palate – Oral Cancer News

HPV is changing the face of head and neck cancers

Source: www.healio.comAuthor: Christine Cona A drastic increase in the number of HPV-associated oropharynx cancers, particularly those of the tonsil and base of tongue, has captured the attention of head and neck oncologists worldwide. In February, at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz., Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, professor and Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University in Columbus, presented data that showed that the proportion of all head and neck squamous cell cancers that were of the oropharynx — which are most commonly HPV-positive cancers — increased from 18% in 1973 to 32% in 2005. Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University, said screening for HPV in the head and neck is years behind cervical screening for HPV. In addition, studies from the United States, Europe, Denmark and Australia indicate that HPV-positive patients have a more than twofold increased cancer survival than HPV-negative patients, according to Gillison. With the rising incidence of HPV-related oropharynx cancers, it will soon be the predominant type of cancer in the oral or head and neck region, according to Andy Trotti, MD, director of radiation oncology clinical research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, in Tampa, Fla. “We should be focusing on HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer because it will dominate the field of head and neck cancers for many years,” he said during an interview with HemOnc Today. “It is certainly an important population for which to continue to [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-06-03T11:11:05-07:00June, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Global trends in oral cancers

Source: www.dailyrx.com Author: staff It used to be that smoking and drinking alcohol were the biggest risk factors for cancers that develop in the mouth and throat. Those trends may be changing, according to a new study. That new study uncovered that cancers that appear in the throat right behind the mouth have increased, primarily in developed countries. The trend has been most prevalent in men under the age of 60, the researchers found. These increases, the authors suggested, may be linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus that’s associated with a number of cancers, including oral cancers. Anil K. Chaturvedi, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute, led this study that examined incidence trends for oropharyngeal (part of the throat behind the mouth) and oral cavity (mouth) cancers in 23 countries across four continents. The researchers examined the countries’ cancer registry data for the years 1983 to 2002. In the study’s introduction, the authors noted that oral cavity cancers (OCC) have declined recently in most parts of the world due to the declines in tobacco use. At the same time, oropharyngeal cancers (OPC) have risen over the past 20 years in some countries. OPC rates were compared to those of OCC and lung cancers to distinguish the potential role of HPV from smoking-related cancer trends. The researchers tracked specific OPC sites, including base of the tongue, tonsils, oropharynx and pharynx (throat). OCC sites included the tongue, gums, floor of the mouth, palate (roof of the mouth) and other [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-11-19T14:42:18-07:00November, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Scientific literature supports safety of essential oil mouthrinses

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Christine Charles, RDH Antimicrobial mouthrinses provide anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis benefits beyond brushing and flossing alone. An antimicrobial mouthrinse where the active ingredient is the fixed combination of four essential oils (EO), thymol, menthol, eucalyptol and methyl salicylate in a hydroalcohol solution (pharmaceutical grade ethanol functions as a solvent, a vehicle for the active ingredients and as a preservative in a mouthrinse), has been proven clinically effective and safe in over 50 clinical trials, including 6-month trials with plaque reductions up to 70.0%(1) and gingivitis reductions up to 36%(1,2) compared with negative control. Sharma, et al, showed the clinically significant incremental benefit of including an EO antimicrobial mouthrinse in a daily mechanical oral regimen of brushing and flossing.(3) Mechanical oral hygiene techniques generally focus on the teeth, but teeth comprise only about 25% of the surface area of the mouth. Bacteria are also prevalent on the other 75% of the mouth’s surface area, in bacterial reservoirs on the tongue, cheek, palate and oral mucosa.(4) A mouthrinse can reach the rest of the mouth, where a toothbrush and floss cannot. EO works by killing planktonic and biofilm-associated bacteria and a broad spectrum of bacteria and yeasts associated with halitosis, gingivitis and periodontitis by: (1) disrupting bacterial cell membranes and cell walls, (2) inhibiting bacterial growth and development, (3) inhibiting glucosyltransferase (gtf) enzymes, reducing extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) formation, and (4) reducing plaque endotoxin levels.(5) The scientific literature supports the safety of EO mouthrinses,(7-9) including use in xerostomic patients,(8) and evidence [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-09-02T19:11:29-07:00September, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) in oral mucosa of women with cervical lesions and their relation to oral sex practices

