risk factor

Alcohol may lower oral cancer risk in older women

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: staff Contrary to previous research, postmenopausal women are not more vulnerable than men to alcohol-induced carcinogenesis in the oral cavity, according to a new study in Oral Oncology (May 5, 2011). While it has been well documented that alcohol consumption is a strong risk factor for oral cancer, "an ambiguous biphasic impact of moderate and excessive alcohol intake on the risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancers" also has been published, according to researchers from Semmelweis University in Budapest. To clarify the dose-related risk of alcohol consumption for oral cancer in men and women, they studied 608 nonsmoker patients (466 males and 142 females) with squamous cell oral carcinomas and 406 nonsmoker tumor-free controls (264 males and 142 females). The researchers recorded the drinking habits of both groups, dividing them into abstinent, moderate, and excessive consumers of alcohol. Blood glucose levels in male and female cases and the menopausal state of the women also were registered. The researchers found that while excessive alcohol consumption was a strong risk factor for both sexes, moderate alcohol intake proved to be an oral cancer risk for men but it decreased the risk for women. However, elevated blood glucose levels proved to be a risk factor for the predominantly postmenopausal women but did not affect the oral cancer risk among the men. These findings suggest that increased insulin sensitivity and higher estrogen levels are advantageous systemic effects of moderate alcohol intake and might reduce the risk for oral carcinoma in postmenopausal women, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-13T12:33:05-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV is changing the face of head and neck cancers

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: Christen Cona 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. 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 conduct research.” Because HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer is emerging as a distinct biological entity, the recent rise in incidence will significantly affect treatment, and prevention and screening techniques, essentially reshaping current clinical practice. Social change driving incidence In the analysis performed by Gillison and colleagues, trends demonstrated that change in the rates of head and neck cancers [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-06-27T10:24:39-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Analysis of primary risk factors for oral cancer from select US states with increasing rates

Source: Tobacco Induced Diseases 2010, 8:5 Authors: Anthony BunnellNathan et al. Objectives: To examine the primary risk factor for oral cancer in the US, smoking and tobacco use, among the specific US states that experienced short-term increases in oral cancer incidence and mortality. Methods: Population-based data on oral cancer morbidity and mortality in the US were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for analysis of recent trends. Data were also obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to measure current and former trends of tobacco usage. To comprehensive measures of previous state tobacco use and tobacco-related policies, the Initial Outcomes Index (IOI, 1992-1993) and the Strength of Tobacco Control index (SoTC, 1999-2000) were also used for evaluation and comparison. Results: Analysis of the NCI-SEER data confirmed a previous report of geographic increases in oral cancer and demonstrated these were state-specific, were not regional, and were unrelated to previously observed increases among females and minorities. Analysis of the CDC-BRFSS data revealed these states had relatively higher percentages of smokers currently, as well as historically. In addition, analysis of the IOI and SoTC indexes suggest that many factors, including cigarette pricing, taxes and home or workplace bans, may have had significant influence on smoking prevalence in these areas. Trend analysis of these data uncovered a recent and significant reversal in smoking rates that suggest oral cancer incidence and mortality may also begin to decline in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-02-23T21:13:40-07:00February, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Oral use of Swedish moist snuff (snus) and risk for cancer of the mouth, lung, and pancreas in male construction workers: a retrospective cohort study

Source: www.thelancet.com Author: Juhua Luo, MSc et al. Background: Although classified as carcinogenic, snuff is used increasingly in several populations. Scandinavian moist snuff (snus) has been proposed as a less harmful alternative to smoking, but precise data on the independent associations of snus use with site-specific cancers are sparse. We aimed to assess the risks for cancer of the oral cavity, lung, and pancreas. Methods: Detailed information about tobacco smoking and snus use was obtained from 279 897 male Swedish construction workers in 1978—92. Complete follow-up until end of 2004 was accomplished through links with population and health registers. To distinguish possible effects of snus from those of smoking, we focused on 125 576 workers who were reported to be never-smokers at entry. Adjusted relative risks were derived from Cox proportional hazards regression models. Findings: 60 cases of oral, 154 of lung, and 83 of pancreatic cancer were recorded in never-smokers. Snus use was independently associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer (relative risk for ever-users of snus 2·0; 95% CI 1·2—3·3, compared with never-users of any tobacco), but was unrelated to incidence of oral (0·8, 95% CI 0·4—1·7) and lung cancer (0·8, 0·5—1·3). Interpretation: Use of Swedish snus should be added to the list of tentative risk factors for pancreatic cancer. We were unable to confirm any excess of oral or lung cancer in snus users. Authors: Juhua Luo MSc a, Weimin Ye MD a, Kazem Zendehdel MD a c, Johanna Adami MD a b, Prof Hans-Olov Adami MD [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-26T11:02:58-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|