7/24/2004 Austin, TX By Linda Marsa LA TIMES An experimental imaging tool could lead to faster diagnosis, fewer false positive results and better follow-up than the current colposcopy. For many women, suspicious results from a cervical cancer screening may be just the beginning of a lengthy, and anxiety-filled, diagnostic process. They often must undergo a couple of follow-up tests and wait several weeks before receiving a definite answer. Not only could an experimental fiber optic device help doctors make a diagnosis much more efficiently than current methods, it also may eventually enable them to do on-the-spot treatment. “This tool could be a real advance over what we have,” says Dr. Daniel C. Sullivan, head of the cancer imaging program for the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. “It has the potential to be cheaper, quicker, and more accurate.” Every year, about 13,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, which has a 92% survival rate if treated in its early stages. The conventional screening for cervical cancer is a Pap smear, in which a swab of cervical tissue is examined under a microscope by a trained technician. When abnormal cells are detected, gynecologists visually inspect the cervix using a colposcope, a large electric microscope attached to a bright light. If they see abnormal cells, they'll perform a biopsy, in which a tissue sample is snipped from the cervix and shipped to a lab for further evaluation. However, colposcopy results are prone to human error: Cancers can be missed, or, in [...]

7/30/2004 By Oliver Childs Nature Biology, Voulume 4, Number 8 Smokers die an average 10 years earlier than non-smokers; so concludes a landmark study published in the British Medical Journal (26 June 2004). This and other findings of the now-famous prospective study of the long-term smoking habits of over 34,000 British male doctors are the culmination of 50-years research into the effects of cigarette smoking in this cohort. "Since the study began in 1951, tobacco has killed around 100 million people globally", commented Alex Markham of Cancer Research UK (http://news.bbc.co.uk, 25 June 2004). But quantification of the risk of smoking has been limited. The results of this study provide some sobering facts and figures for smokers: "It is clear that consistent cigarette smoking doubles mortality throughout adult life" (Reuters, 22 June 2004), remarked Richard Doll, the Oxford University professor who initiated the study and first discovered the link between smoking and lung cancer. However, the news is not all bad: "... we also know that stopping smoking will significantly limit the harm" (San Francisco Chronicle, 23 June 2004), said Richard Peto, Doll's 30-year colleague on the study. In fact, the study found that stopping smoking at age 50 added 6 years to life expectancy. Furthermore, stopping before the age of 30 avoids almost all hazard associated with smoking. The study conclusions are stark for those who continue to smoke, but also signal to those who are keen on quitting that it is not too late to do so. As Peto remarked, [...]

7/20/2004 Onaha, NB BY STEVE JORDON Omaha World-Herald Omaha investor Warren Buffett and his wife, Susan, have donated $6 million for research in appreciation of the treatment for mouth cancer that Susan Buffett received last fall, resulting in her "remarkable recovery." "Mrs. Buffett is doing extremely well, and we're all very pleased that she has been able to resume her normal life activities," said Dr. David Eisele, professor at the University of California-San Francisco. Last October, Dr. Deborah Greenspan, a professor of clinical oral medicine at the university's medical center, found a "disturbing growth" at the base of Susan Buffett's mouth, the medical center said in a public notice. Greenspan referred Buffett to Dr. Brian Schmidt, an assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, who diagnosed her condition as potentially life-threatening cancer. Buffett met with Eisele, chairman of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, who set up a treatment plan involving surgery and post-operative therapy through the medical center's cancer center. "Because of the seriousness of her diagnosis, Buffett spoke with specialists at a number of renowned cancer centers across the country," the medical center said. "She was relieved to learn that Eisele's plan would provide her with top-quality care close to her home in San Francisco." Eisele led the tumor-removal surgery, followed by surgery by Dr. Pablo Leon, an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Six weeks of radiation therapy conducted by Dr. Jeanne Quivey followed. The medical center credited the treatment team and "Buffett's own courage and [...]

