lung cancer – Page 4 – Oral Cancer News

Dead man will be remembered for spreading oral cancer

Source: The Gawker/ WSJ Author: Steven Miller Louis Bantle, the former marketing director and chairman of U.S. Tobacco, died earlier this month at the age of 81 from emphysema and lung cancer. Bantle was most famous for convincing millions of teenagers to dip. The WSJ chroniclesBantle's work from the 1960s through the 1990s, during which time he helped turn snuff into a billion-dollar business and tripled its use among 18-24 year-olds. "We must sell the use of tobacco in the mouth and appeal to young people," he said, according to the minutes of a marketing meeting in 1968. "We hope to start a fad." "If you go to high school in Texas and you don't have a can of snuff in your pocket, you're out," Mr. Bantle told Forbes in 1980. Your legacy will live on, Mr. Bantle. Original Article from the WSJ: Louis Bantle made dipping snuff into a national pastime. Mr. Bantle, who died Oct. 10 at age 81 after a long struggle with lung cancer and emphysema, was chairman of United States Tobacco Co. for two decades beginning in 1973, a period that saw an explosion in snuff's popularity, particularly among younger users. In the 1970s, sales of the company's Skoal and Copenhagen tobaccos were relatively small and concentrated in the upper Midwest, where Scandinavian woodcutters had spread the smokeless habit in the 19th century. Mr. Bantle ramped up advertising featuring football and rodeo star Walt Garrison and other rugged athletes. He introduced a series of "starter" [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-20T08:39:52-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

How secondhand cigarette smoke changes your genes

Source: Time Magazine Author: Alice Park As if the growing number of smoking bans in restaurants, airplanes and other public places isn't sending a strong enough message, researchers now have the first biological data confirming the health hazards of secondhand smoke. Scientists led by Dr. Ronald Crystal at Weill Cornell Medical College documented changes in genetic activity among nonsmokers triggered by exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke. Public-health bans on smoking have been fueled by strong population-based data that links exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke and a higher incidence of lung diseases such as emphysema and even lung cancer, but do not establish a biological cause for the correlation. Now, for the first time, researchers can point to one possible cause: the passive recipient's genes are actually being affected. Crystal's team devised a study in which 121 volunteers — some of whom smoked and some of whom had never smoked — agreed to have samples of their airway cells studied for genetic activity. The subjects also provided urine so the researchers could measure the amount of nicotine and its metabolites, like cotinine, for an objective record of their exposure to cigarette smoke. Airway cells that line the bronchus, from the trachea all the way to the tiny alveoli deep in the lungs, are the first cells that confront cigarette smoke, whether it is inhaled directly from a cigarette or secondhand from the environment. Crystal's group hypothesized that any deterioration in lung function associated with cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-08-29T07:36:37-07:00August, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco ‘mints’ tied to kids’ poisoning

Source: msnbc.com Author: JoNel Aleccia Smokeless, flavored tobacco products that look like candy and come in packages shaped like cell phones may be contributing to accidental poisonings in very young children, new research suggests. Nicotine-laced pellets, strips and sticks that dissolve completely in the user’s mouth — dubbed “tobacco candy” by critics — have joined chewing tobacco and snuff to become the second-most common cause of unintentional tobacco ingestion in kids younger than 6. Between 2006 and 2008, nearly 1,800 U.S. youngsters — almost 600 a year —accidentally consumed smokeless tobacco products, according to an analysis of 13,705 tobacco-related reports to the nation’s poison control centers. That’s a fraction of the nearly 3,600 poisonings a year that involved cigarettes and filter tips, but it worries authors of the new study published in the journal Pediatrics. "Novel smokeless tobacco products, including dissolvable, compressed tobacco products ... are now of major concern, with their discreet form, candy-like appearance and added flavorings that may be attractive to children," the authors write. Potential poisonings add to the growing list of worries from those who fear that tobacco makers thwarted by anti-smoking laws are trying to peddle their addictive products to a new generation of users. Tasty flavors and packaging that resembles Tic Tac mints could be a powerful draw to young users, critics say. “Our response has been one of dismay,” said Cathryn Cushing, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Tobacco Prevention & Education Program. Oregon is one of three states, along with Ohio and [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-19T11:31:12-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Scientists decode entire genetic code of cancer

