lymph node – Oral Cancer News

PET/MRI proves value in following up head and neck cancers

Source: www.auntminnieeurope.com Author: Philip Ward, AuntMinnieEurope.com staff writer PET/MRI is a promising tool in the pre-therapeutic assessment of primary tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract with lymph node extension, particularly in the identification of predictive characteristics of recurrence or progression, a leading French research group has reported. "Lymph node PET/MR analysis has shown that the strongest predictors of recurrence were lymph node enhancement and SUVmax for the contralateral nodes and enhancement, SUVmax node shape for the homolateral nodes," noted Dr. Nadya Pyatigorskaya, PhD, a neuroradiologist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (l'Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, AP-HP) in Paris and a researcher in the MOV'IT multidisciplinary team at the Paris Brain Institute, and colleagues. Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract mostly consist of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), which account for 90% of stage I head and neck cancers and represent the sixth most common cancer worldwide. HNSCC have a high recurrence rate and represent one of the most common histological types to metastasize to regional lymph nodes, Pyatigorskaya explained in an e-poster presentation on 7 June at the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) meeting in Toronto. "Metastatic nodes are mostly homolateral to the primary tumor, but contralateral or bilateral nodes are not rare, especially when the primary tumor is medial or posterior," she stated. "The risk of lymph node metastasis occurs for the largest tumors, mostly T3-T4. The presence of metastatic nodes reduces significantly the five-year survival rate." Lymph nodes are generally assessed by [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-06-15T05:29:12-07:00June, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Mayo Clinic Minute: Innovative technology to treat head and neck cancers

Source: www.telegraphherald.com Author: Deb Balzer, Mayo Clinic News Network In the U.S., HPV is linked to about 70% of throat and mouth cancers. And more than 70% of those cancers are diagnosed in men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Treatment for throat and mouth cancers, also referred to as oropharyngeal or head and neck cancers, depends on location and stage of the cancer as well as other factors. Dr. Phillip Pirgousis, a Mayo Clinic head and neck surgeon, says patients now have safer, less invasive surgical treatments for head and neck cancers available to them thanks to innovative technology. “The tonsils in the back of the throat and the lymph node tissue in the back of the tongue,” Pirgousis says. And cancers in these two locations can be a challenge. “Many of the challenges are often related to the location of the primary tumor because the throat and voice box area are very difficult to get access to,” he says. That’s where innovation with robotics allows for better tumor visualization, better lighting and better outcomes in terms of complete tumor removal. “We’re talking about big, open surgeries versus minimally invasive surgeries where we can access these difficult locations with making facial incisions,” he says. “And having less impact on breathing, speaking, swallowing and communicating. The surgical robot has improved the ability for us to not only completely remove tumors, but to remove them safely,” Pirgousis says. Transoral robotic surgery Transoral robotic surgery is a minimally invasive [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-05-23T06:34:26-07:00May, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Immunotherapy for HPV+ head and neck cancer: Awakening the force within

Source: medicalxpress.com Author: Emory University A new study from scientists at Emory Vaccine Center and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University reports that the immune cells that are the major targets of immune checkpoint inhibitors are present in tumors from head and neck cancer patients. The study focuses on head and neck tumors that are positive for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is becoming one of most common types of head and neck cancers treated in the Western world. The results are scheduled for publication in Nature. It suggests checkpoint inhibitors, which have transformed the treatment of several types of cancer, could be uniquely effective against this type of head and neck cancer. The results also indicate that the experimental approach of therapeutic vaccination for HPV+ cancer could be broadened to include more elements of the virus, to potentially trigger a broader and stronger immune response. Researchers from Rafi Ahmed's lab at Emory Vaccine Center collaborated with the co-directors of the Winship Head and Neck Cancers working group, oncologists Nabil Saba, MD and Mihir Patel, MD, to obtain samples from patients with head and neck tumors early in the course of treatment. "About five years ago, we began to have an influx of patients that sought out our center for surgical treatment," Patel says. "We often heard some variation of a similar story: I was sick with cold-like symptoms and once that resolved this I noticed swelling in a lymph node on the side of my neck. Stories like this made [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-09-02T20:07:01-07:00September, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Late stage head and neck cancer in the U.S. sees increasing incidence

