April 2015 – Oral Cancer News

Three things you might not know about HPV

Source: www.huffingtonpost.ca Author: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre April 26 to May 2 is National Immunization Awareness week in Canada. One immunization known for raising a lot of questions is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, provided free of charge in Ontario to girls in grades 8-12, and following provincial schedules across the country. While there is lots of information online, at school and at the doctor's office about HPV, there is still a lot of confusion about what it may mean for your loved ones. Dr. Nancy Durand, gynecologist at Sunnybrook, explains three little-known facts about HPV. 1) HPV causes cancer in men, too When Michael Douglas candidly revealed his oral cancer was caused by HPV, many people expressed surprise. Even though HPV has traditionally been thought of as a disease that affects women and mainly causes cervical cancer, men are actually at higher risk of being diagnosed with certain types of HPV-positive cancers than women. "It's not well understood why men are at higher risk for HPV-positive oral cancer, but it does point out that vaccination in men is even more important than we may have previously thought," says Dr. Durand. Physicians are learning more and more that HPV can also cause other cancers in both women and men, such as anal cancers and head & neck cancers (cancers of the base of the tongue, tonsils and soft palate). 2) Not all HPV infections lead to cancer You've probably read some of the (slightly scary) statistics about HPV: Three in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-04-29T13:19:58-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

U-M scientists observe deadly dance between nerves and cancer cells

Source: ns.umich.edu Author: Laura Bailey In certain types of cancer, nerves and cancer cells enter an often lethal and intricate waltz where cancer cells and nerves move toward one another and eventually engage in such a way that the cancer cells enter the nerves. The fluorescence image shows the interaction between the nerve (red) and cancer (green). Image credit: Nisha D’Silva The findings, appearing in Nature Communications, challenge conventional wisdom about perineural invasion, which holds that cancer cells are marauders that invade nerves through the path of least resistance, said Nisha D'Silva, principal investigator and professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. D'Silva's lab discovered that perineural invasion is actually a much more intricately choreographed biochemical give-and-take between the nerves and the cancer cells. "Once head and neck cancer invades the nerves, it is one of the worst things that can happen," said D'Silva, who also has a joint appointment at the U-M Medical School Department of Pathology and is a member of the U-M Cancer Center's Head and Neck Oncology program. "It is highly correlated with poor patient survival, and there is no targeted treatment for it because it is not known why some tumors do this and some don't." Perineural invasion is seen most in head and neck, pancreatic, stomach and colon cancers, and causes severe pain or numbness, tumor spread and recurrence, and loss of function, among other complications. D'Silva's lab found that perineural invasion begins when the nerve releases a stimulus that triggers a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-04-29T13:13:53-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Double the N.I.H. Budget

Source: NYTimes.comAuthor: Newt Gingrich MCLEAN, Va. — NO one who lived through the 1990s would have suspected that one day people would look back on the period as a golden age of bipartisan cooperation. But in some important ways, it was. Amid the policy fights that followed the Republican victories of 1994, President Bill Clinton and the new majorities in Congress reached one particularly good deal: doubling the budget for the National Institutes of Health. The decision was bipartisan, because health is both a moral and financial issue. Government spends more on health care than any other area. Taxpayers spend more than $1 trillion a year for Medicare and Medicaid alone, and even more when you add in programs like Veterans Affairs, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Indian Health Service. Unfortunately, since the end of the five-year effort that roughly doubled the N.I.H. budget by 2003, funding for the institutes has been flat. The N.I.H. budget (about $30 billion last year) has effectively been reduced by more than 20 percent since then. As 92 percent of the N.I.H. budget goes directly to research, one result is that the institutes awarded 12.5 percent fewer grants last year than in 2003. Grant applications, over the same period, increased by almost 50 percent. Even as we’ve let financing for basic scientific and medical research stagnate, government spending on health care has grown significantly. That should trouble every fiscal conservative. As a conservative myself, I’m often skeptical of government “investments.” But when it comes [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-04-22T10:25:13-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

LED Dental Joins With the Oral Cancer Foundation to promote oral cancer early detection initiative

