November 2009 – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

American Cancer Society, ENT and Allergy Associates once again partner to fight smoking, especially among teens

Source: www.earthtimes.org Author: press release The American Cancer Society and ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP (ENTA) are once again teaming up to bring a strong and relevant anti-smoking message to teens and ENTA patients through a strategic partnership that includes outreach to local high schools and patient education. “The most effective way for us to fight cancer is to partner with systems in our communities to reach the largest number of people possible,” said Dee McCabe, Executive Vice President, American Cancer Society. “ENTA has been a great partner, reaches thousands of people a day, and truly is committed to improving health of their patients.” “At ENTA, we see far too many patients-each and every week-afflicted with cancer…so our partnership with the American Cancer Society allows us to educate people about the dangers of smoking, and point them toward smoking cessation and cancer prevention” said Dr. Wayne Eisman, President of ENT and Allergy Associates. “We are delighted to do everything we possibly can to help the ACS fight smoking, particularly among young people.” A key part of the alliance is ENTA’s support of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, held on November 19th. Throughout the month of November, ENTA will offer patients materials on how to quit smoking in its 30 offices throughout the Greater New York and New Jersey area. Also, several ENTA doctors will speak at local high schools to teens about the dangers of smoking, how to deal with peer pressure, and how the tobacco industry targets [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-18T16:31:56-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Early PET-CT predicts treatment response of head and neck cancer

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: staff In patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, negative findings on post-treatment positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) predict a good treatment response, researchers say. In 31 patients with clinical stage III and IV tumors treated with cisplatin and concurrent external beam radiotherapy, PET-CT was performed 6 to 8 weeks after therapy was completed, along with a comprehensive physical examination of the head and neck, as reported by Dr. James P. Malone, from the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, Springfield, and colleagues in the November Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery. Seventeen patients had evidence of persistent disease on physical exam, CT, and/or PET-CT, and these individuals had surgery for further evaluation. Fourteen patients had complete clinical responses, including no evidence of FDG uptake on PET-CT; these subjects were observed with routine follow-up. According to the researchers, all but one of these 14 patients remained disease free at the primary tumor site during a median follow-up of 26 months. Thus, the authors point out, the sensitivity of PET-CT was 83%, and its negative predictive value was "excellent" at 92% for detection of persistent disease at the primary tumor site. Because of a high false-positive rate, specificity was low at 54%, with a positive predictive value of 31%. Dr. Malone's group attributes the high false-positive rate to inflammation related to recent treatment. The investigators also note that 5 of 16 patients with abnormal FDG update developed local disease. "For patients with abnormal [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-18T16:19:03-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Distinct population of highly malignant cells in a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line established by xenograft model

Source: Journal of Biomedical Science Author: Staff The progression and metastasis of solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), have been related to the behavior of a small subpopulation of cancer stem cells. Here, we have established a highly malignant HNSCC cell line, SASVO3, from primary tumors using three sequential rounds of xenotransplantation. SASVO3 possesses enhanced tumorigenic ability both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, SASVO3 exhibits properties of cancer stem cells, including that increased the abilities of sphere-forming, the number of side population cells, the potential of transplanted tumor growth and elevated expression of the stem cell marker Bmi1. Injection of SASVO3 into the tail vein of nude mice resulted in lung metastases. These results are consistent with the postulate that the malignant and/or metastasis potential of HNSCC cells may reside in a stem-like subpopulation. Authors: Chi-Yuan ChenShih-Hwa ChiouChih-Yang HuangChia-Ing JanShu-Chun LinMing-Long TsaiJeng-Fan Lo Source: Journal of Biomedical Science 2009, 16:100

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-19T10:02:44-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Presence of rash associated with improved survival in patients receiving adjuvant Erbitux® for locally advanced head and neck cancer

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff A multicenter randomized trial has shown that patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer receiving adjuvant Erbitux® (cetuximab) and radiotherapy who develop a rash have a better survival than patients receiving this therapy who don’t develop a rash. The details of this five-year follow-up of a Phase III randomized study were published early online in the Lancet Oncology on November 7, 2009.[1] Standard treatment for head and neck cancer is largely determined by the stage and by the specific locations within the head or neck area where the cancer has spread. The patient’s overall medical condition is also a deciding factor. Treatment typically consists of radiation therapy, chemotherapy with surgery, or surgery alone. Erbitux is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the epithelial growth factory receptor (EGFR) and inhibits the receptor’s effects on cellular replication. Erbitux is currently FDA-approved for treatment of head and neck cancer. Researchers involved in an international study have previously reported that the addition of Erbitux to radiation therapy improves survival over radiation therapy alone in the treatment of head and neck cancer. The results of this randomized trial with a 54-month follow-up were published in the February 9, 2006, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. This trial included 424 patients; approximately half were treated with Erbitux plus high-dose radiation therapy, and the other half received high-dose radiation therapy alone. This study now has a follow-up of more than five years. The Following table summarizes some of the findings [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-17T19:52:44-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Neck response to chemoradiotherapy