Source: www.cancernetwork.com Author: Hannah Slater A study released in Cancer indicates that there is an increasing incidence of late stage head and neck cancer (HNC) in the U.S., mostly due to an increasing incidence of oropharyngeal cancer, most likely due to HPV-related disease in patients diagnosed at stage IVC.1 Blacks, males, those who are underinsured or uninsured, and those who are unmarried tend to fare worse than others. The presented research highlights the need for continuous public health efforts toward the early detection of HNC. In this cohort of 57,118 patients with stage IV HNC, the age-adjusted rates for stage IV HNC significantly increased by 26.1% (6.11 per 100,000 person-years in 2004 to 7.70 per 100,000 person-years in 2015). Despite a decreasing overall incidence of stage IV HNC in black patients (adjusted OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.22-1.34), they along with males (adjusted OR, 3.95; 95% CI, 3.80-4.11) had significantly increased risks of being diagnosed with late-stage HNC. “In the absence of a mortality benefit for asymptomatic mass screenings, as per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force oral cancer screening guideline, it is critical that there is sustained public awareness and education regarding the early detection of HNC, and prevention through cancer risk mitigation practices,” the researchers wrote. Although black males had the highest risk of being diagnosed, the most significant change in annual incidence patterns was driven by white males (annual percent changes, 3.13; P 50 years, with males [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-27T06:35:45-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Changes in cancer staging: what you should know

Source: health.clevelandclinic.org Author: staff When you learn you have cancer, you want to know what to expect: How will doctors treat your illness? How effective is treatment likely to be? Much depends on the way doctors first classify, or “stage,” your cancer, using the official staging manual from the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Staging guidelines continue to evolve as knowledge about individual tumor growth and innovative technologies come into play. An ever-evolving system “Historically, we staged cancers according to tumor size, lymph node involvement and the presence of metastases,” says oncologist Dale Shepard, MD, PhD. “The latest staging manual incorporates new findings on the importance of changes in molecular DNA and tumor genomic profiling. This will affect many patients going forward.” Among those most impacted by changes in staging are people newly diagnosed with breast cancer; head and neck cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV); or sarcoma. How staging works “Staging allows us to stratify patients into groups based on anatomic and other criteria. It gives us a framework for understanding the extent of disease,” Dr. Shepard explains. Cancers are staged clinically and pathologically: The clinical stage is determined during the initial workup for cancer. The pathologic stage is determined by studying a surgically removed tumor sample under the microscope. Adds Tumor Registry Manager Kate Tullio, MPH, MS, “Staging helps physicians and other researchers to compare patients with the same types of cancer to each other in a consistent way — so that we might learn more about these cancers and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2018-07-05T07:45:14-07:00July, 2018|Oral Cancer News|

Biotech exec facing death urges: Get the vaccine that prevents his cancer

Source: www.philly.com Author: Michael D. Becker Like most people who pen a new book, Michael D. Becker is eager for publicity. But he has an unusual sense of urgency. A former oncology biotech CEO, Becker has neck cancer. He expects his 49th birthday in November to be his last, if he makes it. What also drives him to get his message out, however, is this: Children today can get a vaccine that prevents the kind of oropharyngeal cancer that is killing him. As he collides with his mortality, Becker wants to share his story and raise awareness about the vaccine, which protects against dangerous strains of human papillomavirus, or HPV, the extremely common, sexually transmitted virus that caused his disease. His book, A Walk With Purpose: Memoir of a Bioentrepreneur (available on Amazon.com), was produced and self-published in a creative sprint between December, when his cancer recurred just a year after initial diagnosis and treatment, and April. He also has a blog, My Cancer Journey, and has been conducting media interviews. “I had a lot of motivation to write the book quickly,” he said wryly at his home in Yardley. In the final pages, he urges parents “to talk to their doctor about the HPV vaccine,” which “simply didn’t exist when I was a teenager, or it could have prevented my cancer.” The leading vaccine brand, Gardasil, was hailed as a breakthrough when it was introduced in 2006. It is approved to prevent cervical cancer and less common genital malignancies, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2017-07-06T09:33:47-07:00July, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Throat cancer symptoms

Source: newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Author: Dr. Eric Moore, Otorhinolaryngology, Mayo Clinic DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Are there early signs of throat cancer, or is it typically not found until its late stages? How is it treated? ANSWER: The throat includes several important structures that are relied on every minute of the day and night to breathe, swallow and speak. Unfortunately, cancer can involve any, and sometimes all, of these structures. The symptoms of cancer, how early these symptoms are recognized and how the cancer is treated depend on which structures are involved. All of the passageway between your tongue and your esophagus can be considered the throat. It includes three main areas. The first is the base of your tongue and tonsils. These, along with the soft palate and upper side walls of the pharynx, are called the oropharynx. Second is the voice box, or larynx. It consists of the epiglottis — a cartilage flap that helps to close your windpipe, or trachea, when you swallow — and the vocal cords. Third is the hypopharynx. That includes the bottom sidewalls and the back of the throat before the opening of the esophagus. Tumors that occur in these three areas have different symptoms, behave differently and often are treated differently. That’s why the areas of the throat are subdivided into separate sections by the head and neck surgeons who diagnose and treat them. For example, in the oropharynx, most tumors are squamous cell carcinoma. Most are caused by HPV, although smoking and alcohol can [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2017-06-22T08:04:29-07:00June, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Symptoms of throat cancer depend on which throat structures are affected