Source: www.marketwatch.com Author: press release LED Dental Inc. has announced that the company will be serving as a strategic partner in the Oral Cancer Foundation's "Be Part of the Change"(TM) program, seeking to promote the importance of routine comprehensive oral screenings and early detection in the fight against oral cancer. The Oral Cancer Foundation initiated the "Be Part of the Change"(TM) campaign to help promote a shift in paradigm with regard to the screening for oral cancer, creating a movement toward earlier detection of oral disease. While regular oral screenings are a key tool in the early detection of oral cancer and pre-cancerous lesions, many patients are not receiving routine oral examinations that could potentially locate a serious oral health concern. The Oral Cancer Foundation is working to change the mindset of the oral healthcare industry, making improved oral screening protocols a priority in every dental practice. "The best defense any patient has against oral disease and oral cancer is early detection, which is where dental practitioners can effect change," said Brian Hill, founder and executive director of the Oral Cancer Foundation. "When oral cancer is located in earlier stages, there is higher probability for reduced treatment related morbidity and improved patient outcomes. Our goal is to get healthcare professionals to commit to performing routine comprehensive oral examinations on every patient, especially during hygiene visits and recall appointments." As the manufacturer of the market-leading VELscope® Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment, LED Dental has joined the Oral Cancer Foundation's cause, providing a free [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-05-18T22:22:16-07:00April, 2015|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Broccoli may prevent oral cancer as clinical tests set to start on humans

Source: www.mirror.co.uk Author: staff The much-maligned green vegetable deserves more respect as lab tests show extracts of sulforaphane reduced tumours in mice. Broccoli could soon protect people from cancer of the mouth, throat, neck and head in a new treatment known as “green chemoprevention.” Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and garden cress have a high concentration of sulforaphane. Previous studies, including large-scale trials in China, have shown sulforaphane helps mitigate the effects of environmental carcinogens. Now lab tests have shown extracts made from broccoli sprout protected mice against oral cancer. American scientists now plan to carry out clinical trial on patients at high risk of a recurrence of head and neck cancer. They will be given capsules containing broccoli seed powder to determine if they can tolerate the regimen and whether it has enough of an impact on their oral lining to prevent cancer. Associate professor Dr Julie Bauman of the University of Pittsburgh said: “People who are cured of head and neck cancer are still at very high risk for a second cancer in their mouth or throat, and, unfortunately, these second cancers are commonly fatal. “So we’re developing a safe, natural molecule found in cruciferous vegetables to protect the oral lining where these cancers form.” The study involved testing sulforaphane in the laboratory when over several months mice predisposed to oral cancer were given the extract and found that it significantly reduced the incidence and number of tumours. Professor of medicine Dr Daniel Johnson at Pitt’s School [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-04-20T06:51:10-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Shots for Boys Might Cut Cancer Costs

Source: MedPageToday.comAuthor: Charles Bankhead - Canadian study suggests vaccination would save money by preventing oropharyngeal cancer. Widespread vaccination of boys against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection proved to be a cost-saving approach to prevent subsequent head and neck cancer, according to data based on the Canadian health system. A 70% immunization rate and 99% efficacy with the quadrivalent vaccine Gardasil might reduce costs by as much as $28 million ($22.2 million U.S.). Reducing uptake and efficacy to 50% still might save $8 million ($6.35 million U.S.), Lillian L. Siu, MD, of Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto, and co-authors reported online in Cancer. "According to the findings of this preliminary analysis, HPV vaccination for boys aged 12 years may be a cost-effective strategy in relation to the prevention of oropharyngeal cancer alone, strengthening the cost-effectiveness of a male vaccination program," the authors concluded. "The argument for funding male HPV vaccination in North America is becoming more compelling given the benefits of reductions in genital warts and anal cancer and the potential benefits for the female population because of increased herd immunity. "Prospective data collection for male HPV vaccination and oropharyngeal cancer may validate these findings in the future." The data are consistent with other studies showing cancer benefits for HPV immunization, although the Canadians are the first to suggest that vaccination saves money, U.S. sources told MedPage Today. Background Initial clinical studies of HPV vaccination and national vaccination programs targeted girls and young women. Only recently has the focus expanded to include immunization of adolescent boys. [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-04-14T10:42:30-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Legal loopholes allow big tobacco companies to target young children with new products

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.comAuthor: Sen. Mark Leno & Tony Thurmond With smoking now widely known as the nation's No. 1 preventable killer, Big Tobacco is targeting our kids with new products that give an illusion of more safety but carry the age-old motive to hook kids on tobacco at a young age. Preventing children from picking up nicotine addiction is the best way to keep them free of tobacco-related disease for life. That's why we've each introduced bills that seek to curb youth usage of smokeless (chewing) tobacco and e-cigarettes. Last year, many were shocked when Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who played for the San Diego Padres, died from cancer of the salivary glands that was related to decades of smokeless tobacco usage. Former World Series hero Curt Schilling, who helped propel the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox to championships, has blamed his bout with mouth cancer on chewing tobacco. Use of chewing tobacco by professional athletes sends the wrong message to our kids, but nonetheless a powerful one. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have found that the use of smokeless tobacco by players has a powerful "role model effect" on youths, particularly young males. It's no wonder then that while overall rates of smoking have declined thanks to several decades of intense educational programs, smokeless tobacco rates have remained stubbornly high among youth. One in every 6 high school boys report regular usage. Assembly Bill 768 bans smokeless tobacco at all ballparks in California with organized baseball, [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-04-13T12:22:32-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Breath test for detecting head and neck cancer

