Community Corner

Esophageal Cancer Talk at Town Hall

On Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 12:00 noon, Manalapan resident Bart Frazzitta will relate on his experiences as a 12 year survivor of esophageal cancer and his subsequent efforts at helping other people stricken with this illness.  The presentation will be held at the Manalapan Township Municipal Building at 120 Freehold Road (Route 522).  Mr. Frazzitta’s post-cancer story is a remarkable effort of one man’s commitment towards helping other people work through their illness, partnering with health care professionals to enhance the information in the community about esophageal cancer and developing a non-profit organization raising awareness and providing support to persons with esophageal cancer.  The organization is the Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation and is accessible via the internet at www.fightec.org.

Esophageal cancer is a cancer of the esophagus organ which connects the throat to the stomach.  It is a relatively rare form of cancer with around 17,000 cases diagnosed in a year.  Unfortunately, the survival outlook is generally poor as around 14,700 people will die from this disease in a year.  One of the primary reasons for the high mortality rate is that the symptoms do not appear until the disease is advanced.  Symptoms include chronic heartburn, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, chest pain or burning and frequent choking.  Tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption are the primary risk factors.  Other risk factors are obesity and poor diet.

The presentation of Mr. Frazzitta’s journey and work is free and no RSVPs are necessary.  The presentation will be held in the Court Room in Manalapan Town Hall.  For more information please contact the Manalapan Health Department at 732-446-8345.

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