7/19/2004 Calgary, Canada Nature Cell Biology U of C professor Patrick Lee is working on using the herpes simplex virus to kill cancer cells. A common virus is proving to be a powerful agent in the fight against cancer. Patrick Lee, professor at the University of Calgary oncology department, has discovered how an engineered form of the herpes simplex virus kills cancer cells. "This is a major conceptual breakthrough in the design of viruses against cancer," he said. The study of viral therapy -- the use of common viruses such as the herpes simplex virus to destroy cancer cells while keeping healthy cells intact -- is not new. Cancer researchers have been studying the process for a decade, but before Lee's discovery, researchers did not understand exactly why the herpes virus is a potent cancer killer. The discovery, suggests Lee, will speed research into viral therapies for cancers. The article detailing the findings was published in the scientific journal Nature Cell Biology. "Lee's work provides an important link in our understanding of how viruses can be genetically engineered to attack cancer," said Dr. Robert L. Martuza, a professor of neurosurgery at Harvard University medical school. Martuza, who is not part of Lee's research team, is a leading researcher in how the herpes simplex virus acts as a cancer-killing agent. He is conducting human trials on the use of the herpes virus as a cancer therapy. "What Dr. Lee has done is identify a cancer pathway, and there are numerous cancer [...]

7/18/2004 Houston, TX See below for authors Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004;130:869-873. Objectives : To compare the survival rates of patients 40 years or younger and diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with those of patients older than 40 years who underwent the same treatment. In 2 previous matched-pair analyses, the patients had been matched for tumor stage, site, sex, and date of presentation but not type of treatment. Methods: Between 1995 and 2001, 46 patients 40 years or younger participated in a prospective epidemiologic study that included more than 500 patients newly diagnosed with SCCHN. We matched each of these patients by sex, race, tumor site, overall stage, and treatment modality with 2 patients older than 40 years. Ultimately, 31 of the younger patients were matched with 62 of the older patients. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard models and accounting for the matched trios. Results: There was no difference in overall, disease-specific, or recurrence-free survival rates between the patients who were 40 years or younger and those older than 40 years. Furthermore, matched survival analysis did not demonstrate a difference in overall survival rate (risk ratio [RR], 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22-2.29; P = .56), disease-free survival rate (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.20-3.33; P = .79), or time to recurrence (RR, 1.46; 95% CI, 0.50-4.23; P = .49), and was not affected by adjustment for medical comorbidities or the severity of cancer-associated symptoms. Conclusions: We found no evidence of a difference [...]

7/17/2004 Washington, D.C. The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Many Black men do not realize the devastating impact that poor oral health can have on their overall lives and livelihood. Unfortunately, African American men suffer the highest incidence of oral cancer and have the lowest survival rate of any group. More than 50 percent of African American men also have untreated dental problems. The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies’ Health Policy Institute released a new report on this problem recently at a briefing at the National Press Club. The report, “Visible Differences: Improving the Oral Health of African American Males,” also recommends several policy options for federal and state governments, dental schools and private companies. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard H. Carmona, who last year led the national call for improved oral health, delivered the opening remarks. As noted in the earlier Surgeon General’s 2003 report, “National Call To Action to Promote Oral Health,” oral disease affects health and well-being throughout life. “Poor oral health has severe consequences not only for a person’s general health, but frequently their economic well-being,” said Eddie N. Williams, president of the Joint Center. “In this society, your appearance and ability to communicate matter greatly in getting and keeping a job. Oral disease and untreated dental problems rob you of both.” According to the report, dental coverage through employers is available to roughly 60 percent of full-time employees at large or medium–sized firms. However, many African American men are not covered [...]

7/16/2004 FDA News Release Changes Designed to Improve Efficiency and Consistency of Cancer Product Reviews On July 16, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to make significant changes to its organizational structure to provide for an even stronger and more consistent approach to the review process for drugs and most therapeutic biologics used to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer. "Biomedical research in the United States is second to none, and it is our responsibility to see that patients reap the fruits of that research," said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "We are committed to creating the most effective and efficient review process possible to ensure life-saving treatments are made available to cancer patients." "This new structure highlights FDA's on-going commitment to finding new and better ways to get safe and effective treatments to cancer patients," said Dr. Lester M. Crawford, Acting FDA Commissioner. "FDA has worked closely with the cancer community to plan these changes, which have the support of many stakeholders in the fight against cancer." "This initiative by the FDA will benefit cancer patients in the future by helping important cancer drugs reach the community," said NCI Director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D. "As NCI promotes research to develop new interventions to prevent, detect and treat cancer, we look forward to supporting FDA's efforts." FDA will create a new oncology office, called the Office of Oncology Drug Products (ODP), to be housed in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). This new [...]