Source: www.popsci.com Author: Jeremy Hsu And cigarette smokers get a free mutation in every pack In a major step toward understanding cancer, one of the biggest problems bedeviling modern medicine, scientists have now cracked the genetic code for two of the most common cancers. This marks just the beginning of an international effort to catalog all the genes that go wrong among the many types of human cancer, the BBC reports. Cracking the Cancer Code A cluster of breast cancer cells, with blue ones marking actively growing cells and yellow marking dying cells. Could scientists crack their code next? Too much time spent under the sun apparently leads to most of the 30,000 mutations contained within the DNA code for melanoma, or skin cancer. Outside experts told the BBC that no previous study has managed to link specific mutations to their causes. Wellcome Trust scientists also found more than 23,000 errors in the lung cancer DNA code, with most caused by cigarette smoke exposure. A typical smoker might get one new mutation, possibly harmless but also possibly a cancer trigger, for every 15 cigarettes that they smoke. The new cancer maps could lead to better blood tests for diagnosing the respective cancers, as well as better targeted drugs. Blood tests might even reveal the DNA patterns that suggest cancer lies on the horizon. The International Cancer Genome Consortium still expects to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in cracking the code of the many human cancers. The U.S. has the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-17T19:52:17-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Smokers take their last legal puffs in Virginia restaurants

Source: Washington Post Author: Sandhya Somashekhar It was a gentlemen's protest: Scores of cigar-smokers filed into an upscale steakhouse in Reston on Monday night to light up their stogies over cocktails and beef Wellington and lament that the smoking police had finally come to, of all places, Virginia. Four hundred years after John Rolfe planted the nation's first commercial tobacco in Virginia, and decades after state leaders paid homage to the crop by carving its leaves into the ceiling of the old state Senate chamber, smoking officially becomes illegal Tuesday in the state's 17,500 bars and restaurants. Although the suit-and-tie crowd at Morton's exuded a sort of "Mad Men" cool, it wasn't entirely hard to see why some might have been glad this day has finally come. A fragrant, heavy haze rose as 150 regulars worked their way through the four cigars included with a meal organized as a last hurrah for Virginia smokers. "I've always said, if there's a state that would never pass a smoking ban, it's Virginia," said Manassas resident Ed Bennett, leaning on the polished wooden bar with a cocktail cigar in his right hand. "I lost a lot of bets on that one." Morton's wasn't the only restaurant marking the occasion with a bit of celebratory nostalgia. At Jimmy's Old Town Tavern in Herndon, a Camel rep handed out free cigarettes, and customers were treated to an airing of an old Winston TV ad featuring Fred and Barney from "The Flintstones." Owner Jimmy Cirrito sold [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-12-01T16:52:14-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Today’s smokeless tobacco is just as addictive and marketed to the young

Source: www.timesleader.com Author: Geri Anne Kaikowski It’s a misconception that just because you don’t smoke nicotine, it is less addictive and less dangerous than a cigarette. That’s the fallacy and danger behind a marketing ploy for a new take on a centuries old product, snuff. Whereas the old snuff, popular in the 1970s and 1980s in round paper containers or bags under the name Copenhagen or Skoal, was chewed and spit out, today’s snuff comes in fancy containers with equally avant-garde aromas and names. And unlike its predecessor, this snuff isn’t pinched into one’s gums or chewed, it’s inhaled through the nostrils. And it isn’t being used just by baseball players or teenage boys emulating their sports idols. Snuff is being marketed to tweens, teens and college students, both female and male, as hip, cool and healthy. It’s available for a nominal cost with a simple click online. Yet, it’s anything but harmless, according to an area ear, nose and throat specialist, who is concerned that in any form, nicotine is extremely addictive. And what makes snuff so dangerous is that it doesn’t fall under any federal regulations, according to a local tobacco expert. Many feel it’s the burning and inhaling of tobacco that exposes users to most carcinogens. Some specialists feel that, for health reasons, if you are going to use tobacco, you are better off using nasal snuff. But nasal snuff contains nicotine and is highly addictive, says Dr. Zephron Newmark, an ENT specialist with Geisinger [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-10-13T03:44:09-07:00October, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Some question benefit of costly treatments

Source: Indystar.com Author: John Russell Cancer doctors say thousands of dollars may buy little time When a cancer patient is facing a steep, painful decline, the high cost of drugs may seem worth every penny. But some cancer specialists are starting to wonder about the cost-effectiveness of some treatments and are raising pointed questions about Eli Lilly and Co.'s newest cancer drug, Erbitux. Treating a lung-cancer patient with Erbitux costs $80,000 for an 11-week regimen, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Yet such treatment prolongs survival by 1.2 months, the study found. "Many Americans would not regard a 1.2-month survival advantage as significant progress," wrote the authors, Tito Fojo, an oncologist with the National Cancer Institute, and Christine Grady, a bioethicist at theNational Institutes of Health. The study's findings raise the question: How can the U.S. control ever-growing health costs, particularly at the end of life? When Lilly announced its acquisition of Erbitux last year, the drug maker said it planned to become "an oncology powerhouse." The Indianapolis-based company has two other cancer drugs, Gemzar and Alimta, each with sales of more than $1 billion last year. Some cancer specialists say the widespread use of expensive treatments is questionable. "Erbitux, which costs $10,000 a month for treatment, can lead to what might be described as a marginal benefit," said Dr. Paul Helft, an oncologist at theIndiana University Simon Cancer Center. Some oncologists use various lengths of treatment depending on the [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-09-14T09:56:42-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Los Angeles jury recommends Philip Morris USA pay $13.8 million in punitive damages

