genital warts – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

Use and Acceptance of HPV Vaccine Still a Work in Progress

Source: National Cancer Institute A bellwether moment in the history of cancer prevention came in 2006 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. The vaccine, Gardasil, protects against the two primary cancer-causing, or oncogenic, types of the human papillomavirus (HPV)—HPV-16 and HPV-18. These types are responsible for more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases worldwide. In 2009, the FDA approved a second HPV vaccine, Cervarix, which also targets HPV-16 and HPV-18. Gardasil and Cervarix, vaccines that protect against the two primary cancer-causing types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), entail a three-shot regimen, with each dose delivered several months apart. But what has transpired since these two vaccines received regulatory blessing in the United States has reaffirmed something that cancer and public health researchers have appreciated for some time: The translation of basic research to the clinic doesn’t end with FDA approval of a new drug or treatment. In many respects, FDA approval is just a beginning. In March 2007, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) gave its strongest recommendation for HPV vaccination for females ages 9 to 26, which is the FDA-approved indication for Gardasil. Cervarix is approved for females ages 10 to 25. Both vaccines entail a three-shot regimen, with the doses delivered several months apart. According to the most recent data, only 44 percent of adolescent girls 13 to 17 years of age have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Completion rates for the three-shot [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-11-30T10:47:00-07:00November, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Implications of the Oropharyngeal Cancer Epidemic

Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology Chaturvedi et al,1 analyzing specimens back to 1984, validate the long-held hypothesis that infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) has increased oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) incidence in the US. They find the incidence of OPSCC in men—who have higher risks of both HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCC than women—similar to that of cervical cancer in women. From 1988 to 2004, incidence of HPV-negative OPSCC decreased in parallel with smoking whereas incidence of HPV-positive OPSCC increased at about 7.5% per year, so the percentage of OPSCC that was HPV-positive went from less than 20% to more than 70%. HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCC are etiologically and clinically distinct,2,3 with HPV-positive disease having better outcome.4–6 In the current study,1 the hazard ratio of 0.3 for HPV-positive/HPV-negative in survival analysis essentially balances the difference in prevalence so each form of OPSCC now accounts for a similar number of deaths. Notably, the authors found that outcomes for HPV-positive OPSCC have improved over time, whereas outcomes for HPV-negative OPSCC are as dismal as they were 25 years ago. The authors argue convincingly that vaccination to prevent oral HPV infections should be evaluated and that better treatments for both types of OPSCC should be developed. We are unlikely to get a better picture of the recent history of OPSCC in the United States. This study used all available OPSCC specimens from the three Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries that participate in the Residual Tissue Repositories Program, analyzed them in several ways, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-11-09T15:24:59-07:00November, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Vaccine Recommended for Boys aged 11 to 12 Years

Source: HemOncToday.com The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices today approved routine recommendation in favor of administering the quadrivalent HPV vaccine for boys aged 11 to 12 years. Committee members decided that the vaccine (Gardasil, Merck) was safe, efficacious and cost-effective enough to warrant routine usage in this population. The recommendation issued in 2009 was permissive, meaning providers could give the vaccine to boys, but it was not routinely administered. This change would put the HPV vaccine into the regular vaccination schedule. The three-vaccination series can start as early as age 9 years. "The committee recommended that routine vaccination of males aged 11 or 12 years with three doses of quadrivalent vaccine be given to prevent HPV infection and HPV-related disease," Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a phone call with reporters. "Boys and young men 13 to 21 years of age who have not already received the vaccine should be vaccinated." Anne Schuchat, MD Insurance companies typically cover HPV vaccine in boys, but that is not necessarily the case for a permissive recommendation, according to Schuchat, who said a routine recommendation for a vaccine usually translates into coverage without co-pays. The committee voted 8-5 with one abstention in favor of recommending vaccination for young men up to age 21 years with permissive recommendation for men aged 22 to 26 years. The committee considered recommending vaccination up to age 26 years, which would have harmonized recommendations for men and women, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-26T10:31:59-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Vaccine and Premarital-Sex Controversy

