November 2010 – Page 3 – Oral Cancer News

Most HPV vaccinations not completed in urban study

Source: MedScape Today By: Nick Mulcahy November 10, 2010 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Nearly 70% of young women and girls who received a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination at a medical center in Baltimore, Maryland, did not complete the recommended 3-dose regimen, according to a new study. Of the 2641 females (aged 9 to 26 years) who started HPV vaccination from 2006 to 2010, 39.1% received a single dose, 30.1% received 2 doses, but only 30.78% completed the recommended 3-dose regimen. "If we are going to offer a vaccine, we need to know who's getting it and who's getting the full course so we know who's protected and who's not," said the study's lead author, J. Kathleen Tracy, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Not completing a full course of the vaccine results in underprotection, said Dr. Tracy in an interview withMedscape Medical News. She presents the results of her study today here at the Ninth Annual American Association for Cancer Research International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. Dr. Tracy said that she did not anticipate that 18 to 26 year olds would be the age group least likely to complete all 3 doses of the regimen. "Given all of the marketing and attention about the HPV vaccine, I was surprised by the lack of follow-through among young women," she said. "It's probably the first time they are managing their own medical care," said Dr. Tracy about the young [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-14T08:17:49-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

As taxes, restrictions cut smoking rates, industry pushes smokeless tobacco

Source: Fairwarning.org By: Patrick Corcoran Higher cigarette taxes and indoor smoking bans have significantly reduced smoking rates in the U.S., but tobacco companies are responding to flagging sales by aggressively marketing smokeless tobacco. A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows wide variations in the percentage of adults who smoke in different states, ranging from lows of 9.8 percent in Utah and 12.9 percent in California, to 25.6 percent in Kentucky and West Virginia. An analysis of the data by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an anti-smoking group, shows that states with the lowest smoking rates also had the highest cigarette taxes and bans on lighting up indoors, while states with the lowest taxes and least restrictions had the highest rates of smoking. For example, in the 11 states with the fewest smokers, percentage-wise, cigarette taxes average $2.19 per pack, versus 62 cents per pack in the 10 states with the highest smoking rates. But in response to restrictions on indoor smoking, tobacco companies have been pushing use of smokeless tobacco. For example, to promote its Marlboro Snus smokeless tobacco, Philip Morris uses the slogan: “So next time smoking isn’t an option, just reach for your Snus.” Rival R.J. Reynolds promotes its Camel Snus with a similar message: “Pleasure for wherever.” Smokeless tobacco use varied widely as well, with California recording the lowest rate (1.3 percent) and Wyoming the highest (9.1 percent) of adult users. The CDC highlighted the need to attack smoking and other tobacco [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-14T08:15:55-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Smoking cessation funding slashed

Source: Atlantic Drugs By: Susan Ray Smoking cessation funding has been cut to its lowest level since 1999. Despite 20% of the population smoking, the same percentage that were in 2006, the current economic climate and other factors have caused states to reduce funding for stop smoking initiatives. Around $517 million has been allocated in the fiscal year 2011, which is down 9.2% from the previous year, and 28% less than in 2009. Alarm Public health groups are alarmed that people who are looking to quit smoking may now not get the help that they need. There are around 46 million smokers across America, all at an increased risk of developing serious health problems like lung and mouth cancer, and heart disease. Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death in the US and is responsible for one in five deaths. About 8.6 million people suffer from smoking-related lung and heart disease. Smokers are twice as likely to die from heart attacks in comparison with non-smokers. Most important step The US Surgeon General has said, "Smoking cessation (stopping smoking) represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives." Quitting smoking can be difficult. Some smokers find that the nicotine addictions make it too hard to give up. For others, the mental cravings to smoke are a greater problem. Research has shown that quitting smoking is more ‘mind over matter’ for many people, and that overcoming psychological desires to smoke cigarettes [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-10T09:27:15-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Where do Americans go to smoke?

