February 2011 – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

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Dentistry's responsibilities remain vital in stopping cancer deaths By: Donna Grzegorek, RDH Source: RDH magazine As dental professionals, we have a remarkable opportunity to affect the health and well-being of each patient we treat. This responsibility manifests itself in patients' expectations, which is to inform them of disease at the earliest possible moment. This is the fifth consecutive year in which there has been an increase in the rate of occurrence of oral cancers; yet, for several decades the mortality rates for this insidious disease remained virtually unchanged. OCF As dental professionals and health-care providers, we have an obligation to be vigilant in our commitment to early detection, raising awareness, and the management of the cancer for which we as a profession are held accountable. Approximately 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. This menacing disease will cause 8,000 deaths, killing approximately one person per hour, 24 hours a day. Of these 37,000 newly-diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will survive five years. The mortality rate for oral cancer is higher than that of other cancers we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, and endocrine system cancers such as thyroid or skin cancer (malignant melanoma). If you expand the definition of oral cancers to include cancer of the larynx, for which the risk factors are indistinguishable, the number of diagnosed cases grows to approximately 50,000 individuals and 13,500 deaths per year in the United States [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-18T10:06:03-07:00February, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Either called “chemobrain” or “chemofog,” the long-term chemotherapy-induced cognitive decline in cancer survivors is real

J Pain Symptom Manage. 2011 Jan 1;41(1):126-139, AA Argyriou, K Assimakopoulos, G Iconomou, F Giannakopoulou, HP Kalofonos Abstract Context: In recent years, there is growing evidence in the medical literature to support an association between administration of commonly used chemotherapeutic agents and an increased risk for cognitive impairment. Objectives: We herein critically summarize data relating to the pathophysiological mechanisms by which chemotherapy may induce cognitive impairment in patients surviving from solid tumors. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics and the proposed management strategies to counter chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) also are presented. Methods: References for this review were identified by searches of PubMed from 1995 until December 2009 with related terms. Results: Both the pathogenetic mechanisms and the overall clinical nature of CICI remain vaguely defined. OCF Findings indicate that CICI is a relatively common event that, in most of the cases, remains under diagnosed, thereby adversely affecting the quality of life of patients with cancer. Effective pharmacological interventions toward the symptomatic or prophylactic management of CICI also are lacking. Conclusion: Either called “chemobrain” or “chemofog,” the long-term CICI in cancer survivors is real. The need for multidisciplinary care interventions toward a timely diagnosis and management of CICI is clearly warranted.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-19T10:03:29-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Global cancer statistics

Source: HighWire, Stanford University The global burden of cancer continues to increase largely because of the aging and growth of the world population alongside an increasing adoption of cancer-causing behaviors, particularly smoking, in economically developing countries. Based on the GLOBOCAN 2008 estimates, about 12.7 million cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths are estimated to have occurred in 2008; of these, 56% of the cases and 64% of the deaths occurred in the economically developing world. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among females, accounting for 23% of the total cancer cases and 14% of the cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the leading cancer site in males, comprising 17% of the total new cancer cases and 23% of the total cancer deaths. Breast cancer is now also the leading cause of cancer death among females in economically developing countries, a shift from the previous decade during which the most common cause of cancer death was cervical cancer. Further, the mortality burden for lung cancer among females in developing countries is as high as the burden for cervical cancer, with each accounting for 11% of the total female cancer deaths. OCF Although overall cancer incidence rates in the developing world are half those seen in the developed world in both sexes, the overall cancer mortality rates are generally similar. Cancer survival tends to be poorer in developing countries, most likely because of a combination of a late stage at diagnosis and limited [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-16T11:19:17-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Quadrivalent HPV vaccine may be effective in young men

