Early detection, treatment helps conquer oral cancer

Source: www.newsbug.info Author: Bob Moulesong According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, almost 50,000 cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2018. The American Cancer Society reports that 10,000 people will die from the disease this year. Half of all people diagnosed with oral cancer will be alive in five years, according to both sources. While those are disquieting statistics, Region physicians say routine checkups and early diagnosis improve the odds. Oral cancer Oral cancer includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, saliva glands, and throat. “People we see usually come to us for a lesion or ulcer found in the mouth or throat,” says Dr. Akta Kakodkar, an ear, nose and throat specialist with Community Healthcare System. “Some of them experience no pain but notice a growth or patch of discolored tissue in their mouth, cheek or gum.” Kakodkar, who with her husband and fellow Community ENT physician, Dr. Kedar Kakodkar, treats oral cancer patients, is quick to point out that not every lesion, ulcer or mouth sore is cancer. “We see hundreds of nervous patients who have bacterial or fungal infections,” she says. “Treatment with antibiotics or antifungal medications clear up many of these lesions. There are also many white and red patches that clear up on their own.” The only way to know is a thorough examination. Types and risk factors “Most cases of oral cancer are linked to use of tobacco, alcohol and betel [...]

2019-01-04T20:02:56-07:00November, 2018|Oral Cancer News|
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A case for second opinions in cancer care

Source: healthblog.uofmhealth.org Author: Beth Uznis Johnson Jim Sitko expected minor surgery to remove a small lesion that his dentist discovered under his tongue during a routine checkup in July 2017. An oral surgeon near his home in Clarkston, Michigan, took several samples to biopsy, a procedure that left Sitko’s tongue badly damaged. Resulting pain left the patient barely able to swallow for more than a week. And the pathology report revealed devastating news: squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Treatment, Sitko was told, would include major surgery to remove a portion of his tongue and rebuild it with veins and tissue from other parts of his body. Rehabilitation would be extensive and might also require radiation therapy once the patient healed. Because he had received successful treatment for prostate cancer six years earlier at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Sitko opted to return and meet with surgeon Steven Chinn, M.D., MPH. Sitko’s mouth was still healing from his initial surgery, so Chinn relied on the outside pathology report to prep for the complicated surgery ahead. He ordered additional pathology testing by Rogel Cancer Center head and neck specialists — an essential step to confirm an advanced cancer diagnosis. Meanwhile, the thought of having tongue cancer overwhelmed Sitko. “The complications aside from taking care of the cancer were unbelievable,” the 70-year-old says. “I might have a breathing tube and feeding tube. I took a retreat to my condo in northern Michigan to review 25 pages of paperwork for two [...]

2018-10-19T14:09:13-07:00October, 2018|Oral Cancer News|
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More patients presenting with HPV-associated oral cancers in Lubbock, TX

Source: lubbockonline.com Author: Ellysa Harris Detecting oral cancers in patients in their 50s and 60s has never been uncommon. But local dentists and doctors say finding it in younger patient populations has become a new norm. Oral cancers driven by Human Papillomavirus are now the fastest growing oral and oropharyngeal cancers, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation website. And local health officials say they’ve seen a few more cases than usual. Dr. Joehassin Cordero, FACS, professor, chairman and program director ofTexas Tech’s Health Sciences Center Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, said less people are smoking and that has contributed to the decrease in the number of cases of oral cancers in the past two decades. “In that same period, we have seen an increase in the HPV oropharyngeal cancer,” he said. “And oropharyngeal cancer — what it means it’s affecting the base of your tongue and tonsils.” Dr. Brian Herring, a Lubbock dentist, chalks the increase up to increased awareness. “I’m assuming probably for years and years and years it has affected the mouth but we didn’t know that,” he said. “As we get better at cellular diagnostics and molecular diagnostics, things like that, we’re finding that there is a large portion of cancers that do have an HPV component.” What’s more alarming, said Dr. Ryan Higley, oral surgeon with West Texas Oral Facial Surgery, is it’s being diagnosed in younger people. Higley said oral cancers are generally diagnosed between the ages of 55 and 65, mostly in women. [...]

