March 2009 – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

Tobacco product has experts divided

Source: www.gazette.com Author: Brian Newsome Sweden brought us meatballs, the Nobel prize, Ikea, the Saab and the Volvo. But the country's latest mark on the U.S. is not so benign. An oral tobacco product known as snus recently arrived in Colorado Springs and other U.S. towns. The moist tobacco, which comes in a tea-bag-style pouch that goes under the upper lip, has public health experts divided. Some say snus (rhymes with loose) could save scores of lives if smokers switch to it, because the product contains far fewer carcinogens than do cigarettes, chew and snuff. Critics, though, say snus will only increase the number of people addicted to nicotine and poses a serious threat to anti-tobacco efforts. They say it could create a new crop of young nicotine addicts, while smokers could just as easily supplement their habit rather than substitute one for the other. Some Americans have been using snus by ordering it online or buying it in U.S. test markets, but R.J. Reynolds Tobacco didn't release Camel Snus nationally until a few weeks ago, the first and only major tobacco company to do so. Philip Morris is selling Marlboro Snus in test markets. In Sweden, nearly a fifth of men in 2007 said they used snus daily, compared with 12 percent who smoke, according to Swedish Match, the country's largest snus producer. The trend doesn't hold for Swedish women: just 4 percent use snus and 16 percent smoke. Sweden also has fewer cases of lung cancer than the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-24T17:33:15-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Diagnostic aids in the screening of oral cancer

Source: Head Neck Oncol, January 1, 2009; 1(1): 5 Author: S Fedele The World Health Organization has clearly indentified prevention and early detection as major objectives in the control of the oral cancer burden worldwide. At the present time, screening of oral cancer and its pre-invasive intra-epithelial stages, as well as its early detection, is still largely based on visual examination of the mouth. There is strong available evidence to suggest that visual inspection of the oral mucosa is effective in reducing mortality from oral cancer in individuals exposed to risk factors. Simple visual examination, however, is well known to be limited by subjective interpretation and by the potential, albeit rare, occurrence of dysplasia and early OSCC within areas of normal-looking oral mucosa. As a consequence, adjunctive techniques have been suggested to increase our ability to differentiate between benign abnormalities and dysplastic/malignant changes as well as to identify areas of dysplasia/early OSCC that are not visible to naked eye. These include the use of toluidine blue, brush biopsy, chemiluminescence and tissue autofluorescence. The present paper reviews the evidence supporting the efficacy of the aforementioned techniques in improving the identification of dysplastic/malignant changes of the oral mucosa. We conclude that available studies have shown promising results, but strong evidence to support the use of oral cancer diagnostic aids is still lacking. Further research with clear objectives, well-defined population cohorts, and sound methodology is strongly required. Author's affiliation: Oral Medicine Unit, Division of Maxillofacial, Diagnostic, Medical and Surgical Sciences, UCL Eastman Dental [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-24T05:34:14-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

El Camino hospital institute launches genetic testing services

Source: sanjose.bizjournals.com Author: staff El Camino Hospital debuts the Genomic Medicine Institute — the first center of its type in the United States — on March 26. Jon Friedenberg, El Camino vice president and head of the Institute, said Silicon Valley is the epicenter of genomic medicine, with many venture capitalists funding and companies developing products in this arena. “It makes sense that we’d be early adopters to this type of personalized medicine,” he said. The institute will start with a $1.2 million budget and a $500 million operating budget. “We’re relying on philanthropy to support us through the first few years,” El Camino Hospital CEO Ken Graham said. “But we think the testing will make up the difference in cost efficiencies in the hospital and in our labs. And as time goes on, I think we’ll be able to demonstrate great success.” The institute’s goal is to provide an infrastructure to support physicians and patients in genetic testing, counseling and genomic-based therapies. Friedenberg said infrastructure is critical because even if a physician is an early adopter of genomic testing, he or she needs a system to provide pre- and post-test counseling specific to each disease. One of the tests the center will offer is Oncotype DX, a test for women with breast cancer, from Genomic Health Inc. in Redwood City. It will enable their physicians to assess whether chemotherapy is the best course for treatment, since 20 percent of breast cancer patients don’t respond to chemotherapy. “If we can [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-24T05:25:43-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Reirradiation may extend life in head and neck cancers

