September 2009 – Page 5 – Oral Cancer News

High incidence of multiple primary carcinomas in HCV-infected patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

Source: Med Sci Monit, September 1, 2009; 15(9) Authors: Y Nagao and M Sata Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with several extrahepatic manifestations. Oral cancer is one of them. We investigated the association among oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), multiple primary cancers (MPCs), insulin resistance and HCV infection. Material/Methods: Upper gastrointestinal tract examination and determination of the presence of HCV infection were routinely done for 60 primary OSCC patients. Occurrence of MPCs was evaluated between 1992 and 2008. Results: Of the 60 patients, 21 (35%: 15 males and 6 females; mean age 67.3+/-11.9 years) developed MPCs. Antibodies to HCV were found in 26.7% (16/60) of cases. The incidence of MPCs in HCV-infected OSCC cases was 62.5% (10/16 cases, P<0.01 vs the non-HCV-infected OSCC group); for cases without HCV infection it was 25% (11/44 cases). In HCV-infected cases, 10 MPCs with patients, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was the most common outcome (5 cases), whereas gastric cancer was the most common outcome (6 cases) in non-HCV-infected 11 MPCs. In logistic regression analysis, the adjusted odds ratios on staging IV, anti-HCV positive, and over 70 years old were 15.50, 13.45, and 4.46, respectively, indicating that there were significant differences. Furthermore, the patients with HCV-infected MPCs had hyperinsulinemia. Conclusions: HCV infection was strongly associated with the occurrence of MPCs as well as primary OSCC. HCV-infected OSCC patients in Japan should receive medical treatment to inhibit development of HCC. In patients with HCV infection, it is important to clinically examine organs other [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-08T17:24:19-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Group acupuncture to relieve radiation induced xerostomia: a feasibility study

Source: Acupuncture in Medicine 2009;27:109-113 Author: Richard Simcock et al. Background: A distressing complication of radiotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer is xerostomia (chronic oral dryness). Xerostomia is difficult to treat conventionally but there are reports that acupuncture can help. We conducted a feasibility study to examine the acceptability of a standardised group acupuncture technique and adherence to group sessions, together with acceptability of the objective and subjective measurements of xerostomia. Methods: 12 males with established radiation induced xerostomia were treated in three groups of four. Each received eight weekly sessions of acupuncture using four bilateral acupuncture points (Salivary Gland 2; Modified Point Zero; Shen Men and one point in the distal radial aspect of each index finger (LI1)). Sialometry and quality of life assessments were performed at baseline and at the end of treatment. A semi-structured interview was conducted a week after completing the intervention. Results: Adherence to and acceptability of the treatment and assessments was 100%. There were objective increases in the amounts of saliva produced for 6/12 patients post intervention and the majority also reported subjective improvements. Mean quality of life scores for domains related to salivation and xerostomia also showed improvement. At baseline 92% (11/12) patients reported experiencing a dry mouth "quite a bit/very much" as compared to 42% (5/12) after the treatment. Qualitative data revealed that the patients enjoyed the sessions. Conclusion: The pilot study shows that a standardised group technique is deliverable and effective. The tools for objective and subjective assessment are appropriate [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-06T15:57:33-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

HPV virus linked to some forms of breast cancer, vaccine may help

Source: www.digitaljournal.com Author: staff Scientists working out of the University of South Wales have found that a vaccine for the HPV virus could prevent some forms of breast cancer. The study proves another important link between viral infections and more complex disease. Researchers around the world are finding remarkable connections between common viral infections and the later onset of complex and life-threatening diseases. Recent stories have found viral links to prostate cancer, to Parkinson's disease, to skin cancer, to mouth cancer, and to autism and schizophrenia. Some forms of breast cancer can now be added to this list. Australian scientists working out of the University of South Wales announced an important link between the very common HPV virus and a variety of breast cancers. Their findings suggest that an HPV vaccine could prevent these cancers from presenting themselves years later. The research suggests that tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year by administering the HPV vaccine to young females. The HPV virus is the most commonly distributed sexually transmitted disease, and it is well known to have a direct causal relationship with 90 to 95 percent of all cervical cancers. It has also been linked to mouth cancers. The study linking the HPV virus to these breast cancers was published in the British Journal of Cancer and was conducted using genetic probes of cancerous breast cells. The scientists were able to confirm the presence of HPV nuclei across a variety of tissues sampled. "The finding that high [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-05T18:42:10-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Surfers’ Hall Of Fame to honor Chris Hawk on September 18th

