HEALTHFRONT

LECOM Students Provide Health Services to Homeless

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Bradenton is collaborating with the Manatee County Community Coalition on Homelessness (CCH) to bring much-needed medical care to the clinic’s patients. Under the guidance of Dr. Anthony Ferretti, assistant dean of clinical education, students are providing health services to Bradenton’s homeless population as part of their clinical training to become osteopathic physicians. Fourth-year medical students and a faculty physician are helping staff the Bill Galvano One-Stop Center clinic in west Bradenton (701 17^th Avenue West). LECOM Bradenton student James Gahagan understands the importance of providing medical care to those in need. “This gives us an opportunity to spend time with patients who may not be receiving proper care – both medically and emotionally,” he says. Adell Erozer, CCH’s executive director, is excited to have LECOM students and clinical faculty working at the clinic. “We would not be able to provide this type of service without LECOM’s help,” she added.

B-drugs and Osteonecrosis

All dentists take precautions with patients who need extractions when they are taking Actonel, Boniva, Fosamax or Zometta bisphosphonates. The drugs known as bisphosphonates (B-drugs) are used in the treatment of Padget’s disease, multiple myeloma and osteoporosis. Side effects include sore throat, upset stomach and bone and muscle pain. However, one of the major side effects that can be debilitating and extremely painful is osteonecrosis of the jaw bone, says Dr. Burr Bakke. It occurs in three different stages that can result in pain, infection and fractures. What happens to a person suffering from osteonecrosis? Most treatment is superficial and can only increase the problem. Healing can take up to 18 months.

But there are many alternatives to traditional treatment. A diet change that helps obtain naturally occurring calcium and minerals promotes healthier bones; elimination of processed foods, smoking and caffeine is also helpful. Regular exercise will maintain calcium in the bones. A discussion with a medical doctor weighing the benefits and risk of the B-drug versus the risk of osteonecrosis is necessary. If you have questions, contact Dr. Bakke or Dr. Morris at World Class Dentistry at (941) 923-6363.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Featured in Sweden

Dattoli Cancer Center, the world-renowned non-surgical prostate cancer treatment center, was recently featured in a TV news broadcast in Stockholm, Sweden. Dattoli’s combination protocol, using 4D IG-IMRT radiation with DART, with radioactive seed implant (Brachytherapy), has produced the world’s longest published cure rate and is the reason men travel to Sarasota from all over the globe for prostate cancer care. In recent years, the Dattoli Center has also become the destination for hundreds of patients who have tried other treatments – even unproven, novel therapies – only to find that their cancers returned or were never defeated in the first place. These “salvage” patients were treated with individualized radiation plans designed specifically in accordance with the effects from their earlier, unsuccessful treatment. For these patients, it is a second but more challenging chance to get it right.