Even Though It Kills Almost One Quebecer Every Day, 61% of People Know Little About Oral Cancer

4/24/2004 MONTREAL,Canada CNW Telbec Although it is one of the deadliest cancers and kills almost one Quebecer every day, 61% of people still know little about oral cancer. In addition, 20% of those surveyed were unable to name a single possible cause of the disease, and 36% named other causes, probably incorrect ones. These were the findings of a huge survey of 1,000 adult Quebecers by the SOM-R firm, commissioned by the Ordre des dentistes du Québec (ODQ), and conducted from March 24 to 31 this year. "It just goes to show that we have to make an effort to inform people about this disease," said Dr. Robert Salois, ODQ President, who was attending a screening clinic held today at Carrefour Laval. The ODQ and members of dental societies have been holding all sorts of oral cancer awareness and screening activities across the province, in fact, since early April. Causes that could be better known Aside from a general lack of knowledge about oral cancer, Quebecers are ill informed about its causes. It seems that 63% of those surveyed mentioned smoking as the main cause, 7% cited poor nutrition, 6% said alcohol, and 36% gave other causes. One person in five (20%) was unable to name a single cause. The ODQ reminds everyone that heavy smoking and drinking are the main risk factors for oral cancer. Although separately they can both cause this type of cancer, when combined they multiply the risk. "A heavy smoker is 18 times more likely [...]

2009-03-22T22:44:41-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

New Data Describes Tumor-Killing Activity Of Introgen

4/22/2004 Austin, Texas Recent preclinical studies provide new insight into the molecular pathways by which p53, the active component of Introgen Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ: INGN) Advexin therapy, kills tumor cells. These preclinical studies were undertaken in order to provide additional molecular data supporting the clinical benefit observed during the clinical development of Advexin, now in phase 3 trials for the treatment of head and neck cancer. The studies were conducted by Introgen’s collaborators at Okayama University in Japan and at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and were published earlier this year in an issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Introgen has previously sponsored studies in Japan which include a phase 1-2 trial in non-small cell lung cancer and a phase 2 trial in esophageal cancer. These recently reported findings add substantially to our knowledge of the timing and expression levels of p53 and genes that are activated by p53 protein after the delivery of Advexin therapy. The p53 protein and gene functions as a tumor suppressor by arresting cell growth, inducing programmed cell death, causing cancer cells to differentiate, and inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels required to support tumor growth. Preclinical and early clinical studies with Advexin have shown that delivery of the p53 gene to cancer cells can provide therapeutic benefit by reducing tumor volume, halting tumor growth, and improving survival. The current study provides additional information regarding the specific pathways that mediate the observed therapeutic effects of Advexin. Lou Zumstein, Ph.D., Introgen’s director of [...]

2009-03-22T22:43:31-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

Oral cancer survey shows dental hygienist’s role in catching cancer

4/20/2004 Dr. D. R. Sawyer, Dr. M. Pyle, Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine In one of the first national surveys of dental hygienists about their knowledge and screening practices for oral cancers, researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine found indications that while dental hygienists view screening for oral cancer an important component of their practice and possess comparable oral cancer knowledge with the general dentist in the private practice, they often do not carry out oral cancer screenings. Early oral cancer is often asymptomatic and if not caught during its earlier stages, the chances of surviving the disease diminish significantly, according to Dr. Danny R. Sawyer, professor and chairman of Case' department of oral diagnosis and radiology and assistant dean of didactic education. He conducted the study along with Dr. Marsha Pyle, Case associate dean for dental curriculum; Meredith Bailey, a second-year Case dental student; and Maureen Vendemia, professor of dental hygiene from Youngstown State University. The 25-question survey from Case was mailed to 2,000 randomly selected dental hygienists nationwide, with 575 individuals responding to questions about their oral cancer knowledge and oral cancer screening practices. The survey findings were presented at the 2004 annual research meeting of the American Dental Education Association and were compared to an oral cancer survey of dentists presented by the authors at the 2003 ADEA's annual meeting. Some of the findings from the dental hygienist survey were: * Most dental hygienists place a high level of importance [...]