Source: http://labs.slate.com/articles/cigarette-map/ Author: Chris Wilson Fewer than 13 percent of Americans now smoke cigarettes every day. While this represents a dramatic decline from the Mad Men-era of ubiquitous ash trays, the drop in smokers isn't happening everywhere at the same rate, and it isn't necessarily happening among the people you'd expect. Slate decided to map the latest data about cigarette smoking by state and county, and the trends it reveals are fascinating. In most of the counties around the border of Kentucky and West Virginia, for example, as much as 40 percent of the population regularly lights up. This map shows data from both counties and states, using figures from an annual nationwide survey of more than 400,000 people. The state-by-state map also breaks out the numbers by age group, and by whether people smoke regularly or occasionally. Click the tabs in the upper right corner to toggle between the two different maps. You can access the interactive map here.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-09T20:58:35-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

NIH grant awarded to the NYU College of Dentistry to identify bacteria associated with oral cancer

Source: New York University By: Ami Finkelthal The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the NIH, has awarded a two-year, $245,000 grant to an New York University dental research team to identify bacteria in the oral cavity that may be associated with oral cancer. The team will collaborate with researchers at the NYU School of Medicine and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The principal investigator, Dr. Deepak Saxena, an Assistant Professor of Basic Science & Craniofacial Biology at the NYU College of Dentistry (NYUCD), said that the pilot study will compare the bacterial profiles of healthy, premalignant, and malignant oral tissue. Samples will be collected from 35 patients at NYUCD and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Saxena will use genetic sequencing to identify the bacteria present in each sample and to assess which of the bacteria spur an inflammatory process known to be associated with the development of oral cancer. “Our ultimate goal is to develop a risk assessment protocol for oral cancer based on the bacterial profile of premalignant lesions and malignant tumors,” said Dr. Saxena. Plans call for a follow-up study involving a larger number of tissue samples. Dr. Saxena’s co-investigators include Dr. Zoya Kurago, Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology & Medicine; Dr. Yihong Li, Professor of Basic Science & Craniofacial Biology; Dr. Robert G. Norman, Research Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion; and Dr. Peter Sacks, Professor of Basic Science & Craniofacial Biology, all of NYUCD. Additional [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-09T20:52:13-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Oropharyngeal cancer epidemic and human papillomavirus

Source: Foodconsumer Author: Torbjörn Ramqvist and Tina Dalianis Abstract A growing body of research shows that human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common and increasing cause of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Thus, the International Agency for Research against Cancer has acknowledged HPV as a risk factor for OSCC, in addition to smoking and alcohol consumption. Recently, in Finland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and Sweden, incidence of OSCC has increased, and an increase in the proportion of HPV-positive tumors was noted. On the basis of these data and reports indicating that patients with HPV-positive cancer have their first sexual experience at a young age and have multiple partners, we postulate that increased incidence of OSCC in the United States and some countries in northern Europe is because of a new, primarily sexually transmitted HPV epidemic. We also suggest that individualized treatment modalities and preventive vaccination should be further explored. In many countries, vaccines against some human papillomavirus (HPV) types are now administered to girls and young women with the goal of protecting them against HPV-induced cervical cancer (1,2). The introduction of HPV vaccines has also drawn more attention to the fact that HPV is associated not only with cervical cancer and genital warts but also with other tumors, such as head neck and anogenital cancers (3). We focus on the role of HPV in the increased incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the head and neck cancer in which HPV is most commonly found (4). Head and neck cancer [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-11-09T20:51:27-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Does framing human papillomavirus vaccine as preventing cancer in men increase vaccine acceptability?

Source: PubMed.gov BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is now approved for use in males in the United States to prevent genital warts. We conducted an experiment to see whether framing HPV vaccination as also preventing cancer in men would increase men's vaccination willingness. METHODS: We conducted an online survey in January 2009 with a national sample of men ages 18 to 59 years who self-identified as gay/bisexual (n = 312) or heterosexual (n = 296). In the within-subjects experiment, men read four randomly ordered vignettes that described hypothetical vaccines that prevented either genital warts alone, or genital warts and either anal cancer, oral cancer, or penile cancer. We analyzed data using repeated measures ANOVA and tested whether perceived severity or perceived likelihood mediated the effect of disease outcome framing on men's HPV vaccination willingness. RESULTS: Although only 42% of men were willing to receive HPV vaccine when it was framed as preventing genital warts alone, 60% were willing to get it when it was framed as preventing cancer in addition to genital warts (P < 0.001). The effect of outcome framing was the same for heterosexual and gay/bisexual men and for the three cancer types examined. Perceived severity of disease partially mediated the association between disease outcome and HPV vaccination willingness. CONCLUSIONS: Men may be more accepting of HPV vaccine when it is framed as preventing cancer, regardless which of the three most common HPV-related cancers in men is described. IMPACT: Study findings may be useful in developing health communication messages that maximize HPV vaccine [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-08T13:52:28-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Cancers attributable to human papillomavirus infection.

