April 2012 – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

Oral cancer on the rise in the US; Americans unaware of major risk factors

Source: Dental Tribune NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., USA: New research conducted on behalf of the Oral Cancer Foundation has found that many Americans are unaware of the fact that the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is the fastest-growing risk factor for oral cancer. The data supports the current consensus that awareness of oral cancer and early discovery measures is low, and that most Americans do not recognize that the profile of the oral cancer patient has evolved from heavy smokers and drinkers to anyone who is sexually active. According to the OCF, approximately 40,000 Americans will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2012. This is the fifth consecutive year in which there has been an increase in the incidence rate of the dangerous disease. Oral cancer is often caught in the late stages, when the five-year survival rate is less than 50 percent. When diagnosed in the early stages of development, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. The results of the national survey, conducted by market research consultancy Kelton among a representative sample of 1,024 Americans aged 18 and over, indicated that more than four in five Americans know that smoking (83 percent) and chewing tobacco (83 percent) are risk factors. However, the survey also revealed that they remain in the dark about other potential causes of oral cancer, including alcohol consumption and HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection. The survey showed that women tend to be slightly more aware of the [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-25T10:14:26-07:00April, 2012|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Canadian Dental Hygienists call for stronger tobacco control

Source: www.baytoday.ca Author: Kate Adams Canada’s Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) has resulted in significant reductions in the levels of tobacco use in Canada. This has led to our nation being recognized as a world leader in tobacco control. The Smoking Cessation Quitline is just one of many highly successful programs the federal government has supported to this end. Unfortunately, significant financial cuts are being made to the FTCS. The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) supports ongoing, stable funding for the FTCS in order to further reduce tobacco use levels in Canada. With the anticipated reduction in Health Canada’s tobacco control funding, Canada is at risk of reversing the downward trend in tobacco use. Elimination of the grants and contributions program will result in reduced involvement with non-profit partners who have made tobacco cessation a high priority. These partnerships are successful because partner organizations are uniquely equipped to meet the specialized health needs of different communities and priority populations across Canada. On a daily basis, dental hygienists see first-hand, the harmful impact of tobacco use on the mouth. CDHA’s president Arlynn Brodie says, “dental hygienists are committed to encouraging tobacco free lifestyles and to promoting cessation.” In many cases dental hygienists are the first to recognize signs of oral cancer from tobacco use, as well as tooth decay and abrasion caused by chewing tobacco. “All types of tobacco use have a negative impact on oral health,” adds Brodie, “dental hygienists focus on prevention and strongly believe continued investment in the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-25T06:51:22-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer protein identified

Source: www.dailyrx.com Author: Travis Giddings Different kinds of cancer have different characteristics on a cellular level, and these unique proteins can be used to monitor the cancer's progress or serve as a target for the pharmaceutical version of a smart bomb. The protein Aurora-A is known to be involved in several cancers and clinical trials are currently underway that target Aurora-A as a way to specifically attack cancer cells without any collateral damage. A recent study began initially as an investigation into whether Aurora-A was a suitable drug target in head and neck cancer, but the results were more ominous. Researchers from the Fox Chase Cancer Center presenting at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting announced the results of their investigation into the Aurora-A protein. They found that not only is the protein found in cancers of the head and neck, but higher levels of the protein were correlated with a much worse prognosis than cancer patients with normal levels. Patients with high levels of the protein survived less than 36 months on average, while patients with levels closer to normal had a longer timeframe, closer to 92 months. "This finding suggests Aurora A does play a role in the development of head and neck cancers," said Christian J. Fidler, MD, the study author. "Consequently, Aurora-A represents another potential target for additional therapies." Given the poor prognosis of high Aurora-A cancer patients, researchers now hope to begin a clinical trial combining Aurora-A inhibitors with other cancer drugs such [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-25T06:46:03-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

