July 2009 – Page 4 – Oral Cancer News

Gefitinib shows promise as treatment for advanced head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Source: www.docguide.com Author: Louise Gagnon Gefitinib produces a significant response in patients with advanced head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) prior to standard treatment, according to a phase 2 study presented here at the 2nd World Congress of the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO). "We want to shrink the tumour as much as we can prior to surgery, so the patient will have the best outcome," said Shirley Taylor, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, on July 9. Taylor noted that patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma on the head and neck face a poor prognosis with standard treatments of surgery and radiation, so clinicians are exploring other therapies to improve prognosis for this patient population. Since epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed in cSCC, it was logical to use a compound that inhibits the catalytic activity of the tyrosine kinase, explained Taylor. "It is a more targeted therapy," noted Taylor. The study enrolled 23 patients, 22 of whom were evaluable for responses and toxicities to gefitinib. Patients received oral gefitinib 250 mg/day for 2 cycles of 30 days each and were evaluated for response via computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 15 days after therapy "If patients showed a response, they continued to receive therapy," explained Taylor. "If they showed stable disease, the dose was escalated to 500 mg per day. If they showed progression of disease, they were taken off the drug." [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-15T04:05:55-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Abbott and Glaxo to work on cancer antigen test

Source: www.forbes.com Author: staff GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Abbott Laboratories said Monday they will work together to develop a test that focuses on an antigen found in many types of cancer. Abbott said it will create a molecular diagnostic test to screen for non-small cell lung cancer tumors expressing the an antigen called MAGE-A3. An antigen is a substance that creates a response from the immune system. MAGE-A3 is found in melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer and bladder cancer, but does not occur in healthy cells. BuzzGlaxoSmithKline is testing drugs that target the protein and stimulates the immune system to respond to it and begin fighting the cancer, which would slow tumor growth or prevent tumors from returning after surgery. One such drug is currently in late stage clinical trials. The molecular diagnostic test will be designed for Abbott's m2000 automated instrument system.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-15T03:58:53-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Peregrine completes patient enrollment in bavituximab trial

Source: www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com Author: staff Peregrine has completed the patient enrollment in its US Phase I clinical trial, evaluating bavituximab as monotherapy in patients with advanced refractory cancers. The objectives of this multi-center open label dose escalation study are: to determine the safety and tolerability of bavituximab in patients with advanced cancer, to characterize the pharmacokinetic profile of bavituximab, and to identify dose-limiting toxicities and the maximum tolerated dose and/or maximum effective dose. In these patients, a maximum tolerated dose had not been reached even at the highest planned dose level. Peregrine has now begun designing additional bavituximab cancer trials based on findings from this Phase I study, and its Phase II combination therapy trials in breast and lung cancer. The trial enrolled patients with breast, colorectal, pancreatic, liver, prostate, and head and neck cancers, as well as melanoma and mesothelioma. Joseph Shan, Vice President of clinical and regulatory affairs, Peregrine, said: "Completion of patient enrollment in this Phase I trial is a significant milestone for the bavituximab cancer program. We believe data from this study, along with our ongoing Phase II lung and breast cancer trials, set the stage for advancing the bavituximab oncology program into later-stage clinical studies.” “The safety data collected from the diverse cancer types in this study are encouraging as we plan for expansion of the bavituximab cancer program in the coming year. We look forward to sharing more data from the ongoing cancer trials as patient treatment and follow-up continue in this study and in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-13T15:47:55-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccine debate shifts to boys

Source: Buffalo News Author: Henry L. Davis New questions arise as cancer tied to HPV is rising in men Parents who face the dilemma of whether to protect their young daughters with a vaccine aimed at a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer now face a new question: Should they do the same for their sons? As evidence mounts of a rising number of other cancers linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a debate has intensified over whether to give the vaccine to males. Advocates say vaccinating boys and men can prevent them from passing on the virus to their sexual partners. Critics still question the long-term safety and effectiveness of Merck & Co.’s Gardasil, despite studies indicating that its risks and lasting power are within the range of other vaccines. But a newer wrinkle in the debate is the discovery in recent years that oral HPV infections — most likely acquired from oral sex with multiple partners—significantly increase the risk of head and neck cancers. The rate of oral cancers is rising so steadily, especially in men, that, if the trend continues, there may be more oral cancers in the United States caused by HPV in 10 years than by tobacco or alcohol, a major study concluded last year. “We should be investing our care and dollars in preventing HPV infection instead of treating the cancers,” said Dr. Thom Loree of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Physicians at the cancer center have begun publicly touting the benefits of [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-15T13:04:17-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Effectiveness of VitalStim therapy for patients suffering in published study