Source: snus-news.blogspot.com Author: staff A jury on Monday, August 24th, recommended that cigarette maker Philip Morris USA should pay $13.8 million in punitive damages to the daughter of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer, according to a report by the Associated Press. The panel voted 9 to 3 in favor of Bullock's daughter Jodie Bullock, who is now the plaintiff in the case. Betty Bullock died of lung cancer in February 2003. She had sued Philip Morris in April 2001, accusing the company of fraud and product liability. A jury in 2002 recommended Philip Morris pay a record $28 billion in punitive damages to Bullock, but a judge later reduced the award to $28 million. In 2008, the 2nd District Court of Appeal reversed the jury's decision and remanded the case for a new trial over the punitive damages. Philip Morris said the $28 million remained excessive; however, the original jury recommended the tobacco company pay Bullock $750,000 in damages and $100,000 for pain and suffering, a verdict that still stands. In a statement, Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc., which owns Philip Morris, said any amount given to Bullock's daughter is unwarranted. "After hearing weeks of improper arguments and evidence that violated state and federal law on punitive damages, the jury still managed to reject plaintiff's patently unreasonable request," said Murray Garnick, Altria Client Services senior vice president, speaking on behalf of Philip Morris. "Even so, we believe that any punitive damages award is unwarranted based on the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-29T16:53:58-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Fighting malnutrition in cancer patients

Source: MSNBC Author: Staff Poor nutrition contributes to 1 in 5 cancer deaths; experts urge counseling WASHINGTON - The statistic is shocking: Severe malnutrition and weight loss play a role in at least one in five cancer deaths. Yet nutrition too often is an afterthought until someone's already in trouble. A move is on to change that, from hospitals that hire fancy gourmet chefs to the American Cancer Society's dietitians-on-call phone service. With cancer, you've got to "bring a lot more nutrients to each spoonful of food," Certified Master Chef Jack Shoop is learning. A former restaurateur, he's newly in charge of the kitchen at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia. Don't underestimate the added temptation should the result resemble Bon Appetit: "The visual hardiness, and the actual heartiness, of these foods has to be understood for them to embrace it," Shoop insists. Tempting the palate is a huge hurdle: At diagnosis, up to a quarter of patients already have their appetite sapped, and most treatments can bring side effects that worsen the problem. Aside from the well-known nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, some cancers inhibit absorption of the nutrients patients force down. Not to mention strangely altered taste, mouth sores, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and constipation. Literally wasting away About half of all cancer patients eventually suffer serious weight loss and malnutrition, a wasting syndrome called cachexia where they don't just lose excess fat but vital muscle. A healthy person's body adjusts when it doesn't get enough calories, [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-10T11:17:09-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

U.S. scientists say Lilly Erbitux cancer drug not worth price

Source: Bloomberg Author: Lisa Rapaport Eli Lilly & Co.’s tumor-fighter Erbitux doesn’t prolong lung cancer patients’ lives enough to justify its $80,000 cost, U.S. scientists said in commentary published today. Erbitux added to other cancer drugs extends survival about 1.2 months more than chemotherapy alone, making the price too high for a “marginal benefit,” commentary in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute said. Erbitux, which Lilly markets with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., generated $1.3 billion last year as treatment approved for other malignancies. The high price of some of the newest cancer medicines are coming under scrutiny as part of an effort by lawmakers and health officials to rein in overall medical costs. President Barack Obama has set aside $1.1 billion in the U.S. economic stimulus bill to study the comparative effectiveness of treatments for cancer and other diseases. “We must avoid the temptation to tell a patient that a new drug is available if there is little evidence that it will work better than established drugs that could be offered at a miniscule fraction of the cost,” wrote the commentators, Tito Fojo with the National Cancer Institute and Christine Grady at the National Institutes of Health. Lilly, of Indianapolis, and marketing partner Bristol- Myers, of New York, withdrew an application to extend the Erbitux’s use to lung tumors in February after the Food and Drug Administration questioned differences in American and European versions of the treatment. $10,000 a Month The authors projected that Erbitux costs $80,000 based on a typical course of treatment for lung [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-30T16:01:21-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|