Source: tribunecontentagency.com Author: Eric Moore, M.D. Dear Mayo Clinic: Are there early signs of throat cancer, or is it typically not found until its late stages? How is it treated? Answer: The throat includes several important structures that are relied on every minute of the day and night to breathe, swallow and speak. Unfortunately, cancer can involve any, and sometimes all, of these structures. The symptoms of cancer, how early these symptoms are recognized and how the cancer is treated depend on which structures are involved. All of the passageway between your tongue and your esophagus can be considered the throat. It includes three main areas. The first is the base of your tongue and tonsils. These, along with the soft palate and upper side walls of the pharynx, are called the oropharynx. Second is the voice box, or larynx. It consists of the epiglottis — a cartilage flap that helps to close your windpipe, or trachea, when you swallow — and the vocal cords. Third is the hypopharynx. That includes the bottom sidewalls and the back of the throat before the opening of the esophagus. Tumors that occur in these three areas have different symptoms, behave differently and often are treated differently. That’s why the areas of the throat are subdivided into separate sections by the head and neck surgeons who diagnose and treat them. For example, in the oropharynx, most tumors are squamous cell carcinoma. Most are caused by HPV, although smoking and alcohol can play a role [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2017-05-26T08:35:35-07:00May, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Men with throat cancer will soon outnumber women with cervical cancer In The US

Source: www.houstonpublicmedia.org Author: Carrie Feibel The national increase in cases of oropharyngeal cancer related to the human papilloma virus is troubling, because there is no screening test to catch it early, like the Pap test for cervical cancer. The oropharynx is the area of the throat behind the mouth, and includes the tonsils and the base of the tongue. Oropharyngeal cancer is increasing in both men and women, but for reasons that aren’t well understood, male patients are outnumbering female patients by five to one, according to Dr. Erich Sturgis, a head and neck surgeon at MD Anderson Cancer Center. “It’s usually a man, and he notices it when he’s shaving. He notices a lump there,” Sturgis said. “That lump is actually the spread of the cancer from the tonsil or the base of the tongue to a lymph node. That means it’s already stage three at least.” In the U.S., the number of oropharyngeal cancers caused by HPV are predicted to exceed the number of cervical cancers by 2020, Stugis said. “With cervical cancer, we’ve seen declining numbers well before we had vaccination, and that’s due to the Pap smear being introduced back in the late 50s,” he said. “But we don’t have a screening mechanism for pharynx cancer.” Research on an effective screening test for early-stage pharynx cancer is still underway. The reasons for the disproportionate effect on men are unknown. One theory is that people are engaging in more oral sex, but that doesn’t explain why men [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-09-28T07:20:10-07:00September, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Unilateral radiation benefited patients with advanced tonsil cancer

Source: www.healio.com Author: staff Unilateral radiotherapy was associated with effective regional control in patients with advanced tonsil cancer, according to study results presented at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. Additionally, the results supported previous findings that suggest the primary tumor location, not the extent of ipsilateral neck lymph node involvement on the tumor side of the neck, governs the disease risk in the contralateral side of the neck. Researchers evaluated 153 consecutive patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil who were treated with surgical removal and postoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Forty-six of the patients underwent unilateral radiotherapy. Of these patients, 72% were male. The average patient age was 59 years. Current or former smokers comprised 61% of the study population. Lateralized primary tumors were confirmed in 40 (87%) of the patients. Two (4%) patients had non-lateralized tumors. Lateralization could not be retrospectively ascertained in four patients (9%). The cancer stages for these patients were distributed as follows: TX, 2%; T1, 44%; T2, 41%; and T3, 13%. Lymph node involvement stages were as follows: N0, 11%; N1, 13%; and N2, 76%. The patients underwent radiation doses of 60 Gy to 66 Gy to the postoperative bed and involved neck, and 52 Gy to 54 Gy to the elective region in 30 to 33 fractions using a simultaneous integrated boost technique. Concurrent chemotherapy was administered to 30 of the 46 patients. The median follow-up period was 2.8 years (range, 0.4-8.7 years). Researchers reported no local or regional [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-03-26T16:02:26-07:00March, 2014|Oral Cancer News|