Source: Reuters.com Author: Staff Published Study Demonstrates Effectiveness of VitalStim Therapy for Patients Suffering with Dysphagia A recent study published in the April 2008 issue of the Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology has revealed the positive clinical effect of the adjunctive use of VitalStim(R) Therapy. A leading brand within the Empi Recovery Sciences line of pain management and rehabilitation products, VitalStim is a non-invasive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device for the treatment of dysphagia. Results of the study were also originally presented at the American Association of Speech-Language Pathology Conference in Miami, Fla. in November 2006. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a sorely neglected medical condition which affects 15 million Americans and is generally caused by a neurological disorder or event, such as a stroke, degenerative neurological diseases and head and neck cancer. Without proper management, dysphagia can lead to aspiration, pneumonia, choking, chronic malnutrition, severe life-threatening dehydration, an increased rate of infection, longer hospital stays, long-term institutional care and even death. VitalStim Therapy is a non-invasive external electrical stimulation therapy that was cleared to market by the FDA in December 2002. VitalStim is a portable, dual-channel electrotherapy system that is used with electrodes specifically designed for application to the muscles of the throat to promote swallowing. Entitled "Adjunctive Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Treatment-Refractory Dysphagia," the study details the measured clinical effect of the VitalStim program on six patients with chronic, treatment-refractive dysphagia. The study describes a prospective case series using validated outcome measures to represent different domains and [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-15T13:04:51-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Honey may reduce inflammation in cancer patients

Source: www.onlinenews.com.pk Author: staff A special type of indigenous honey available in New Zealand has special anti-infection properties that may help reduce inflammation in cancer patients, say scientists. Manuka honey's healing powers have been known for centuries. It has been used as a medicine since the ancient Egyptians, who regarded it as a cure all. The Christie Hospital in Didsbury, Manchester, have been using special honey-coated dressings at the Manchester Royal Infirmary since May, reported the online edition of BBC News. "Manuka honey has special anti-inflammatory and anti-infection properties and is believed to reduce the likelihood of infection," said Nick Slevin, a specialist at the hospital. The hospital is buying Manuka honey, produced by bees that mainly feed on the Manuka bush from New Zealand, in bulk. The doctors at the hospital now plan to use it on mouth and throat cancer patients. According to doctors, 60 patients at the hospital are taking part in a study to see if the honey can prevent infections that may be resistant to antibiotics.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-12T09:16:04-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Lessons we can learn from Mayo

Source: www.chron.com Author: Leonard L. Berry & Kent D. Seltman Three goals underscore our nation's ongoing health care reform debate: 1) insurance for the uninsured, 2) improved quality and 3) reduced cost. Mayo Clinic serves as a model for higher quality health care at a lower cost. President Barack Obama, after referencing Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, advised, “We should learn from their successes and promote the best practices, not the most expensive ones.” Atul Gawande writes in The New Yorker, “Rochester, Minnesota, where the Mayo Clinic dominates the scene, has fantastically high levels of technological capability and quality, but its Medicare spending is in the lowest 15 percent of the country — $6,688 per enrollee in 2006.” Two pivotal lessons from our recent in-depth study of Mayo Clinic demonstrate cost efficiency and clinical effectiveness. Patient-first medicine: Throughout its 140-year history, Mayo Clinic has never put money first but lives its primary value: The needs of the patient come first. Mayo doctors, as all employees, are on salary. And the physicians are not extravagantly paid as their salaries are targeted between the 70th and 80th percentiles of a national physician compensation survey that includes the leading academic medical centers in the U.S. No doctor earns more by ordering an extra test or procedure. No doctor earns less by referring a patient to another Mayo physician with more expertise. Core values guide organizational behavior, and Mayo Clinic's patient-first core value guides the more than 43,000 employees. For instance, the head of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-12T09:11:10-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Vaccine debate shifts to boys