Source: www.medscape.org Author: Laurie Barclay, MD; Charles P. Vega, MD Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may prevent infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 and the development of related external genital lesions in young men 16 to 26 years old, according to the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial reported in the February 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "Infection with ...HPV and diseases caused by HPV are common in boys and men," write Anna R. Giuliano, PhD, from the Risk Assessment, Detection, and Intervention Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, and colleagues. "We report on the safety of a quadrivalent vaccine (active against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18) and on its efficacy in preventing the development of external genital lesions and anogenital HPV infection in boys and men." The study sample consisted of 4065 healthy boys and men, aged 16 to 26 years, enrolled from 18 countries. The primary efficacy goal was to demonstrate that use of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine was associated with a lower incidence of external genital lesions related to HPV-6, 11, 16, or 18. The investigators used a per-protocol population, in which participants received all 3 vaccinations and had tested negative for relevant HPV types at enrollment, and an intent-to-treat population, in which participants received vaccine or placebo, regardless of baseline HPV status. In the intent-to-treat population, there were 36 external genital lesions in the vaccine group and 89 in the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-15T13:47:01-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Survival and human papillomavirus in oropharynx cancer in TAX 324: a subset analysis from an international phase III trial

Source: annonc.oxfordjournals.org Authors: M. R. Posner et al. Background: The association between human papillomavirus (HPV) and overall survival (OS) in oropharynx cancer (OPC) was retrospectively examined in TAX 324, a phase III trial of sequential therapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer. Methods: Accrual for TAX 324 was completed in 2003 and data updated through 2008. Pretherapy tumor biopsies were studied by PCR for human papillomavirus type 16 and linked to OS, progression-free survival (PFS) and demographics. Results: Of 264 patients with OPC, 111 (42%) had evaluable biopsies; 56 (50%) were HPV+ and 55 (50%) were HPV−. HPV+ patients were significantly younger (54 versus 58 years, P = 0.02), had T1/T2 primary cancers (49% versus 20%, P = 0.001), and had a performance status of zero (77% versus 49%, P = 0.003). OS and PFS were better for HPV+ patients (OS, hazard ratio = 0.20, P

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-12T15:06:18-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Nanoparticles may enhance circulating tumor cell detection

Source: insciences.org/ Author: Quinn Eastman Tiny gold particles can help doctors detect tumor cells circulating in the blood of patients with head and neck cancer, researchers at Emory and Georgia Tech have found. The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is an emerging technique that can allow oncologists to monitor patients with cancer for metastasis or to evaluate the progress of their treatment. The gold particles, which are embedded with dyes allowing their detection by laser spectroscopy, could enhance this technique’s specificity by reducing the number of false positives. The results are published online in the journal Cancer Research. One challenge with detecting CTCs is separating out signals from white blood cells, which are similarly sized as tumor cells and can stick to the same antibodies normally used to identify tumor cells. Commercially available devices trap CTCs using antibody-coated magnetic beads, and technicians must stain the trapped cells with several antibodies to avoid falsely identifying white blood cells as tumor cells. Emory and Georgia Tech researchers show that polymer-coated and dye-studded gold particles, directly linked to a growth factor peptide rather than an antibody, can detect circulating tumor cells in the blood of patients with head and neck cancer. “The key technological advance here is our finding that polymer-coated gold nanoparticles that are conjugated with low molecular weight peptides such as EGF are much less sticky than particles conjugated to whole antibodies,” says Shuming Nie, PhD, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-11T14:42:46-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

DoD asks troops to kiss the spit goodbye

Source: www.tradingmarkets.com Author: staff When the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) weighs in on kissing and spitting, it's with good reason--two good reasons, in fact: love and health. Using smokeless tobacco--spit, dip, chew, snus, etc.--can pose a stinky, unsavory obstacle to sharing a kiss with a loved one, parent, child or sweetheart. It also may cause a slew of serious health problems. That's why DoD/TRICARE(R) wants military personnel to participate in the Great American Spit Out (GASpO) on February 24, 2011, and kiss the spit goodbye for a day. Some 19 percent of 18- to 24-year-old men in the armed forces use smokeless tobacco, more than double the national rate. To help cut that number down, the DoD Quit Tobacco--Make Everyone Proud campaign at http://www.ucanquit2.org is focusing this month on helping those who spit and chew tobacco to develop a personalized quit plan and to take action that may get them more kisses and help them gain more years of a healthy life. "Many of our servicemen started using smokeless tobacco at a young age due to peer pressure and became addicted before realizing the negative effects it could have on their personal relationships and health," said Cmdr. Aileen Buckler, M.D., M.P.H., U.S. Public Health Service officer and chairman of the DoD Alcohol and Tobacco Advisory Committee. Throughout the month, the DoD website will host a special GASpO page, http://www.ucanquit2.org/facts/gaspo/, where service members can publicly post their pledge to quit. Capt. Larry N. Williams, U.S. Navy tobacco clinical cessation champion, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-11T14:22:13-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco companies expand their epidemic of death

