I get by with help from my friends: Maintaining immune cells in head and neck cancer

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: Medical University of South Carolina In an article published September 22, 2016 in Frontiers in Immunology, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center report that inhibiting prostaglandin production slows the progression of premalignant lesions to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Preclinical studies showed that treatment of premalignant lesions with indomethacin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) similar to aspirin, increased the presence of immune cells and lessened tumor burden. Cancers of the head and neck begin with lesions in the oral cavity, including the larynx, pharynx, throat, lips, mouth, salivary glands, and nasal passages. Although the incidence of HNSCC has been on the decline over the past several decades, the National Cancer Institute reports that approximately 3% of all cancers in the U.S. result from HNSCC, with men being diagnosed twice as often as women. Treatment for HNSCC includes surgical removal and chemo-radiation treatment; however, these interventions often fail, and patients have a five-year survival rate of only 50%. It is critical to determine better treatment options for HNSCC patients. One way researchers at MUSC are trying to improve the treatment of HNSCC is by enhancing the body's own immune system to attack the tumor. "There's a lot of effort to stimulate immune reactivity using immunotherapy. The problem with that is cancer can protect itself against the immune defenses. Head and neck cancer is notorious for that," said immunologist M. Rita Young, Ph.D., senior author for [...]

2016-12-01T14:54:58-07:00December, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

NSAIDs may cut oral cancer risk

Source: www.newsfix.ca Author: Martin March People who smoke are protected from oral cancer by aspirin or ibuprofen, according to a study. It’s already known that smoking is a strong risk factor for oral cancer. A study from the Norwegian Radium Hospital reveals that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help protect some smokers from the disease. They looked at a group of light to moderate smokers who had taken NSAIDs over a long period. They were about 65 per cent less likely to develop oral cancer compared to smokers who did not take NSAIDs. All types of NSAID were protective, including ibuprofen, aspirin and indomethacin. However, acetaminophen, a common pain reliever which is not an NSAID, was not found to be effective. The benefit of NSAIDs was found to be greatest for those who smoked least. At higher levels of consumption of tobacco, its carcinogenic effect overcomes the benefit of the NSAID.

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