CDC report releases updated information on HPV-associated cancers

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: staff The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on April 24, 2012, an updated statistical count on the prevalence of HPV-associated cancers in the United States. Oropharyngeal cancers, primarily the base of the tongue and tonsils, were the second most common after cervical cancer. Published in the April 20 edition of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the report, titled, ”Human Papillomavirus-Associated Cancers — United States, 2004–2008,” provides updated information from an analysis of data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. An average of 33,369 HPV-associated cancers were diagnosed annually (rate = 10.8 per 100,000 population), including 11,726 cases of oropharyngeal cancers. CDC estimates that about 7,400—63%—of the cases of oropharyngeal cancer each year were attributable to HPV infection. These cancers were found three times more frequently among men. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on April 24, 2012, an updated statistical count on the prevalence of HPV-associated cancers in the United States. Oropharyngeal cancers, primarily the base of the tongue and tonsils, were the second most common after cervical cancer. Published in the April 20 edition of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the report, titled, ”Human Papillomavirus-Associated Cancers — United States, 2004–2008,” provides updated information from an analysis of data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-25T06:40:59-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

The Band legend Levon Helm dies aged 71 after throat cancer fight

Source: Author: Music legend Levon Helm died in a New York hospital yesterday aged 71 after a long battle with throat cancer. Helm was drummer in The Band, who backed Bob Dylan when he “went electric” and made one of the most influential albums of the 60s, Music from Big Pink. He sang on many classic Band songs, including The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and The Weight. Martin Scorsese’s film of The Band’s 1976 farewell show, The Last Waltz, is rated by many as the greatest concert film of all time. Arkansas-born Helm had a successful solo career, winning two Grammys, after The Band split. He is survived by wife Sandy, daughter Amy and a grandchild.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-22T08:59:48-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Cold comfort in quest for cancer cure

Source: www.theage.com.au Author: Rachel Browne Can the common cold cure cancer? It's a tempting idea and one on the cutting edge of a new medical research field called oncolytic virotherapy. Common viruses have become the latest weapon against cancer with a small Australian biotechnology group one of the leaders in the field. The idea has been around for some time. The classical Greek physician Hippocrates is often credited with the saying, "Give me the power to create a fever, and I shall cure any disease." More than 2500 years later, scientists, including a team from the University of Newcastle, are proving that the theory has merit. Not only did the classical Greeks make the observation, but there have been some instances of cancer patients entering spontaneous remission after exposure to certain viruses in the past century. There is the case of the eight-year-old African boy diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma at a Ugandan health clinic. He was exposed to the measles virus and over the next few weeks his tumour regressed completely and he entered remission. An incident documented by the British medical journal <em>The Lancet</em> in 1971 described the example of a Hungarian chicken farmer who had advanced colorectal cancer. An outbreak of the avian virus Newcastle disease hit the farm, the man became infected and went into remission. But only relatively recently have scientists clinically examined the interaction between viruses and cancers in the growing area of oncolytic virotherapy. Associate Professor Darren Shafren of the University of Newcastle has [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-22T08:56:20-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Smartphone app could help diagnose oral cancer

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com Author: staff The newest tool for diagnosing oral cancer? It might be your smartphone. Researchers from Stanford University have developed a smartphone app and attachable scanner that its creators hope can improve early diagnoses of oral cancers in places where dental checkups aren't easily accessible. OScan is a pack-of-gum-sized device that attaches onto a smartphone camera, that includes a mouth positioner, two rows of light diodes and a circuit board. The tool can take a panoramic photo of the inside of someone's mouth. The image is detailed enough that a dental professional would be able to screen for oral lesions, the researchers said. The device is still being tested, but it has won two awards from the Vodaphone Americas Foundation this week. The creator, Manu Prakash, Ph.D., an assistant bioengineering professor at Stanford, said that he came up with the idea for the device when he was in India at a rural clinic, and saw photos of people with oral lesions -- but the lesions were so bad, many were inoperable. "Sometimes I see a problem and it just sticks in my head. This was one of those moments for me," Prakash said in a statement. "I just could not walk away from that chance meeting. I knew friends at high school who used to chew tobacco constantly. Nobody talked about the dire consequences." The Atlantic explained why this sort of screening tool has the potential to be valuable in countries such as India: "Like many forms of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-22T08:42:52-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