2009-03-22T22:42:27-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

Oral cancer survey from Case dental school shows dental hygienist’s role in catching cancer

4/20/2004 Case Western Reserve University In one of the first national surveys of dental hygienists about their knowledge and screening practices for oral cancers, researchers at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine found indications that while dental hygienists view screening for oral cancer an important component of their practice and possess comparable oral cancer knowledge with the general dentist in the private practice, they often do not carry out oral cancer screenings. Oral cancer impacts people. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 28,900 people were diagnosed in 2002 with oral cancers and 7,400 people would died as result of their disease. The overall five-year survival rate was 56 percent. Early oral cancer is often asymptomatic and if not caught during its earlier stages, the chances of surviving the disease diminish significantly, according to Dr. Danny R. Sawyer, professor and chairman of Case’ department of oral diagnosis and radiology and assistant dean of didactic education. He conducted the study along with Dr. Marsha Pyle, Case associate dean for dental curriculum; Meredith Bailey, a second-year Case dental student; and Maureen Vendemia, professor of dental hygiene from Youngstown State University. The 25-question survey from Case was mailed to 2,000 randomly selected dental hygienists nationwide, with 575 individuals responding to questions about their oral cancer knowledge and oral cancer screening practices. The survey findings were presented at the 2004 annual research meeting of the American Dental Education Association and were compared to an oral cancer survey of dentists presented by the [...]

2009-03-22T22:41:51-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

Easy, regular mouth checkups could save your life

4/19/2004 Stephen Engroff, M.D., D.D.S. PR Newswire What did former president Ulysses S. Grant, baseball legend Babe Ruth, actor Yul Brynner and musician George Harrison all have in common? They were all diagnosed with, and died from, cancer of the head and neck. This form of cancer often gets little attention, but it remains a significant health-care problem. This disease is often missed in its early stages and, when diagnosed in its later stages, treatment becomes extensive and survival is often compromised. Most cancers of the head and neck begin in the mucosal lining and are termed squamous cell carcinoma. They frequently involve the mouth and throat and are commonly referred to as oral cancer. It is estimated that about 28,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States every year. Of the reported cases, 1,380 occur in Pennsylvania and about 350 Pennsylvanians die of this disease every year. Symptoms associated with oral cancer include white and red patches that persist for more than two weeks, non-healing ulcers, persistent sore throat, the feeling of a lump in the throat, loosening of teeth and pain that may radiate to the ear. The most commonly associated risk factors for development of oral cancer are tobacco (smoking and smokeless tobacco) and alcohol use. When these two things are combined, the risk increases substantially. Although a majority of oral cancer patients have these risk factors, there is a growing number who do not have any known risk behaviors. Treatment options depend on the stage of [...]

2009-03-22T22:41:16-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

Routine thyroid cancer procedure may be shortened

4/12/2004 New York Amy Norton Journal of Nuclear Medicine A standard post-surgery routine that can leave thyroid cancer patients feeling run-down for weeks may be largely unnecessary, new research suggests. The procedure, widely used for decades, calls for patients who have had their cancerous thyroid glands removed to go off of their normal hormone replacement therapy for six to eight weeks so that they can receive follow-up care. But in the new study, researchers found that just two weeks off of thyroid replacement was sufficient for about 90 percent of the 284 patients they assessed. This shortened time frame could cut the amount of time that patients suffer the side effects of stopping their normal hormone replacement therapy, according to the study authors. The thyroid is a gland in the neck that secretes hormones that help regulate metabolism. When thyroid hormone levels drop too low, a condition called hypothyroidism, metabolism slows, and symptoms such as fatigue, poor memory, weight gain and depression set in. So when the gland is removed due to cancer, patients must take synthetic replacement hormones for life. However, doctors have to temporarily stop patients' replacement therapy to give them radioactive iodine. Because the thyroid gland absorbs nearly all of the iodine that enters the body, radioactive iodine can be used to destroy cancerous thyroid cells. Alternatively, iodine can be given in a small amount to reveal on X-rays any residual cancer remaining after surgery. When patients stop their hormone replacement, the brain produces more thyroid-stimulating hormone [...]

2009-03-22T22:39:47-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

Health Pros Warn Against Chewing Tobacco

4/12/2004 Columbus Associated Press Health care professionals hope new education programs will prevent teenagers from getting hooked on smokeless tobacco. Dentists say they're seeing more Ohio kids _ rural and suburban _ using the chewing tobacco and snuff generally associated with farmhands and baseball players. Some doctors predict a dramatic rise in oral cancers in the next several decades unless more is done to teach young people about the risks of smokeless tobacco. "It's not (an exaggeration) to say that it represents a little bit of a sleeping-giant health risk at this point in time," said Dr. David Schuller, director of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and a specialist in head and neck cancers. In many cases, users start in middle school and think smokeless tobacco poses little risk. A 2002 Ohio Department of Health study found that almost 12 percent of Ohio high school boys had dipped in the past month. About 1 percent of the girls had. In middle schools, about 5 percent of the boys and almost 2 percent of the girls had. And although 77 percent of teenagers recognize the danger of cigarettes, only 40 percent know chewing tobacco can hurt them, according to a survey by the U.S. surgeon general. To combat the problem, dentists and schools throughout the state are utilizing a new program called Operation TACTIC, for Teens Against Chewing Tobacco in the Community. It includes print materials and a video in which Tammy Smith and her son Tyler tell the sobering [...]