2017-05-28T11:56:52-07:00May, 2017|Oral Cancer News|
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Quick, low-cost blood test detects early signs of oral cancer

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid Staff Australian researchers have developed a quick, low-cost blood test to detect the early signs of oral cancer. The diagnostic test examines the profile of small molecules called microRNA in the blood and can be done at the same time as other routine checks, such as for cholesterol. At present, no routine screening tests for oral cancer are on the market. The researchers hope that a simple blood test could change that and, in doing so, help stem the global increase of various oral cancers. About 300,000 new cases of oral cancer were reported globally in 2012, according to the researchers. The main barriers to treatment remain late detection and low disease awareness. Warning symptoms include pain, swelling, a hoarse voice, and difficulty swallowing -- symptoms that are often dismissed or misdiagnosed as a common cold. The test, called miLIFE, was developed by researchers Nham Tran, PhD, and doctoral candidate Samantha Khoury from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) Centre for Health Technologies. The blood-based test can be administered by healthcare providers to screen microRNA to reveal the oral cancer's early warning signs. The turnaround time for the test is about 48 hours at present. The levels of five specific microRNA molecules are detected with miLIFE and compared with those of healthy, noncancerous individuals. An overabundance or expression of these specific microRNAs would designate people at high risk for oral cancer. These patients would then be referred to a specialist for further examination. "You don't need [...]

2014-08-02T11:12:24-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Study shows Vigilant Biosciences’ simple “rinse and spit” test effective in detecting oral cancer

Source: www.marketwatch.com Author: press release A new "rinse and spit" test for oral cancer is capable of early detection of tumors across "a racially and ethnically diverse population," according to results of a study conducted by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Coinciding with Oral Cancer Awareness month, results from the largest oral cancer marker study of its kind in the U.S. were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. and the American Head and Neck Society annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. The test, developed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and exclusively licensed to Vigilant Biosciences, Inc. (Vigilant), will be available as a low-cost, point-of-care "rinse and spit" screening test for the early detection of oral cancer. The study of 300 subjects, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, employed a case-control design ensuring cases (oral cancer patients) and controls (volunteers without cancer) were similar with respect to other important factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, age and race. The study was conducted by principal investigator Elizabeth Franzmann, M.D., Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a member of the University's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. "There is a tremendous need for a simple and painless test for early detection of oral cancer because the majority of patients present in late stage when cure rates reach only 40 percent," said Dr. Franzmann. "Since minority patients and those of low socioeconomic [...]

2013-04-11T08:14:23-07:00April, 2013|Oral Cancer News|
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Noninvasive oral cancer test eases patient fears

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: Donna Domino, Features Editor A new, noninvasive cytology test for oral cancer, ClearPrep OC, is being offered free to dentists. The test, aimed at "watch and wait" lesions, is less expensive than biopsies and less frightening for patients, according to Resolution Biomedical, the company that is commercializing it. The chairside oral cancer test -- which can be ordered directly from the company -- is designed to be a diagnostic option for assessing lesions when a biopsy is not warranted or the patient fears getting a biopsy, according to Donald Williams, MD, chief medical officer of Resolution Biomedical. The test involves a cyto-brush sampling method that measures gross changes in the nuclear DNA content of oral epithelial cells, providing information about the precancerous or cancerous state of a lesion, the company explained. The samples are sent to medical testing labs, and the report is sent to the dentist within four to five days, the same time frame as biopsies. Dentists send the samples to the company, which prepares the slides and sends them to labs, which prepare a diagnostic report for the dentists. "It's a way to triage patients where something may be suspicious but the patient is balking about getting a biopsy," Dr. Williams told DrBicuspid.com. "It could be leukoplakia lesions or thrush instead of an indication of a neoplasm. It rules out biopsies without an invasive process." When dentists refer patients to periodontists to get biopsies of suspicious lesions, many patients don't follow through on the [...]

2013-03-23T10:22:46-07:00March, 2013|Oral Cancer News|
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‘Dentist should have spotted my cancer’

Source: menmedia.co.uk Author: staff An NHS dentist who advised a patient to treat what turned out to be a life-threatening oral cancer with mouthwash is being sued for tens of thousands of pounds in damages. Paula Drabble, 58, went to Pinfold Dental Practice, in Hattersley, Hyde, in June 2008 with concerns about a white lesion on her gum. She was told by her dentist, Ian Hughes, it was nothing serious, a court heard. Mrs Drabble of Mottram Moor, Mottram, Hyde, had five further appointments with Mr Hughes and was advised to ‘manage’ her complaint with mouthwash. She was eventually referred to hospital in April 2009, and ‘seriously invasive cancer’ diagnosed. She had surgery, including removal of affected bone, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She has now made a good recovery and has begun a High Court fight for damages, claiming Mr Hughes was negligent to have not spotted the cancer and referred her to hospital earlier. Timothy Briden, for Mrs Drabble, told the court his client had developed the patch on her gum some years earlier. The lesion was found to be benign by medics at the University Dental Hospital in Manchester and she was discharged in 2004 with a letter being sent to Mr Hughes, warning him to ‘re-refer if you notice or indeed Mrs Drabble notices any changes’. Marcus Dignum, for Mr Hughes, denied that his client was at fault in failing to spot the cancer. He said: “Plainly the court will have every sympathy with Mrs Drabble [...]