Source: www.surfline.com Author: press release In a special tribute to one of the southland's legendary surfer-shapers, the Surfers' Hall of Fame is set to induct Chris Hawk at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 18, 2009. The induction ceremony - which will include the traditional "hands and feet" in cement and presentation of the coveted Surfers' Hall of Fame trophy - will take place in front of Huntington Surf & Sport (corner of PCH and Main). According to Aaron Pai, Surfers' Hall of Fame Founder, the unusual timing of the induction is due to Chris' terminal illness (he is suffering from throat cancer). "Chris Hawk is a local surf legend of Huntington Beach," said Pai. "Back in the day he was one of the best surfers in Huntington Beach and he has been a master shaper since the 70's. We are super stoked to be able to induct Chris Hawk into the Surfers' Hall of Fame." As one of the renowned Hawk brothers surfing clan that includes Sam and Tom, Chris helped shape the Huntington Beach surf culture in the 1960s and '70s. While the brothers often travelled to Hawaii and charged Sunset and Pipeline, Chris chose to make his mark as a master surfboard shaper. During one of these famous Hawaiian trips, Chris met legendary shaper Dick Brewer and was taken under his tutorage alongside Reno Abellira and Davie Abbott. Chris soon became a household name on the mainland and the "go to" guy for many hard-core surfers up and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-05T11:56:29-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Comparison of genotoxic effect between smokeless tobacco (Maras powder) users and cigarette smokers by the alkaline comet assay

Source: het.sagepub.com Authors: S Sardas et al. Maras powder (MP) is a kind of smokeless tobacco used in the south-eastern region of Turkey and in several other countries of Middle and Far East. The present study was performed to assess the impacts of MP and cigarette smoking on the possible DNA damaging effect. Alkaline comet assay, which is a reliable and an important tool in human biomonitoring studies in the area of genetic toxicology, was used in peripheral lymphocytes of MP users, cigarette smokers, and non-smokers while their frequencies of total comet scores (TCS) were evaluated. The mean TCS (±SD) frequency in the peripheral lymphocytes was 14.4 (±10.04) for MP users and 8.26 (±5.38), 5.94 (±3.87) for cigarette smokers (P

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-05T11:50:47-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Ipsilateral irradiation for well lateralized carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx: results on tumor control and xerostomia

Source: Radiation Oncology 2009, 4:33 Authors: Laura Cerezo et al. In head and neck cancer, bilateral neck irradiation is the standard approach for many tumor locations and stages. Increasing knowledge on the pattern of nodal invasion leads to more precise targeting and normal tissue sparing. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morbidity and tumor control for patients with well lateralized squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx treated with ipsilateral radiotherapy. Methods: Twenty consecutive patients with lateralized carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx were treated with a prospective management approach using ipsilateral irradiation between 2000 and 2007. This included 8 radical oropharyngeal and 12 postoperative oral cavity carcinomas, with Stage T1-T2, N0-N2b disease. The actuarial freedom from contralateral nodal recurrence was determined. Late xerostomia was evaluated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-H&N35 questionnaire and the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 3. Results: At a median follow-up of 58 months, five-year overall survival and loco-regional control rates were 82.5% and 100%, respectively. No local or contralateral nodal recurrences were observed. Mean dose to the contralateral parotid gland was 4.72 Gy and to the contralateral submandibular gland was 15.30 Gy. Mean score for dry mouth was 28.1 on the 0-100 QLQ-H&N35 scale. According to CTCAE v3 scale, 87.5% of patients had grade 0-1 and 12.5% grade 2 subjective xerostomia. The unstimulated salivary flow was >0.2 ml/min in 81.2% of patients and 0.1-0.2 ml/min in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-01T20:59:48-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Analysis of factors influencing dysphagia severity following treatment of head and neck cancer

Source: Anticancer Res, August 1, 2009; 29(8): 3299-304 Authors: NP Nguyen et al. The aim was to assess the influence of treatment, tumor stages and sites on the severity of dysphagia following treatment. Sequential modified barium swallow (MBS) examinations were performed in patients who complained of chronic dysphagia following treatment of their head and neck cancer. Patients were selected if they were cancer free at their last MBS and had 2 or more MBS studies. Dysphagia severity was graded on a scale of 1 to 7. Dysphagia grade was compared between the first and last MBS to assess its evolution. Between 1996 and 2005, 63 patients with chronic dysphagia underwent MBS to assess dysphagia severity for nutritional support. Twenty-one patients (33%) had improvement of their dysphagia. Two of these patients (3%) achieved normalization of the swallowing. Twenty-five patients (40%) had no change of the dysphagia severity. Dysphagia grade increased in 17 patients (27%). Analysis of patient characteristics did not show any significant difference between these three groups of patients. MBS is a useful tool to monitor dysphagia severity and to identify aspiration risk. Stages of disease and treatment modality do not seem to impact on the course of dysphagia. Authors: NP Nguyen, C Frank, CC Moltz, U Karlsson, PD Nguyen, HW Ward, P Vos, HJ Smith, S Huang, LM Nguyen, C Lemanski, A Ludin, and S Sallah Authors' affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724-5081, US