Source: The News Tribune Some perspective is needed on the controversy over the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that arose after a recent Republican presidential debate. The best way to do that is to take sex out of the equation. Instead of preventing a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer in women and oral cancer in men, let’s say the HPV vaccine guarded against a fictional virus that caused breast cancer and prostate cancer. Wouldn’t most parents jump at the chance to decrease the chances of their children contracting those potentially deadly cancers? Only the most hard-core anti-vaccine holdout would say no. Which gets us back to the sex part of the HPV equation and why some otherwise rational people don’t think children should be inoculated against it. They oppose the HPV vaccine – Cervarix or Gardasil – because they fear that removing one of the consequences of premarital sex would encourage it. It’s a weak argument. The fear of STDs and pregnancy hasn’t put much of a damper on teens having sex, so it’s hard to see why the chance of developing cancer several years down the road would slow them down. They also know that smoking can cause lung cancer, but many still do it. Sometimes parents have to do things to protect kids from themselves – and teens from their hormones. Most young people will not wait until marriage to have sexual relations; parents who think not getting their children vaccinated against HPV will deter [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-09-27T10:32:53-07:00September, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Can HPV Vaccine Prevent Oral Cancer?

Source: WebMD.com June 23, 2011 -- Can HPV vaccines stop the explosive rise of HPV-related head and neck cancer? HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines protect against the sexually transmitted strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer. The same HPV strains -- spread by kissing and by oral sex -- cause oropharyngeal (OP) cancer, the form of head and neck cancer that affects the back and sides of the throat, the base of the tongue, and the tonsils. There's strong evidence that HPV vaccines prevent cervical cancer. There's no direct proof that these vaccines prevent throat cancer, but the rapid rise in cases among young people has some experts wanting to vaccinate first and get proof later. "We don't need to wait until all these molecular events are understood," Dong Moon Shin, MD, of Emory University's Winship Cancer Center, tells WebMD. "The time is now. For the HPV vaccine, cost is the only issue as side effects are minimal. Routine HPV vaccination has to be implemented very soon, for both boys and girls." In the U.S., that recommendation is made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The ACIP now recommends routine HPV vaccination only for girls and young women in order to prevent cervical cancer. It permits vaccination of boys who want protection against HPV-caused genital warts. For two years, the ACIP has been mulling whether to recommend the HPV vaccine for boys. This would help prevent cervical cancer in unvaccinated women. It also would prevent HPV-related anal cancer and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-24T08:50:47-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV related oral cancers continue to increase in the US

Source: International Medicine News CHICAGO – Human papillomavirus infection was firmly linked to the recent rise in oropharyngeal cancers in the United States, based on data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. If current trends continue, the incidence of HPV-related oral cancers will soon surpass that of cervical cancers, senior author Dr. Maura Gillison reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers increased 225% – from 0.8 per 100,000 to 2.8 per 100,000 – between 1988 and 2004, the researchers found. At the same time, the incidence rate for HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancers, which are strongly related to tobacco and alcohol use, declined by 50% – from 2.0 per 100,000 to 1.0 per 100,000. Consequently, the overall incidence of oropharyngeal cancers increased 28%. Even by the conservative estimate that 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in 2020 will be HPV positive, the annual number of HPV-positive oral squamous cell carcinomas (8,653 cases) is expected to surpass cervical cancers (7,726 cases). Further, the majority will occur among men (7,426 cases), said Dr. Gillison, a medical oncologist and the Jeg Coughlin Chair in Cancer Research at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus. Changes in sexual behavior among recent birth cohorts and increased oral HPV exposure probably influenced the increases in incidence and prevalence, Dr. Gillison speculated. Having a high lifetime number of sexual partners is a known risk factor for HPV infection. Although the rise in oral cancers [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-06T10:23:24-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer…what does sex have to do with it?

Source: DentistryIQ.com The answer is … plenty! This issue will focus on oral cancer awareness. While there are many topics we can delve into regarding this dreadful disease, we will focus on a few topics. We will share two personal and very poignant stories. Kim Anzalotti, Bill Wislon, and Eva Grayzel impart information that will move you and make you think about your daily in-office procedures. JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, PhD, will share insights on the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus, and its relationship to oral cancer. And last, but certainly not least, Jamie O'Day, Treatment Facilities Coordinator, The Oral Cancer Foundation Inc., The Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund, will share her insight on oral cancer screening and the need for a thorough examination. One personal story is shared by Eva Grazel, an international motivational speaker, author, performer, and cancer survivor. I had the pleasure of meeting Eva a number of years ago. In 1998 at age 33, Eva, a non-smoker, saw a number of dentists and physicians for over two years for an “ulcer” on her tongue that became larger and more painful, without any resolution. She was finally diagnosed with advanced oral cancer, Stage IV squamous cell carcinoma, on the lateral border of her tongue. After the many missed opportunities for diagnosis, Eva was given a 15% chance of survival. While her late stage diagnosis is not uncommon, her recovery was unique, as she beat the odds. After diagnosis, Eva underwent a partial tongue reconstruction, a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-05T10:04:44-07:00May, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

HPV is now the leading cause of oral cancer in the US: learn the facts.