Source: PubMed.gov Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced primarily as a cervical cancer prevention vaccine, HPV has a causal role in several types of cancer. This article reviews the epidemiological evidence for the role of HPV in human cancer, and describes Australian trends in these cancers. HPV is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. The currently vaccine-preventable subtypes of HPV 16 and 18 are responsible for ~70% of cervical cancer. The introduction of an organised Pap smear program in Australia led to a steep decline in incidence over the past decades. HPV can be detected in ~40% and 70% of vulval and vaginal cancers respectively. Rates of these cancers have been stable over the past 20 years. The prevalence of HPV in penile cancer is ~50% and incidence has not recently changed. For anal cancer, ~85% of cases are HPV positive, and incidence has increased significantly in both men and women over the past 20 years. In the oral cavity, ~35% of oropharyngeal cancers and ~25% of other oral cavity cancers are HPV positive. The incidence of HPV-related oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers is increasing, whereas incidence at HPV-unrelated sites is decreasing. Overall, 1154 HPV-related cancer cases were potentially preventable by vaccination. If HPV-related cancers at non-cervical sites are prevented by vaccination, then a similar number of cancer cases will be prevented as in the cervix. However, almost one-quarter of the potentially preventable cancer cases are in men, who are not included in the current national immunisation program.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-08T13:36:52-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Histopathologic findings of HPV and p16 positive HNSCC

Source: PubMed.gov OBJECTIVE: Human papilloma virus (HPV) and p16INKa (p16) positivity in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) is currently thought to be an encouraging prognostic indicator. However, the histopathologic changes responsible for this behavior are poorly understood. It is our objective to elucidate these histopathologic characteristics to help define the clinical utility of these markers. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: 71 HNSCC tumors between July 1, 2008 and August 30, 2009 were examined for HPV, p16, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Specified pathologic features were examined: perivascular invasion (PVI), perineural invasion (PNI), grade of squamous differentiation, basaloid classification. RESULTS: HPV and p16 had no direct impact on perineural or perivascular invasion. However, HPV and p16 were strongly predictive of poorly differentiated tumors, as well as basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) (P < .001). Additionally, upon multivariate analysis, HPV(+) and p16(+) tumors had an increased risk of nodal metastasis (HPV: odds ratio [OR] = 23.9 (2.2, 265.1) p = .01; p16: OR = 6.5 (1.4, 31.2) p = .02; PVI: OR = 6.0 (1.6, 22.8) p < .01). The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated improved predictive value for lymph node metastasis above standard H&E histopathologic features (76.7%) for both HPV (83.2%) and p16 (81.3%) individually. CONCLUSIONS: HPV(+) and p16(+) are highly predictive for poorly differentiated tumors and basaloid SCCA. Additionally, HPV and p16 positivity demonstrate superior predictive value for lymph node metastasis above standard H&E histopathologic features. Although exact recommendations should be tempered by considerations of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-08T13:31:34-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Would the effect of HPV vaccination on non-cervical HPV-positive cancers make the difference for its cost-effectiveness?

Source: PubMed.gov Besides cervical cancer, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is found in other cancers and may be preventable with HPV vaccination. However, these other cancers are often not accounted for in cost-effectiveness analyses of HPV vaccination. This study estimates the potential maximum effect on the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) of HPV vaccination in preventing non-cervical HPV-positive cancers. For the Dutch situation, a mathematical equation was used to estimate the maximum impact if all cancer cases of the penis, vulva/vagina, anus, oral cavity and oro-pharynx with HPV16/18 are prevented, in terms of number of life years gained, savings and improvement in the CER of the vaccination. For other countries and for future developments, we show how the impact on the CER varies depending on the incidence of cervical/non-cervical HPV 16/18-positive cancers, vaccine costs and clinical costs. If in the Netherlands all HPV 16/18-positive cancers are prevented by vaccination in women only, compared to if only HPV 16/18-positive cervical cancer is prevented, the life years gained increase with 14%, the savings increase with 18%, and the CER decreases with 13%. If vaccination prevents HPV-positive cancers in both men and women, these figures increase to 25%, 26% and 21%, respectively. In conclusion, if HPV vaccination fully prevents all non-cervical HPV-positive cancers, this would substantially increase its cost-effectiveness. The impact of the vaccination varies depending on the incidence of cervical/non-cervical HPV16/18-positive cancers, the vaccine costs and clinical costs. Observed combinations of these parameters in different countries show a decrease in the CER between 10% and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-08T13:20:40-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|