2009-03-22T22:39:12-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

Surgery May Not Help Some Oral Cancers

4/11/2004 San Francisco E. J. Mundell Health Day News New biopsy test could change how doctors treat tumors of tongue, mouth Oral cancer specialists have found a way to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from surgery and which are not. Oncologists typically recommend that all patients with pre-cancerous white patches on the tongue or mouth have surgery to remove the suspicious area. But a new biopsy technique may change all that, Norwegian researchers say. The new findings are "actually challenging things that we are currently doing," says oral cancer expert Dr. Deborah Greenspan, of the University of California, San Francisco. A study summarizing the findings appears in the April 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Oral cancers are strongly linked to smoking and to the use of snuff, chew and other forms of smokeless tobacco. The disease is much more prevalent in men than women, with more than 20,000 cases of oral cancer reported in U.S. males each year. The disease typically begins as a small, innocuous leukoplakia (literally, "white patch") on the surface of the tongue or cheek "which to the patient may actually be completely asymptomatic and can only be picked up for the most part by a dentist or dental hygienist during a good oral exam," Greenspan says. The large majority of oral leukoplakias will not turn malignant but do warrant a biopsy, especially in tobacco users. If pre-cancerous cell changes called dysplasia are spotted during a biopsy, most doctors will [...]

2009-03-22T22:38:35-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

Many teenagers oblivious to smokeless tobacco risks

4/11/2004 Columbus, Ohio Associated Press Health care professionals hope new education programs will prevent teenagers from getting hooked on smokeless tobacco. Dentists say they're seeing more Ohio kids - rural and suburban - using the chewing tobacco and snuff generally associated with farmhands and baseball players. Some doctors predict a dramatic rise in oral cancers in the next several decades unless more is done to teach young people about the risks of smokeless tobacco. "It's not (an exaggeration) to say that it represents a little bit of a sleeping-giant health risk at this point in time," said Dr. David Schuller, director of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and a specialist in head and neck cancers. In many cases, users start in middle school and think smokeless tobacco poses little risk. A 2002 Ohio Department of Health study found that almost 12 percent of Ohio high school boys had dipped in the past month. About 1 percent of the girls had. In middle schools, about 5 percent of the boys and almost 2 percent of the girls had. And although 77 percent of teenagers recognize the danger of cigarettes, only 40 percent know chewing tobacco can hurt them, according to a survey by the U.S. surgeon general. To combat the problem, dentists and schools throughout the state are utilizing a new program called Operation TACTIC, for Teens Against Chewing Tobacco in the Community. It includes print materials and a video in which Tammy Smith and her son Tyler tell the [...]

2009-03-22T22:37:57-07:00April, 2004|Archive|

What lives in your mouth

4/10/2004 Shari Roan LA Times Hundreds of microscopic organisms found in the oral cavity may offer clues to the causes of disease elsewhere in the body. Any first-grader can tell you that if you don't brush your teeth, creepy sugar "bugs" will take over and cause cavities. But not all of the bugs, or microbes, in the mouth actually affect oral health. And not all of them are bad. A vast and diverse community of microscopic organisms — including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa — thrive in the mouth, scientists are learning. Some of them may play important roles in both preserving health and causing diseases, says Dr. David Relman, an associate professor of microbiology at Stanford University. "We already know so much about so many disease-causing agents that it tends to give you the feeling that there is no reason to be going out and trying to find others," he says. But the causes of many diseases remain unknown — and the mouth appears to be a good place to look for clues. "We are increasingly becoming aware of the connection between the oral cavity and the body," says Donna Mager, a researcher at the Forsyth Institute, an independent research center in Boston. "Whatever grows in the oral cavity could have an impact on what happens to the body." Research by Relman and Mager is helping to advance this notion. In his lab, Relman samples the region in the mouth called the subgingival crevice, the deep space between the [...]

2009-03-22T22:37:21-07:00April, 2004|Archive|
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