Source: www.modernmedicine.com Author: staff For some patients, reirradiation of recurrent head and neck cancer can extend life. But for those with comorbidities or organ dysfunction, such as feeding tube dependence, it is likely to offer only palliative support, according to a report in the March 16 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Tawee Tanvetyanon, M.D., of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Fla., and colleagues reviewed medical records of 103 patients with head and neck cancer who received reirradiation at the center between 1998 and 2008. In an effort to determine prognostic factors for success, researchers analyzed the data using both the Charlson index and Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27). The investigators found significant comorbidity in 36 percent of the study group with the Charlson index and 24 percent with the ACE-27; organ dysfunction occurred in 37 percent of patients. For patients with both organ dysfunction and comorbidity, median overall survival was 5.5 months (Charlson) and 4.9 months (ACE-27). This compared with 59.6 months (Charlson) and 44.2 months (ACE-27) for patients who did not have either organ dysfunction or comorbidity, the researchers report. Lesser prognostic factors were stage of recurrent tumor, tumor size and reirradiation dose. "For patients with favorable risk factors, reirradiation should be strongly considered as it offers the promise of long-term survival. For patients with poor risk factors, however, such promise is unlikely," the authors write.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-24T05:20:22-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oncolytics Biotech(R) Inc. collaborators present positive head and neck results in phase I/II combination

Source: pr-canada.net Author: press release Oncolytics Biotech Inc. announced that interim clinical results from its Phase I/II U.K. trial of Reolysin(R) combined with paclitaxel/carboplatin for patients with advanced cancers were presented at the Fifth International Meeting on Replicating Oncolytic Virus Therapeutics. The meeting is being held in Banff, Alberta from March 18th to 22nd, 2009. The principal investigator for the trial is Dr. Kevin Harrington of The Institute of Cancer Research. To date, fifteen head and neck cancer patients have been treated in the Phase I/II trial. All but one patient had prior platinum treatment. Of 12 patients evaluable for clinical response, five have experienced Partial Response (PR) and four have experienced Stable Disease (SD) ranging from two to six months. For patients who have been followed for at least six months since their initial treatment, the median progression-free survival (PFS) is currently six months, while the overall survival is currently seven months. The literature suggests that platinum refractory patients typically have a PFS of approximately two months and a median survival ranging from 4.5 to 6.5 months. The overall survival figure may evolve as many of the patients are still alive. "In patients previously treated with platinum agents, where the response rate (PR and Complete Response (CR)) is generally in the 3-10% range, a response rate of 42% and a 75% clinical benefit rate (SD, PR, and CR) are dramatic," said Dr. Karl Mettinger, Chief Medical Officer for Oncolytics. The Phase I/II trial has two components. The first is [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-23T06:53:05-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Some say candy-like tobacco tablets a danger to teens

Source: www.kgw.com Author: Jane Smith, KGW staff They’re called Orbs, the first dissolvable tobacco product introduced by a major tobacco company, R.J. Reynolds. Oregon Partnership, a nonprofit group that works to prevent drug abuse among teens says the Orbs are a danger to young people. The tablets have some teenagers doing a double take. "It just looks like a normal mint and if it weren't in that container it would be easy to pass of as a regular mint," said Alex Hailey. “It's a tobacco product with nicotine it's addictive unfortunately kids will probably be attracted to it," said Pete Schulberg. But Reynolds denies marketing to kids, saying Orbs are meant for adults. The tablets hit the Portland market in January, the same month the city became smoke free in restaurants and bars. Some parents worry the products are a more socially acceptable way of putting nicotine into the hands of smokers. "I guess I'm wondering what's the purpose? It seems like it's trying to get around tobacco laws. It seems a little subversive," said one parent. The products are marked with warnings, it may cause mouth cancer and it’s not a safe alternative to cigarettes. While the products may be less harmful because they are smoke-free, they still contain nicotine and can be addictive, no matter what your age.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-04-07T18:22:36-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

FDA approves genetic test for identifying human papillomavirus

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Jacquelyn K. Beals, PhD A new test for human papillomavirus (HPV) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The test, Cervista HPV 16/18 (Hologic Inc), is the first to rely on identification of DNA sequences specific to 2 high-risk HPVs that cause most cases of cervical cancer in the United States. Among more than 100 types of HPVs, many are low-risk viruses that cause warts or noncancerous growths. Other HPVs are considered high risk because their infections more frequently lead to cancer. More than a dozen types of sexually transmitted high-risk HPVs typically cause flat, hard-to-see growths on the cervix, but most of these infections resolve on their own without causing cancer. Persistent HPV infections, some lasting for many years with or without detectable symptoms, are the major cause of cervical cancer. Estimates in 2007 predicted that 11,000 US women would be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4000 would die from the disease. Worldwide, the annual mortality from cervical cancer is close to 250,000. Approximately 70% of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV types 16 and 18, and factors such as smoking or bearing many children further increase the risk for cervical cancer in women infected with high-risk HPVs. The newly approved test can identify DNA sequences from HPV 16 and HPV 18 in samples of cervical cells, even before definitive changes occur in cells of the cervix. The FDA also approved a second DNA test, the Cervista HPV HR test (Hologic [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-21T08:30:33-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Zila might file Chapter 11 after cutting costs