Source: http://medicalxpress.com/ Author: provided by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne A portable device can detect the presence of certain types of cancer in people's breath. Tested on patients, the new device was developed in part by EPFL researchers as part of an international collaboration. Inhale, then exhale. This simple act could now save lives. A technology developed in part at EPFL can quickly identify the presence of a head and neck cancer, such as of the throat or mouth by analysing people's breath. The new device, equipped with extremely sensitive sensors, has been tested on patients and operates with a computer or even a mobile phone. It's an innovative tool for the early diagnosis of tumours. Very few routine exams exist to detect cancer. Yet this disease is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Most tumours are found relatively late, which makes recovery less likely. Cancer "signals" its presence in human breath At SAMLAB in Neuchâtel, under the direction of Nico de Rooij, a team of researchers including Frédéric Loizeau, a doctoral student at the time, developed very precise micro-sensors able to distinguish the breath of a healthy patient from that of a sick one. The scientists' starting point was the observation that human breath contains not only air, but also hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) whose presence and concentration vary depending on the patients' state of health. The metabolism of cancerous cells is different from that of healthy cells, and the two types of cells produce different [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-04-12T07:41:10-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Nova Scotia to include boys in HPV vaccination schedule

Source: www.theglobeandmail.com Author: Kelly Grant, Health Reporter Boys in Nova Scotia will begin receiving free vaccinations against the human papillomavirus next fall, a move that makes the Maritime province only the third in Canada to extend public funding of the cancer-thwarting shot to all children, regardless of gender. In the budget unveiled on Thursday, Nova Scotia’s Liberal government announced it would make the HPV vaccine available to Grade 7 boys as part of the regular school-based immunization program. The expansion is expected to cost $492,000 a year. Every province in Canada already covers the HPV vaccine for girls in an effort to prevent genital warts and cervical cancer, both of which can be caused by some strains of the virus, which is transmitted through sex and skin-to-skin contact. But in recent years, oncologists and major health organizations – including the Canadian Cancer Society and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization – have begun calling for HPV vaccinations for boys, too. Until this week, only Prince Edward Island and Alberta had heeded that call with a publicly funded program. HPV can lead to cancers of the penis, anus, oral cavity and throat in men, as well as genital and anal warts. “We have a vaccine. It can prevent cancers in men and women, so we want Canadians to be vaccinated against it, because we can actually prevent cancers from starting in the first place,” said Robert Nuttall, the assistant director of cancer control policy at the Canadian Cancer Society. Nova Scotia’s [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-04-12T07:33:38-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

FDA Advisory Committee hesitates to endorse message of safe smokeless tobacco

Source: www.medpagetoday.com Author: Shannon Firth An FDA advisory panel were reluctant to recommend a gentler warning label for one brand of smokeless tobacco products at a committee hearing on Friday. Swedish Match North America (SMNA), the first company to be considered for a modified risk tobacco designation by the FDA, is asking to replace a current label warning, "This product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes," with this: "Warning: No tobacco product is safe, but this product presents substantially lower risks to health than cigarettes." It also wants to drop warnings required for other smokeless tobacco products about oral cancers, tooth loss, and gum disease. In a key vote, the eight-member FDA's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee split 4-4 on whether the claim that snus offer a "substantially lower risk" claim relative to cigarettes is justified. Many members said the health risks were lower for certain tobacco-related illnesses, but not for all health concerns. Those who disputed the claim argued that it could not be taken as a "global statement" -- as there are known risks to pregnant women and uncertain risks for adolescents. As for the proposed label change, the whole committee agreed that the sponsor's statements would not suffice. Gary Giovino, PhD, chair of the department of Community Health and Health Behavior at the State University of New York at Buffalo, felt the statement was "dismissive of the health risks." The word "but" in any sentence seems to negate the first half, he said. Snus is a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-04-12T07:26:40-07:00April, 2015|Oral Cancer News|