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-01T20:53:44-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco giants challenge law

Source: online.wsj.com Author: David Kesmodel, Lauren Etter & Alicia Mundy Reynolds American Inc., Lorillard Inc. and several other tobacco companies filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block various provisions of a new federal tobacco law on the grounds that the provisions violate the companies' First Amendment rights. The tobacco companies said the recently enacted law, which placed the industry under the oversight of the Food and Drug Administration, sharply restricts the companies' right to advertise their products to adult tobacco users. The companies object to such provisions as a requirement that cigarette makers expand the size of warning labels so that they cover the top half of the front and back of cigarette packs, and include graphic images such as diseased lungs. This change, they say, would leave manufacturers with only a small and often-obscured portion of a cigarette pack to print their own messages. The companies also challenged a rule that restricts their ability to publicize the relative health risks of certain products such as smokeless tobacco. The suit was filed against the FDA in a federal district court in Bowling Green, Ky., the home of one of the plaintiffs, Commonwealth Brands Inc. An FDA spokeswoman said the agency doesn't comment on lawsuits. The FDA recently announced that its choice for its "tobacco czar" to run the new tobacco regulation center is Lawrence Deyton, who led antismoking efforts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of the FDA regulations won't take effect until next year and the years that [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-01T12:13:33-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Unlocking the body’s defenses against cancer

Source: Author: staff Scientists have discovered a way of allowing healthy cells to take charge of cancerous cells and stop them developing into tumours in what could provide a new approach to treating early-stage cancers. University of Manchester researchers found that a special type of the chemicals known as 'kinase inhibitors' opened up communication channels on the surface of cells that enabled healthy cells to 'talk' to the cancer cells. "When we added the chemicals to a mixture of healthy and cancerous cells in a flask the diseased cells stopped multiplying and began acting like normal cells again," said Dr Ian Hampson, who carried out the research with wife Dr Lynne Hampson. "Further tests revealed that the chemicals helped the cancer cells form connections with surrounding healthy cells that allowed these normal cells to take charge of the mechanism by which cancer cells divide and grow out of control." Cell division occurs naturally and continuously in human organs and tissue as part of the body's normal repair processes to combat wear and tear but in cancer the cells divide in an uncontrolled way. Dr Hampson says the findings, published in the British Journal of Cancer, are all the more exciting because the chemicals, which were developed with colleagues at the University of Salford, appear to be relatively non-toxic and the positive effect on the cancer cells persists even when the chemicals are withdrawn. "When the chemicals were added to a culture containing just cancer cells they had little effect," said [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-01T12:05:38-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

National guideline released for the treatment of hoarseness

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: press release New recommendations from ENT doctors on the management of a common voice problem in adults and children The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) will issue the first--and only--national clinical practice guideline to help healthcare practitioners identify and manage patients with hoarseness, also known as dysphonia. The guideline emphasizes evidence-based management of hoarseness by clinicians, and educates patients on the prevalence of this common vocal health issue. "Hoarseness affects approximately 20 million people in the U.S. at any given time, and about one in three individuals will become hoarse at some point in their life," said Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, an author of the guideline and chair of the AAO-HNSF Guideline Development Task Force. "In addition to the impact on health and quality of life, hoarseness leads to frequent healthcare visits and several billion dollars in lost productivity annually from work absenteeism." The terms hoarseness and dysphonia are often used interchangeably, however, hoarseness is a symptom of altered voice quality and dysphonia is a diagnosis. Hoarseness (dysphonia) is defined as a disorder characterized by altered vocal quality, pitch, loudness, or vocal effort that impairs communication or reduces voice-related quality of life. Hoarseness may affect newborns, infants, children, and adults of any age. Individuals with hoarseness have impaired communication with their family and peers, which may result in depression, social isolation, missed work, lost wages, or reduced quality of life. "Most hoarseness is caused by benign or self-limiting conditions, but [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-01T08:50:37-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|