hotodynamic therapy shows efficiency in head and neck cancers

10/31/2001 Lisbon, Portugal Peter Hofland, PhD Reuters Health Temoporfin-mediated photodynamic therapy represents a major advance in the treatment of head and neck cancer, yielding complete response rates comparable with those published for surgery or radiotherapy, according to phase II data reported here last week during ECCO 11, the European Cancer Conference. Temoporfin-mediated photodynamic therapy (Foscan PDT) is an "effective and well-tolerated treatment" and can be administered without surgery, said Dr. Colin Hopper, a consultant surgeon of the National Medical Laser Centre in London, UK. Dr. Hopper presented the results of a prospective non-randomised phase II study, conducted in 15 centers in 6 countries. The trial examined response rates to Foscan PDT in 114 patients with primary (Tis, T1 and T2) squamous cell carcinoma of the lip, oral cavity, oropharynx or hypopharynx. Patients with Karnofsky status greater than or equal to 70 received Foscan (0.15 mg/kg IV), followed 4 days later by a single nonthermal illumination of the tumor with red light (20 J/cm?, irradiance 100 mW/cm? , wavelength 652 nm). The initial response was determined after 12 weeks. After 2 years of follow-up, 85% of patients had a complete response (elimination of the tumor) with Foscan PDT alone, and another 6% achieved a complete response with Foscan PDT followed by other adjunctive therapy, including surgery or radiotherapy, giving an overall response rate of 91%. Dr. Hopper reported that in 59% of all cases a complete response rate was biopsy-confirmed. The 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 90% and 81% [...]

2009-03-22T10:19:18-07:00October, 2001|Archive|

Animal-Based Nutrients Linked With Higher Risk Of Stomach And Esophageal Cancers

10/31/2001 See end of article Yale School of Medicine Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that a diet high in cholesterol, animal protein and vitamin B12 is linked to risk of a specific type of cancer of the stomach and esophagus that has been increasing rapidly. The researchers also found that plant-based nutrients such as dietary fiber, dietary beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B6 were associated with lower risk of these kinds of cancers. They further found that regular use of vitamin C supplements was associated with a 40 percent reduction in the risk of cancer in the middle and lower parts of the stomach. The rate of a specific type of esophageal and stomach cancer, known as adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cardia, has increased by 300 percent since the mid-1970s, according to lead author Susan Mayne, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale School of Medicine, and associate director of the Yale Cancer Center. To identify reasons for this rapid increase, the United States National Cancer Institute launched a large study at three centers, including Yale, the University of Washington and Columbia University. The researchers interviewed patients throughout Connecticut, New Jersey and western Washington State and compared the nutrient intake of 1,095 people with stomach or esophageal cancer to that of 687 healthy people in a control group. The team also looked at the participants' use of nutrient supplements. Their results are published in the October issue of Cancer [...]

2009-03-22T10:18:47-07:00October, 2001|Archive|

Black Raspberries Show Multiple Defenses in Thwarting Cancer

10/30/2001 Ohio Ohio State University A cup of black raspberries a day may help keep esophageal cancer at bay. Researchers found evidence in rats that black raspberries may both prevent the onset of esophageal cancer as well as inhibit precancerous growth already underway. "Black raspberries are loaded with nutrients and phytochemicals that may prevent the development of cancer," said Gary Stoner, a study co-author and a professor of public health at Ohio State University. Stoner, who has also found similar anti-carcinogenic effects with strawberries, said the study results suggest that a daily diet of about 1.4 to 2 cups of fresh berries may be ideal for staving off certain types of cancer. "Although this level is larger than a standard serving size of fruit, it is behaviorally possible," he said. "The National Cancer Institute recommends that every American eat at least four to six helpings of fruit and vegetables each day. We suggest that one of these helpings be berries of some sort." The research appears in the journal Cancer Research. Esophageal cancer is the sixth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The outlook is bleak for those diagnosed with the disease, five-year survival rates range from 8 to 12 percent. In the current study, the researchers looked at black raspberries' ability to halt the onset of cancer, as well as the fruit's ability to inhibit the progression of precancerous cells to cancer. They conducted experiments on two groups of rats. Some of the rats from each group were injected with [...]

2009-03-22T10:10:13-07:00October, 2001|Archive|

Applied Orally, Missle Defense Technology May Work. A New High-Tech Test Can Help Target Early Mouth Cancers

10/25/2001 Jennifer Huget The Washington Post It's not every day a dentist gets to play Star Wars. But that's not why more than 30,000 dentists in the United States are deploying OralCDx, a new diagnostic tool that incorporates technology developed as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative. OralCDx, launched nationwide last year, offers dentists a better shot at catching oral cancer lesions while there's time to treat them. About 8,000 Americans die of oral cancer each year. Nearly 30,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, and only 53 percent of all oral cancer victims are still alive five years after diagnosis. But among those in whom the disease -- which is most common among tobacco users and heavy drinkers and is more common among men, people over 40 and African Americans -- is caught early, five-year survival rates soar to 88 percent. The problem has been that early stage oral cancer lesions look like benign mouth lesions, even to vigilant dentists. By the time a lesion becomes obviously, visibly cancerous, successful treatment is difficult. In the past, dentists have had to make tough choices: Should they perform traditional scalpel biopsies (or refer patients to oral surgeons for the procedure) on all of the estimated 5 percent to 15 percent of their patients who have oral lesions? At up to $300 per procedure, plus lab analysis fees of up to several hundred dollars, scalpel biopsy is costly. Plus, the procedure requires the uncomfortable surgical removal of chunks of tissue, and only a [...]

2009-03-22T10:03:24-07:00October, 2001|Archive|
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