Source: MSN Money Zila Inc.’s worsening financial situation might force the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, despite a number of cost-saving measures, according to financial statements filed March 17. Despite cost-reduction strategies, the company’s revenue and cash continue to decline, according to its quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Scottsdale-based Zila’s cash and cash equivalents dropped to $2.5 million as of Jan. 31, compared with $3.2 million on Oct. 31 and $4.5 million on July 31. “In order to continue as a going concern and fund our current level of operations over the next 12 months, we will require additional funds and need to restructure our senior secured convertible notes,” the company stated in its filing. Company officials question whether Zila (Nasdaq: ZILA) has sufficient cash available to pay future quarterly interest payments due under those notes. Chapter 11 would allow the company to restructure its debts while continuing operations. For the six months ended Jan. 31, Zila reported a net loss of $28 million on $18.2 million in revenue. That compares with a $9.6 million net loss on revenue of $21 million during the same period in 2008. The oral cancer diagnostic company’s stock closed Wednesday at 14 cents a share, close to its 52-week low of 13 cents a share. Its 52-week high is $3.57. Last year, Nasdaq warned Zila that its stock was in danger of being delisted if it didn’t keep its price over $1 per share for 10 consecutive business [...]

Webmaster2009-03-20T09:34:34-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Dental van offers seniors free care

Source: Wicked Local Marlborough.com By Catherine Buday MARLBOROUGH The problem: Health experts say that seniors, squeezed by limited budgets and declining dental coverage, often neglect their teeth. “What I’ve been hearing is that people haven’t been to the dentist in years, mainly because of the high cost of care,” said Nancy Fernandez, a nurse for Marlborough’s Council on Aging. “Many do everything else for the rest of their bodies, but the teeth are the last thing.” Michael Henry of the Massachusetts Dental Society sees the same problem. “Many say, ‘why should I spend $5,000 to get dental work done when I might die tomorrow?,’” he says. “They would rather leave the money to their kids. They don’t realize that it lowers their quality of life if they can’t chew properly or if their mouth gets infected.” One solution: Early this month, the Massachusetts Dental Society van brought free dental care to the Marlborough Senior Center. The van traditionally serves disadvantaged children and only recently expanded its services to seniors in Marlborough, Waltham and Natick. On March 6, 14 Marlborough seniors received free checkups and screenings for oral cancer and other problems from dentists John Giordano, of Worcester, and Linda Drennen, of Milford. A grant from the Marlborough-based office of Boston Scientific helped pay for the visit. “We’re seeing things like broken fillings or crowns that they’ve had for a long time,” said Dr. Giordano. “Seniors need professional cleanings at least every six months, or there can be problems with gum [...]

Webmaster2009-03-20T10:21:53-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Pretreatment health behaviors predict survival among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology, 10.1200/JCO.2008.18.2188 Author: Sonia A. Duffy et al. Purpose: Our prior work has shown that the health behaviors of head and neck cancer patients are interrelated and are associated with quality of life; however, other than smoking, the relationship between health behaviors and survival is unclear. Patients and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to determine the relationship between five pretreatment health behaviors (smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity, and sleep) and all-cause survival among 504 head and neck cancer patients. Results: Smoking status was the strongest predictor of survival, with both current smokers (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.4) and former smokers (HR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.5) showing significant associations with poor survival. Problem drinking was associated with survival in the univariate analysis (HR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.0) but lost significance when controlling for other factors. Low fruit intake was negatively associated with survival in the univariate analysis only (HR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.1), whereas vegetable intake was not significant in either univariate or multivariate analyses. Although physical activity was associated with survival in the univariate analysis (HR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93 to 0.97), it was not significant in the multivariate model. Sleep was not significantly associated with survival in either univariate or multivariate analysis. Control variables that were also independently associated with survival in the multivariate analysis were age, education, tumor site, cancer stage, and surgical treatment. Conclusion: Variation in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-17T17:07:20-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|