2013-01-21T06:56:22-07:00January, 2013|Oral Cancer News|
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Chicago ENT head and neck surgeons using VELscope Vx to enhance oral cancer surgery success rate

Source: www.menafn.com Author: press release LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. subsidiary LEDDental announced today that its VELscope Vx enhanced oral assessmentdevice will now be used by Chicago Otolaryngology Associates for oralmucosal abnormality assessment and when performing surgery on oral cancer patients. According to Chicago Otolaryngology Associates' Howard Kotler, MD,FACS, "We pride ourselves on embracing state-of-the-art technologies that allow us to provide the best patient care possible. The VELscopeVx may significantly enhance our ability to see the entire cancerous or precancerous lesion that needs to be excised, allowing us to minimize risk of additional unnecessary surgery." The VELscope Vx's fluorescence visualization technology is the first approved by the FDA and Health Canada to help surgeons determine the surgical margins when excising cancerous and precancerous tissues. The technology is also approved to help dental and medical professionals discover cancerous and precancerous tissue that might not be apparent to the unaided eye. The vast majority of the nearly 12,000 VELscope devices in use around the world are used by dental practices. Typically, when a suspicious lesion is detected by a dentist, the patient is referred to an oral surgeon or a periodontist for a surgical biopsy, which is then evaluated by an oral pathologist. If the biopsy sample is determined to be cancerous or precancerous, the patient is usually referred to an ENT head and neck surgeon for consultation and likely excision. VELscope technology was developed to address the problem of detecting all abnormal tissue, including that beneath the surface, as well as making [...]

2013-01-10T09:25:49-07:00January, 2013|Oral Cancer News|
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Photodynamic therapy targets oral dysplasia, oral bacteria

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: Kathy Kincade, Editor in Chief Imagine being able to treat a suspicious lesion on a patient's tongue simply by applying a topical agent, waiting a few minutes, then exposing it to light from a handheld laser or light-emitting diode (LED) device. Imagine being able to treat bacterial and fungal infections in the oral cavity, even periodontal disease, using this same approach. That is the promise of photodynamic therapy (PDT), a minimally invasive technique that first came into medicine in the early 1900s and has been used to treat a plethora of medical conditions, including skin diseases, localized infections, age-related macular degeneration, and premalignant and malignant disorders. "PDT in the oral cavity would utilize a photosensitizing compound and a light source to activate the compound," explained Thomas Mang, PhD, research director in the Laser and Lightwave Research Center at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. "Traditionally, it has been used in head and neck lesions and oral lesions with a photosensitizer given intravenously. But in applications related to early oral lesions and those involving candida and oral species that may be involved with periodontal disease, we look to apply it topically." Distinct advantages Mang has been investigating PDT disinfection of oral biofilm and previously was involved with the development of PDT for treating cutaneous and other cancers while at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He sees a bright future for PDT in dentistry, providing more selectivity and flexibility when treating patients with early oral lesions and microbial [...]

2012-10-04T13:43:26-07:00October, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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To see or not to see

Source: http://www.rdhmag.com/ Author: JoAnn R. Gurenlian From the National Journal fro Dental Hygiene Professionals: Allow me to relay the experience of a patient who has been through trying times lately. The patient is a middle-age female who noticed a small, firm swelling in the right submandibular region. She had never experienced this type of problem before, but since she had an upcoming visit with her family physician, she thought she would mention it. Her family provider told her it appeared to be a swollen lymph node and recommended she schedule an appointment with her dentist in the event that she had an oral infection. Being conscientious about health issues, this patient did have an examination with her dentist. He advised her that it was a swollen lymph node, but that there were no apparent oral health infections. He reviewed causes of swollen lymph nodes and felt that since she was asymptomatic; the node simply represented residual effects from a cold or allergy condition. Over the course of the next year, this patient presented on several occasions to both her family physician and dentist with concerns that the lymph node was getting larger. Both health care providers told her to “forget about it,” or “it was nothing.” She felt uncertain about both individuals at this point, but since they seemed to be in agreement that her condition “was nothing,” she heeded their advice. After several more months and with ever growing concern, the patient presented to her dentist again for further [...]

2012-02-19T11:00:56-07:00February, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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