“Lab on a chip” technique may be able to detect oral cancer

Source: http://www.dental-tribune.com/ Author: Dental Tribune International staff Researchers from British University of Sheffield, and Rice University in Houston, Texas, are conducting a clinical trial on a revolutionary technique for diagnosing oral cancer more quickly and effectively. The “lab on a chip” device could be used by a dentist to determine whether a patient has oral cancer or other abnormalities in less than 20 minutes. Over the past 18 months, 275 patients have taken part in a trial of the device in order to detect oral cancer in suspicious lesions. The traditional procedure involves using a scalpel to perform a biopsy and off-site laboratory tests that can be time-consuming. The new procedure involves removing cells with a brush, placing them on a chip and inserting the chip into an analyser, which yields a result in a matter of minutes. This offers a number of benefits, including reduced waiting times and patient visits. Patients are currently being tested with the new device, which is being compared to the standard biopsy procedure to test its accuracy and reliability. Martin Thornhill, Professor of Oral Medicine at the University of Sheffield and Honorary Consultant in Oral Medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This new technology is an exciting development in the search for quicker and more effective diagnosis of oral cancer. The current procedure we have for making a diagnosis—taking a biopsy—can take a week or more to produce results and can involve extra visits from patients. With our new [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-18T20:14:30-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

When life hands you cancer, make cancer-ade: via lemonade stand, 6yo boy raises $10K for dad’s chemo

Source: Boingboing.net A story making the rounds this week: Drew Cox, a 6 year old boy in Texas, "decided to sell lemonade to help his father with medical bills." His dad, Randy Cox, has a rare form of metastatic cancer, diagnosed a few months ago. The family says Drew's lemonade stand earned more than $10,000. They have an online fundraising site here, where they're trying to raise more. I am currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, diagnosed about four months ago. When I saw various versions of this story popping up on news sites, several thoughts came to mind. First, hooray for this child. I hope his dad gets the treatment he needs, that the treatment is successful, and that the family doesn't go into debt or have to forego treatment for lack of funds. But second: this is a disgrace. I hate it when stories like this are flogged in media as "feel-good" stories. This story should make America feel ashamed, not feel good. Seriously? A working father gets cancer, and the family has to rely on charity, and a lemonade stand manned by their 6 year old son, to obtain life-sustaining medical treatment? It's not the first such lemonade/chemo-money story to make the rounds in the media, wrapped up in feel-good. When life hands you cancer, the news narrative seems to be, just make cancer-ade! Well, I have cancer. I have insurance. I still pay what is for me a huge out-of-pocket sum, even after my insurance, for [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-18T14:54:16-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Prognostic Significance of HPV Status in Oropharyngeal Cancer

OncologySTAT Editorial Team Dr. Maura Gillison is Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Otolaryngology at Ohio State University in Columbus. OncologySTAT: The results of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0129 trial showed that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an independent prognostic factor in oropharyngeal cancer. Could you tell us about the rationale for this study? Dr. Gillison: Over the last 10 years, our research has shown that cancers of the oropharynx are actually 2 completely different diseases that can look quite similar. One subset is caused HPV infection, and the other is more closely associated with long-term use of alcohol and tobacco. Initial studies suggested that the presence of HPV in a patient’s tumor had prognostic significance, but study limitations made that conclusion dubious. We set out to determine whether or not HPV was indeed an independent prognostic factor in head and neck cancer. To show whether there was a direct relationship between HPV infection and head and neck cancer, we needed to prospectively study a uniformly treated and uniformly staged patient population. Thus, we used the study population from the trial conducted by the RTOG. We divided the patients into 2 groups—those whose tumors were caused by HPV and those whose tumors were not—and we compared survival outcomes for the 2 groups. The results showed that HPV status was the single most important predictor of patient outcome, even more so than disease stage and other well-known prognostic factors such as performance status and presence of anemia. In fact, after [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-18T10:16:03-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|