Tobacco companies expand their epidemic of death on Feb 10, Philip Morris International will report their 2010 full-year results. We guess that they will make much of their claim to sell their products in 160 countries worldwide. Tobacco is a good global business to be in. Last week saw Imperial Tobacco report increases in sales of cigarettes to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. The company’s share price rose steeply. One newspaper reported that “Imperial declared it was increasing the [share] dividend on the back of its strengthening position”. Analysts said forecasts that smoking was on the decline had been “overdone”. Go to Imperial Tobacco’s website and you will find boasts that sales are up 10% in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Russia. New markets are opening up—in South Korea, for example. Sales are on the rise in Laos and Vietnam. And across Africa, the Middle East, eastern Europe, and Asia Pacific, revenues increased to £2·34 billion last year. For companies like Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco—selling, addicting, and killing, surely the most cruel and corrupt business model human beings could have invented—it is not surprising that they see “many opportunities for us to develop our business” in vulnerable low-income and middle-income countries. Without a trace of irony or shame, Imperial’s management team reported to investors last week that the company won a Gold Award rating in a 2009 corporate responsibility index. Yet tobacco executives know they are peddling death. If one tries to view Imperial’s investor presentation, several slides are now blank. Why? Imperial says “because we do not feature tobacco product imagery on our website”. While tobacco companies such as Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco spread [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-11T12:15:06-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Probe into ‘late cancer diagnoses’

Source: Google News An urgent independent inquiry is to investigate how 15 cancer patients examined at Belfast's Royal School of Dentistry may have received late diagnoses. Health Minister Michael McGimpsey apologised for the failings which emerged after the review of a consultant's work. Professor Philip Lamey has now been removed from his post and is due to face a hearing at the General Dental Council later this year. The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has already identified concerns over 22 patients, 15 of whom had cancer, and last week recalled an additional 117 people to have their cases reviewed as a precautionary measure. "I want to take this opportunity to apologise to all patients who may have had delays in their diagnosis," the minister told the Assembly. "The public must have confidence that their treatment will be responsive, rapid and of the highest quality." "For the vast majority of people their experiences will reflect high quality care. However, when this care falls short, every possible step must be taken to ensure that patients are informed and any failings are addressed quickly to avoid any unnecessary pain and distress." He added: "I have to say that I share the shock and concern that the public will rightly feel about this matter. I am very unhappy about the distress caused to patients and the handling of this matter." Concerns were first raised about the consultant's work in late 2009 when it emerged that six patients with oral cancer had potentially received [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-11T09:52:48-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer vaccinations for boys by 2012?

Source: Star Observer The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) will determine if the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil, should be included in the National Immunisation Program for boys. Gardasil is currently administered to girls when they begin high school to prevent cervical cancer. HPV, however, also causes throat cancer, genital and anal warts, and cancer of the penis. Gardasil is approved in Australia for use in boys and men aged nine to 26. Without subsidy, it costs $450 a treatment, and most parents are unaware of the protection it offers boys. Professor Andrew Grulich, of the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, told the Star Observer that few boys outside those from medical families were being immunised. “The boys who are getting it more than any others are the sons of doctors because doctors are aware of the enormous benefits of this vaccine for boys,” Grulich said. “There is absolutely no doubt it will prevent most anal cancer, that it will prevent quite a bit of penile cancer, and that it will prevent almost all anal and genital warts.” Grulich said HPV was now responsible for the lion’s share of cancers in the back of the throat in Australia due to lower rates of smoking, and oral sex growing in acceptability. “Those cancers have been increasing over the last 20 or 30 years. Previously we thought perhaps 20 or 30 percent of those cancers were caused by HPV and now it’s more like 70 percent. “It’s really important [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-10T11:06:22-07:00February, 2011|Oral Cancer News|