Source: www.buffalonews.com Author: Henry L. Davis Parents who face the dilemma of whether to protect their young daughters with a vaccine aimed at a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer now face a new question: Should they do the same for their sons? As evidence mounts of a rising number of other cancers linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a debate has intensified over whether to give the vaccine to males. Advocates say vaccinating boys and men can prevent them from passing on the virus to their sexual partners. Critics still question the long-term safety and effectiveness of Merck & Co.’s Gardasil, despite studies indicating that its risks and lasting power are within the range of other vaccines. But a newer wrinkle in the debate is the discovery in recent years that oral HPV infections — most likely acquired from oral sex with multiple partners—significantly increase the risk of head and neck cancers. The rate of oral cancers is rising so steadily, especially in men, that, if the trend continues, there may be more oral cancers in the United States caused by HPV in 10 years than by tobacco or alcohol, a major study concluded last year. “We should be investing our care and dollars in preventing HPV infection instead of treating the cancers,” said Dr. Thom Loree of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Physicians at the cancer center have begun publicly touting the benefits of the vaccine on males after seeing an increase in the number of throat [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-12T09:00:58-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

RCT treatment for cancer in India

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com Author: staff This information might come as a breather for cancer patients who go through bouts of pain during chemotherapy. Regional Chemotherapy (RCT), a latest development, promises to deliver higher survival and recovery rates than conventional chemotherapy. Cancer specialist Dr Karl Reinhad Aigner, who introduced RCT in Germany, is discussing the possibility with Indian hospitals, including Kidwai Institute of Oncology. Aigner, who was in the city on Friday, said: "RCT is restricted to a part of the body or an organ, making it safer. There are fewer side effects despite the strong effect on the tumour." The drug is administered regionally, in the area of supply of an artery. Aigner, who has successfully treated many patients using RCT in Germany, said: "Side effects are greatly reduced. RCT is subjectively tolerated in 95% of the cases. The quality of life is often improved after treatment." A patient receives six cycles of therapy and requires no major surgery. Oncology surgeon Dr Vijay Kumar said: "When a patient is administered a low-dose concentration, efficacy is less and failure rate high. In RCT the dose is of high concentration and so the efficacy is more." More than 2 million people in India are cancer patients. Dr Kumar said to introduce RCT, infrastructure with required equipment has to be established. "RCT can be used for all types of cancer, and especially benefit patients suffering from oral cancer. Eighty per cent of the patients reach the hospital at an advanced stage," he explained. Note: [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-12T08:55:13-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Capturing cell ‘fingerprints’ to advance cancer screening

Source: www.physorg.com Author: staff Researchers at Northeastern University have developed an early-stage, highly accurate cancer screening technology that determines -- in seconds -- whether a cell is cancerous, precancerous or normal. The breakthrough technology, for which there is a patent pending, automatically captures a “fingerprint” of the cell’s biochemical composition, which is subsequently analyzed by a computer for abnormalities. The new method, which currently can screen for oral, cervical and head-and-neck cancers, is faster, more accurate, and enables earlier detection than current screening methods. Those methods rely on the visual detection, under a microscope, of a few abnormally shaped cells among thousands. Referred to as Spectral Cytopathology (SCP), the technology was pioneered by professor of chemistry and chemical biology Max Diem, head of Northeastern’s Laboratory for Spectral Diagnosis; chemistry and chemical biology research scientists Melissa Romeo, Ben Bird and Miloš Miljkovic; and several Northeastern graduate and undergraduate students. “We are looking beyond traditional methods by focusing on detecting cellular changes that happen in the earlier stages of cancer, which will have a tremendous impact on patients,” said Diem. “Cytologists [scientists who study the structure and function of cells] have the most difficulty identifying pre-cancers in the earliest stages,” said Romeo. “Our technology offers the ability to detect abnormal changes in cells even before (structural) changes become apparent.” Earlier detection combined with greater accuracy—SCP has a greater-than 95 percent accuracy rate compared to 65 to 70 percent for current screening methods—would make a significant difference in patient survival rates. The high death [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-10T15:46:55-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|