Source: 7thspace.com Authors: Luis Sanchez-Vargas et al Previous studies have either investigated the relationship of HPV with oral cancer or the prevalence of HPV on the oral cavity. The purpose of this investigation was to study the prevalence of HPV in oral cavity of women with oral sex practices and cervical lesions. Methods: Forty six (46) non-smokers and non-alcoholic patients attended the "Clinica de Displasias"of "Ciudad Juarez"were sampled. This population had a CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) diagnosis sometime between the previous six months. On previous consent they filled out a questionnaire related to their oral sex practices. Afterwards one swab from cheeks and another from palate/gum were taken; PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was used to determine generic HPV, HPV16 and HPV18. Results: Seventy two percent (72%) of the patients stated to have oral sex practices regularly which all of them were positive to HPV either in oral mucus, palate/gum or both. The total of the given results showed that 35% had HPV16; among those distributed in 26% with regular oral sex practices and 9% stated as never practiced oral sex. An association was found between oral HPV16 positivity and progression to CIN advanced lesions. On the other hand HPV18 was not detected. The frequency of HPV16 was higher in buccal mucosa (23%) versus palate/gum (16%). Conclusions: This study suggests that buccal HPV16 infection is associated with CIN progression. Source: Infectious Agents and Cancer 2010, 5:25 Authors: Luis Sanchez-Vargas, Cecilia Diaz-Hernandez, Alejandro Martinez-Martinez

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-12-05T17:44:18-07:00December, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Strides made in tonsil cancer repair

Source: health.usnews.com Author: staff Surgery on tonsil cancer patients can spell trouble for the palate, but now researchers say they've developed a technique that helps preserve the ability to speak clearly and eat most foods. Traditionally, surgeons use big pieces of tissue to reconstruct the area after tonsil tumors are removed. But the patients who undergo this treatment can suffer "quality of life issues," study author Dr. Douglas Chepeha, an associate professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery and director of the microvascular program at the University of Michigan Health System, said in a school news release. The treatment "affects speech and eating -- typically, patients have difficulty eating when they have this kind of tumor and undergo surgery," he said. The new treatment, which uses tissue from another part of the body, helps ensure that the tongue can move more efficiently. The study authors, who report their findings in the current issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, followed 25 patients with tonsil cancer for an average of five years. "In particular, patients who have less than half their palate removed do very well with this reconstruction. We're trying to make sure the remaining tongue and palate they have really work. Our goal is to get patients eating in public and back to work," Chepeha said. Tonsil cancer is a form of throat cancer, which will kill an estimated 2,230 Americans this year.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-10-18T18:41:04-07:00October, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Speaking and swallowing seems to be possible post tonsil cancer surgery

Source: www.healthjockey.com Author: staff Cancer of the tonsil is said to be one among the head and neck cancers. It apparently develops in the part of the throat just behind your mouth, called the oropharynx. Smoking and consuming alcohol may increase the risk for tonsil cancer. After a tonsil cancer surgery, it is believed that patients cannot speak or eat properly. But a new method for reconstructing the palate post surgery for tonsil cancer apparently preserved the capability of the patients to speak clearly and devour majority of the foods. This technique was developed at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Tonsil cancer apparently develops in the back of the throat, which could mean that surgery could contain parts of the palate, the tongue and the jaw. In conventional reconstruction efforts, a huge round piece of tissue was apparently taken to plug the hole left when the tumor is supposedly detached. But this apparently damages the way the palate and tongue function, and may not reinstate the intricate mechanism of the throat that may enable an individual to speak and swallow. Study author Douglas Chepeha, M.D., M.S.P.H., associate professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery and director of the microvascular program at the University of Michigan Health System, commented, “This is the area that triggers swallowing, that separates the mouth from the nasal cavity. It affects speech and eating – typically, patients have difficulty eating when they have this kind of tumor and undergo surgery. We can remove the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-27T18:21:04-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Speaking, eating possible after tonsil cancer surgery with reconstruction

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: press release A new technique for reconstructing the palate after surgery for tonsil cancer maintained patients' ability to speak clearly and eat most foods, a new study shows. The technique, developed at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, is described in the September Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery. "This is the area that triggers swallowing, that separates the mouth from the nasal cavity. It affects speech and eating – typically, patients have difficulty eating when they have this kind of tumor and undergo surgery. We can remove the cancer, but there are major quality of life issues," says study author Douglas Chepeha, M.D., M.S.P.H., associate professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery and director of the microvascular program at the University of Michigan Health System. Tonsil cancer develops in the back of the throat, which means surgery could include parts of the palate, the tongue and the jaw. Traditional reconstruction efforts have meant taking a large, round piece of tissue to plug the hole left when the tumor is removed. But this impairs the way the palate and tongue function, and does not restore the complex components of the throat that allow a person to speak and swallow. With the new technique, surgeons first create a tube from the remaining palate by attaching the palate to the back part of the throat, next to where the tumor was removed. This tube separates the mouth from the nasal cavity and closes during swallowing, allowing [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-22T06:01:18-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|