3/3/2002 Palm Desert American Head and Neck Society A new research study asserts that even though the overall incidence of head and neck cancers has remained stable, young Americans are being diagnosed with higher rates of oral and tongue cancer. The goal of the research was to update and confirm the changes in incidence of young adult oral tongue cancer, as well as other head and neck cancers, using a large cancer surveillance database in the United States. A unique feature of the analysis was to describe incidence trends by use of a new statistical methodology, joinpoint regression, and to establish the statistical significance of changes in disease rate. Methodology: Data for the analysis were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program Public-Use CD-ROM (1973-1997), National Cancer Institute, DCCPS, Cancer Surveillance Research Program, Cancer Statistics Branch, released April 2000. Information was obtained on all cancers occurring in residents from nine population-based registries, i.e., five states (Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, New Mexico, and Utah) and four standard metropolitan statistical areas (Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco-Oakland, and Seattle-Puget Sound). The studied cities encompass 10 percent of the U.S. population. The SEER Program used the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology to code site, histology, and behavior for all cancers. The study only included invasive tongue cancer cases Incidence rates were tabulated as per 100,000 population and age-adjusted by the direct method to the 1970 U.S. standard population. Rates for three age groups (<40 years, 40-64 years, and >=65 years) age-adjusted within these [...]

3/2/2002 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology According to data recently published by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, a treatment program consisting of Platinol® and radiation therapy following surgery appears to significantly increase cancer-free survival and overall survival of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer. These results are consistent with previous clinical trials and have prompted European health-care providers to adopt this treatment approach as their new standard of care for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. The term head and neck cancer refers to any number of cancers that may occur in the head and/or neck region. These may include cancers of the tongue, mouth, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, sinus and other sites located in the head and neck area. If the cancer is locally advanced (has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes), surgery alone may not be curative. Nonetheless, the patient may elect surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Following surgery, the patient then undergoes radiation therapy in an attempt to destroy remaining cancer cells. Despite this treatment, most individuals will experience disease progression. New research from Japanese and European studies indicates that the use of chemotherapy in addition to radiation therapy following surgery (adjuvant therapy) may increase the length of time a patient is cancer-free and overall survival time. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer recruited 334 patients diagnosed with locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, oropharynx (middle part [...]

3/1/2002 West Virginia Fran Berger HealthScout Reporter A pinch between the cheek and gum can cause oral cancer, experts know. But researchers in West Virginia have found the kids who stick a wad in their mouth don't know the dangers. A recent survey of 808 public school students in the Mountaineer State found that use of chewing tobacco increased with age, with more than a third using smokeless tobacco monthly or daily by 11th grade -- and many didn't realize the substance could lead to disease. "West Virginia is usually No. 1 in the U.S. when it comes to use of smokeless tobacco," says Dr. Lynne J. Goebel, the study's lead author. "We've heard from doctors in rural areas that some people are using smokeless tobacco to help ease teething pain, rubbing it on babies' gums, and parents are giving it to kids as a reward for good grades," she says. Smokeless tobacco is "highly addictive. People who use smokeless tobacco have sustained nicotine levels," she says, explaining that with smoking, you're exposed for five minutes. But you have "a chew in your mouth for up to 30 minutes. Some sleep with it in their mouth." Goebel and her team compared 648 non-users with 160 male users of smokeless tobacco in the fifth, eighth and 11th grades in West Virginia public schools. Women were excluded, based on the small percentage who indulge. Seven percent of the fifth graders said they used smokeless tobacco. That rose to 22 percent in eighth [...]

1/24/2005 R Moore J Hum Nutr Diet, December 1, 2004; 17(6): 578 Background: In head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, the side effects of radiotherapy (RT) often lead to patients being unable to consume adequate nutrition and fluid (Chencharick and Mossman, 1983). Gastrostomy tube placement prior to RT can reduce incidence of severe weight loss and hospitalization during treatment (Beaver et al., 2001). However, gastrostomy tube usage is dependant upon HNC site and area of RT. The aims of the study were to identify the characteristics of those HNC patients who will require gastrostomy tube feeding during RT and utilize these data to target future patients for prophylactic tube placement prior to commencing RT and to write guidelines for the placement of feeding tubes. Method: Data were collected retrospectively regarding diagnosis, surgery and area of RT on all HNC patients who had had a prophylactic gastrostomy placed prior to RT between April 2000 and April 2002. Outcome measurements in terms of utilization of gastrostomy, body weight and nutrition related emergency admissions were recorded. Results: Thirty-five patients had a prophylactic gastrostomy placed [26 male, nine female; mean age 62 (range 26-84) years]. Of these, 26 utilized their tube for feeding or fluids during RT. The sites of radiotherapy were: bilateral RT to the oro- or nasopharynx and neck (20 patients), bilateral RT to the neck (five) and RT to the left oropharynx and neck (one). The mean weight loss during RT in patients who utilized their prophylactic gastrostomy was 3.3 (range [...]