10/4/2004 Russell W. Hinerman et al. Head Neck, September 30, 2004 Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing outcome in patients who received postoperative irradiation for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Methods: Between October 1964 and November 2000, 226 patients with 230 previously untreated primary invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity were treated postoperatively with continuous-course external beam irradiation. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 2 years (analysis, November 2002). No patient was lost to follow-up. Results: The 5-year actuarial rates of locoregional control by pathologic American Joint Committee on Cancer stage were: stage I, 100%; stage II, 84%; stage III, 78%; and stage IV, 66%. Recurrence of cancer above the clavicles developed in 55 patients (24%). In multivariate analysis of locoregional control, positive margins, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, extracapsular extension, and T classification remained significant. Conclusions: This article provides additional data defining relatively favorable and unfavorable groups of patients in the postoperative setting. Dose recommendations are re-examined and selectively increased for high-risk patients. Russell W. Hinerman, William M. Mendenhall, Christopher G. Morris, Robert J. Amdur, John W. Werning, and Douglas B. Villaret Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida Shands Cancer Center, PO Box 100385, Gainesville, FL 32610-0385

10/4/2004 Diana C. G. et al. J Biomed Opt, September 1, 2004; 9(5): 940-950 Autofluorescence spectroscopy shows promising results for detection and staging of oral (pre-)malignancies. To improve staging reliability, we develop and compare algorithms for lesion classification. Furthermore, we examine the potential for detecting invisible tissue alterations. Autofluorescence spectra are recorded at six excitation wavelengths from 172 benign, dysplastic, and cancerous lesions and from 97 healthy volunteers. We apply principal components analysis (PCA), artificial neural networks, and red/green intensity ratio's to separate benign from (pre-)malignant lesions, using four normalization techniques. To assess the potential for detecting invisible tissue alterations, we compare PC scores of healthy mucosa and surroundings/contralateral positions of lesions. The spectra show large variations in shape and intensity within each lesion group. Intensities and PC score distributions demonstrate large overlap between benign and (pre-)malignant lesions. The receiver-operator characteristic areas under the curve (ROC-AUCs) for distinguishing cancerous from healthy tissue are excellent (0.90 to 0.97). However, the ROC-AUCs are too low for classification of benign versus (pre-)malignant mucosa for all methods (0.50 to 0.70). Some statistically significant differences between surrounding/contralateral tissues of benign and healthy tissue and of (pre-)malignant lesions are observed. We can successfully separate healthy mucosa from cancers (ROC-AUC>0.9). However, autofluorescence spectroscopy is not able to distinguish benign from visible (pre-)malignant lesions using our methods (ROC-AUC<0.65). The observed significant differences between healthy tissue and surroundings/contralateral positions of lesions might be useful for invisible tissue alteration detection. Diana C. G. De Veld, Marina Skurichina, Max J. H. [...]

10/2/2004 LONDON, UK Associated Press Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has been given the all clear after undergoing radiation therapy for throat cancer. Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has won a battle with throat cancer, lead singer Mick Jagger was quoted as telling a newspaper Saturday. Watts, 63, was diagnosed with cancer four months ago and recently finished a successful six-week chemotherapy treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital near his home in London's Chelsea district. "Charlie has had all his treatments and he's now been cleared and is free of any illness," Jagger told the Daily Mirror. Watts learned of the disease after finding a lump on the side of his neck. In June, a biopsy confirmed the tumour was malignant, and Watts began preparing for radiation treatment. The chemotherapy left Watts weak, and he will spend time recovering with his wife, Shirley, at their manor house in Devon in western England before going back to work, the Mirror reported. The drummer has recently split his time between the Stones and his jazz band, Tentet. Jagger told the newspaper that he hoped to record new material and schedule a tour in the near future. "Keith Richards and I have been writing lots of songs for the new Rolling Stones album," Jagger said. "We haven't booked the tour yet and when we do we'll let you know, but there will definitely be another one."

10/2/2004 Baltimore, MD Tom Dunkel Baltimore Sun (online edition) Life is full of surprises, and Karen Ulmer got a well-deserved one this week when about 30 family members and colleagues ambushed her at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. There were hugs. There were flowers. There was - oh, no! - Ulmer's 5-year-old son, Joshua, prematurely poking his finger into a sheet cake decorated with pink-icing script that read "Congratulations Karen." The cause for celebration was hospital director Larry Merlis' announcement that Ulmer is one of 15 nurses nationwide who've been selected for outstanding service awards by apparel manufacturer Cherokee Uniforms. "I'm very touched and honored," said Ulmer, who had that familiar, glazed-eye look of somebody whose doorbell had just been rung by the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol. Unfortunately, Karen Ulmer couldn't eat a piece of her own cake. She was recognized by the company for her devotion to head and neck cancer patients. It is an empathy that comes, in part, from first-hand experience: Ulmer, 36, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 17 years ago and has undergone more than a dozen operations and surgical procedures. She sometimes attends the same cancer-survivor support groups as her patients. "Anyone who has read or heard her story knows she's an inspiration," said KerriAnn Schenck, nursing supervisor for the fifth-floor surgical in-patient unit where Ulmer works. Her vocal chords have been damaged by radiation treatments. She has had several tracheostomies done on her throat, inserting tubes to relieve breathing problems. She can nibble some [...]

10/1/2004 ANN ARBOR, MI By Sheri Hall The Detroit News Americans listen to stars' pitches, U-M scientist says. — A University of Michigan researcher says he’s found a magic potion that may convince Americans to quit smoking, get regular check-ups and take their medicine: Stardom. Jack Klugman for oral cancer detection Dr. A. Mark Fendrick — who studies factors that influence health behavior — found that while people often ignore their spouses and even their doctors when it comes to health issues — they will listen to celebrities. “Americans are star-struck,” Fendrick said. “They buy the shoes that stars wear, they drink the soft drinks they drink, so it follows that they’ll go ahead and follow their healthy lifestyles.” Blythe Danner for oral cancer screening Fendrick’s initial study, published last year, tracked colon cancer screenings after NBC’s “Today Show” host Katie Couric underwent an on-air colonoscopy test in 2001. She became an advocate for the screenings after her husband died of colon cancer in 1998. “The second she went on TV, I thought of the idea,” Fendrick said. For nine months after Couric’s on-air test, Fendrick and his fellow researchers surveyed 400 gastrointestinal doctors in 22 states to find out how many colonoscopies they performed weekly. And the researchers tracked the tests among 44,000 patients in a Michigan health maintenance organization. Researchers found a 20 percent increase in the screenings in both groups. “Before Katie, there had been a tremendous effort in encouraging people to get colon cancer screenings, and [...]