more likely in
Raleigh/Durham than Charlotte.
Stevens says she hears people of all
Please see POLL/4B
Sinrysljj elelkstous reislserr^ suulrl sheeseeahe |sie
Simply Delicious
Desserts Your Family Will
Love
Fabulous desserts can be easy to
prepare if you have the right ingredi
ents on hand.
Start with a ready-made graham crack
er crumb crust. Then stir up a filling with
sweetened, condensed nulk for a smooth,
luscious texture. Add a variety of fresh or
canned fruits — or maybe peanut butter
and chocolate — for both color and flavor.
Fast and fabulous recipes like these
assemble in minutes.
Then bake. Or dull. Or freeze. Crown
yoiu dessert with a cloud of whipped top
ping, fresh fruit or shaved chocolate.
Then sit back and enjoy the compliments.
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Pie
Prep Time; 15 minutes
Baking Time: 55 minutes
Makes one 9-inch pie
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand
Sweetened
Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated
milk)
legg
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon
juice from concentrate, divided
1 (9-inch) graham cracker crumb
crust
1/2 cup rasp
berry preserves
Preheat oven to 300'’F.
In large mixing bowl, beat cream
cheese until fluffy. Gradually
beat in sweetened condensed
milk until smooth, add egg
and 3 tablespoons lemon juice;
mix well. ■*
Pour 1/2 the batter into *
crust. Combine remaining 1
teaspoon lemon juice with pre
serves in small bowl. Spoon half
the preserves over batter.
Pour remaining batter on top.
Using a knife, swirl remaining preserves
into decorative pattern on top.
Bake 55 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate left
overs.
COURTESY OF EAGLE® BRAMD SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
o#o