Source: New York Daily News HPV, otherwise known as the human papillomavirus, is a leading cause of cervical cancer for women but the nasty virus is now causing a spike in oral cancer and ravaging an entirely different group: men. Cases of oral cancer resulting from exposure to the HPV-16 strain of the virus are hitting epidemic proportions in the U.S., doctors say. Though the mention of oral cancer evokes images of gravely-voiced chain-smokers, the disease now has a new face: mostly white, male, non-smokers in their late 30s and early 40s. The tumors forming on the back of their tongues and tonsils have nothing to do with nicotine – they are directly linked to engaging in oral sex with multiple female partners. "If you've had more than five or six sexual partners, you are at a higher risk," Dr. Eric M. Genden, professor and chair of head and neck surgery at Mount Sinai Medical center told the Daily News. "We're only now beginning to see the beginning of a bell curve." Women can get it from men as well although their chances are lower, according to doctors. The human papillomavirus (HPV), a nasty bug with strains that causes genital warts and cervical cancer in women, is now the top cause of oral cancer in men, beating out smoking and drinking, according to reports from the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Oncology as well as other research and treating institutions. The number of smokers in the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-21T13:52:00-07:00April, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

HPV link comes as a shock to male cancer patients

By ANIKA CLARK Stanley Sikora of Fall River and Tom Souza of Swansea clearly remember when they started their battles with cancer — life-changing moments while raking leaves or shaving, when they touched their necks and felt a lump. It's a common experience thanks to a disease that, between the suffering of friends, families and ourselves, has become nearly universal. But then came news neither expected. Tumors from both men tested positive for human papillomavirus, an often sexually transmitted virus that is increasingly being linked to cancers of the head and neck. At Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Head and Neck Cancers, "it's something that we see practically on a daily basis," said Dr. Lori Wirth, medical director for head and neck oncology, who said in an email that, although there are not-fully-understood co-factors, there's strong data that about 60-65 percent of all cancers of the oropharynx (the rear of the mouth, including the back of the throat, tonsils and the base of the tongue) are HPV-related. "Our awareness that HPV is associated with oropharynx cancers is something that has been emerging over the last 5-10 years," she said. "Ten years ago, we didn't even look for (it)." Upon learning of his HPV diagnosis, "I honestly felt creepy about myself," said Sikora, 59, albeit somewhat reassured when he found out how easily it's transmitted. "Already I was shocked that I got cancer. Now it's from HPV," he said. "So I'm thinking 'I can't be going around telling people I got [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-04T14:41:03-07:00April, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV prevalence in men

Source: The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9769, Pages 881 - 883, 12 March 2011 Authors: Anna Giuliano et al. In The Lancet, Anna Giuliano and colleagues1 present a prospective study (HPV in Men [HIM]) of the incidence and clearance of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in men. They also report on male sexual behavior, which determines HPV incidence and clearance. The epidemiology of HPV infections in men is not well understood and thus the results are of substantial interest. The results bring to light important new information, and draw attention to differences between the natural histories of male and female HPV infections, and the need for further studies to better define HPV transmission, progression to disease, and epithelial sites in men. Because HPV infection in men greatly affects disease risk in women,2 transmission and protection are important topics. However, circumcision and condom use have not been clearly shown to fully protect against either HPV acquisition or clearance in male genital sites,3, 4 which questions their value in preventing infection in men and transmission to female partners. Understanding male HPV infection is important to minimize anxiety and the health-care costs associated with genital warts, penile cancer treatment, and morbidity in men, in addition to addressing the acknowledged public health concern created by HPV infection in women. The HIM data on HPV incidence and clearance should be exploited to elaborate prevention guidance, and to minimize transmission and to aid management and associated concerns for couples. Because most HPV infections in men are asymptomatic, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-03-12T11:50:39-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|