I have a few questions I'm hoping people around here will be able to answer:

First off, I'm a 23 year old male. I have been going through a decent amount of stress lately (lost my job and house). Incidently, I am moving to a different state at the end of the month, so getting government assistance here for going to a doctor may not be efficient. Recently my stomach and chest started hurting and my throat felt "weird". I couldn't really describe it. I was scared I was having a heart attack, but one of my roommates who has had a heart attack said no. I took some free Zantac samples and they seemed to help. For the most part my stomach has let up in the last few days, but now m throat feels like it does after you've been breathing into a scarf in cold weather. In total this has been going on for about a week and the roommate tells me it is probably acid reflux. It mainly effects at night, but sometimes my throat hurts on and off throughout the day.

My questions are as follows:
1.) Should Acid Reflux go on so long?

2.) Drinking water doesn't always help my throat... though warm water does work for just a few minutes. Is this normal?

3.) What are the symptomatic differences between acid reflux and esophogial cancer? (I may be being paranoid here.)

4.) Is it possible it's all stress related?

Thanks,
Lincthra