7/15/2004 London, UK Staff writers Manchester News / and Lancet Britain's cervical screening program is helping save the lives of 5,000 women a year and has prevented a cancer epidemic, experts said today. National screening for cervical cancer started in 1988 after deaths from the disease among women aged under 35 increased three-fold in the previous 30 years. Now researchers have estimated that the lives of 100,000 women born between 1951 and 1970 will be saved thanks to screening. Writing in The Lancet, they said that 15 years ago the country was heading for a devastating outbreak of the disease. But since the introduction of screening, that trend has been reversed, at a cost per life saved of about £36,000. The latest research compared falling death rates from cervical cancer since 1988 against the projected increase if screening had not been introduced. Prof Julian Peto, who led the study for Cancer Research UK, said that changes in sexual behavior since the 1960s led to epidemic levels of sexually transmitted diseases. This meant that the HPV (human papillomavirus) infection - which can go on to cause cervical cancer - became more common among sexually active women. Up to half of young women in Britain have been infected with a high-risk strain of HPV by the time they are 30. The virus usually clears up on its own, but if it persists if can lead to changes in the cells in the cervix which may lead to cancer if untreated. These early [...]

7/15/2004 See end of article for authors Journal of Clinical Oncology Preliminary Results of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 97-03: A Randomized Phase II Trial of Concurrent Radiation and Chemotherapy for Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Head and Neck PURPOSE: To define further the role of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with advanced squamous carcinoma of the head and neck. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group developed this three-arm randomized phase II trial. Patients with stage III or IV squamous carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, or hypopharynx were eligible. Each of three arms proposed a radiation schedule of 70 Gy in 35 fractions. Patients on arm 1 were to receive cisplatin 10 mg/m2 daily and fluorouracil (FU) 400 mg/m2 continuous infusion (CI) daily for the final 10 days of treatment. Treatment on arm 2 consisted of hydroxyurea 1 g every 12 hours and FU 800 mg/m2/d CI delivered with each fraction of radiation. Arm 3 patients were to receive weekly paclitaxel 30 mg/m2 and cisplatin 20 mg/m2. Patients randomly assigned to arms 1 and 3 were to receive their treatments every week; patients on arm 2 were to receive their therapy every other week. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 1999, 241 patients were entered onto study; 231 were analyzable. Ninety-two percent, 79%, and 83% of patients on arms 1, 2, and 3, respectively, were able to complete their radiation as planned or with an acceptable variation. Fewer than 10% of patients had unacceptable deviations or incomplete chemotherapy in the [...]

7/13/2004 Collins, Jensen University of Michigan School of Journalism Everyone knows quitting is hard, but what about switching? Some scientists and researchers are suggesting that an effective way to quit smoking may be switching to smokeless tobacco, an alternative that anti-tobacco groups decry as hazardous and reckless. Smokeless tobacco includes moist snuff, dry snuff, plug or twist tobacco and chewing tobacco. Moist snuff, by far the most popular form of smokeless tobacco, is taken in small pinches and placed between the gums and lips, where it delivers the nicotine that the user craves into the bloodstream. Chewing tobacco has been described by many as a particularly disgusting habit, but the suggestion that it can save your life? “That’s something that the anti-tobacco groups in this country are not too happy about,” said Dr. Brad Rodu, professor of pathology and senior scientist at the University of Alabama/Birmingham Cancer Center. “They are not willing to accept the science involved.” Rodu, who has been publishing research about smokeless tobacco since 1994, said that smokeless tobacco is an acceptable alternative to smoking. His university received a five year grant in 1999 from tobacco companies to research smokeless tobacco products. He said this grant money connection to the tobacco industry was well documented in all of his reports, and the grant included a clause that stated the companies could not revoke the grant if the findings were unfavorable to them. He put forth his “harm reduction strategy” in his book, For Smokers Only: How Smokeless [...]