Source: Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009;135(11):1133-1136 Author: Alexander Langerman, MD et al. Complete Radiographic Response Correlates With Pathologic Complete Response in Locoregionally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Objective: The role of neck dissection following chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer is an area of active debate. Patients who have a complete radiographic response may not need dissection, and the extent of neck dissection necessary for those patients with residual disease is unclear. Design: Retrospective review of data from a prospectively collected database of patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer treated as part of a phase 2 study of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent CRT. The results of post-CRT neck computed tomography (CT) imaging and pathologic analysis of the neck dissection specimens were compared to evaluate correlation between radiographic and pathologic response. Results: Forty-nine patients underwent 61 hemineck dissections. Overall, 209 neck levels were dissected. Radiologic complete response in the neck was achieved in 39 patients, all of whom had pathologic specimens negative for tumor cells. Ten patients (20%) had a total of 14 neck levels with residual disease on CT imaging. Five (50%) of these 10 patients were found to have residual tumor cells on pathologic analysis. Tumor cells were contained only to those levels found positive on CT imaging; they were present in 7 (50%) of the 14 positive levels. Conclusions: Neck levels with residual disease on post-CRT CT imaging warrant removal. However, neck levels without evidence of disease on post-CRT CT imaging [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-17T19:34:20-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Erbitux recognized by ASCO as a 2009 major cancer advance as first SCCHN treatment to improve survival in 30 years

Source: www.vwd.de Author: press release The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has once again recognized Erbitux® (cetuximab) as one of the major clinical cancer advances of 2009. This year Erbitux was selected by ASCO for providing the first significant increase in survival for 30 years in the treatment of patients with first-line recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck(SCCHN).1 ASCO Clinical Advances Report1 The ASCO report, ‘Clinical Cancer Advances 2009: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening’, published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is an independent assessment of the most significant clinical cancer research studies of the past year. Erbitux was singled out for the pivotal first-line SCCHN study, the first randomized trial in 30 years to identify a regimen that increases survival for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN. The report commented that, “The ability to improve overall survival with chemotherapy has proven elusive over the last 30 years in several randomized trials comparing different chemotherapy regimens in this setting. Thus, the results of this trial are particularly noteworthy and are changing clinical practice.” This is the second consecutive year that Erbitux has featured in the ASCO ‘Advances’ list.3 In 2008 it was recognized for extending survival in the first-line treatment of NSCLC and for the role of KRAS tumor status in predicting whether patients with newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer will respond to Erbitux.2 “Merck Serono is honored that Erbitux is recognized by ASCO two years in a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-16T22:39:55-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Terminal cancer patient is given the all clear

Source: www.northamptonchron.co.uk Author: staff A mouth cancer patient who was told he had only a year to live is celebrating after being given the all clear from doctors. In May this year, Brian Barford was given the awful news after he had been referred by a dentist to Northampton General Hospital where he was told he had mouth cancer. The 66-year-old said: "My mouth had been bleeding but I had no other signs. I had no idea – there had been no swelling or anything. "I saw the consultant who said the tumour was too near the vital organs to operate on and there was nothing they could do. It was just a matter of time. "They told me I had around a year to live. "It hit me like a ton of bricks. "I accepted it, though I was never going to give up, but I thought, 'I'm 66, and I've had a good life.'" Mr Barford, from Kings Heath, Northampton, decided to enjoy the time he had left and spend his days with loved ones. He went running, drank beer and, following a two-week course of radiotherapy, took a well-earned holiday with family and friends. On hearing the news Mr Barford had been diagnosed with cancer, colleagues at his former workplace, Phoenix Paving LTD, in Kettering, took their old workmate for a day to remember, watching the cricket at Lord's. With the onslaught of cancer, his weight plummeted from 14 to 11 stone. His wife Susan, aged 56, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-16T22:10:29-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Smokeless, not safe

Source: www.sltrib.com Author: Tribune editorial Tobacco-product marketers face an uncommon business problem: They have to lure new customers to replace the nearly half-million Americans who are killed by their products each year. These folks are smart or, should we say, devious. They know that some people never start smoking simply because they don't like the smell on their clothing and their breath, or because laws prevent them smoking indoors and they don't want to face the social stigma associated with lighting up outdoors or chewing and spitting. And some smart and determined smokers are able to quit for the same reasons. So, these clever marketers have come up with new tobacco products that smell minty, produce no smoke or need to spit, and can be used discreetly. They claim the new smokeless tobacco isn't aimed at teenagers, but the evidence clearly indicates otherwise. They have catchy names like Snus, Orbs and Stride and come packaged in brightly colored, cell-phone-size containers. Some look and taste like candy. They can be carried and used without parents or teachers catching on. And they contain so much highly addictive nicotine -- triple the amount in cigarettes -- and they're so easy to use, that once a kid gets hooked, he or she usually stays hooked. Even better for tobacco pushers, they often move on to cigarettes once they're addicted, and studies show the younger people are when they start smoking, the harder it is to quit. For tobacco companies, it looks like problem solved. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-14T12:28:14-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Medicines to deter some cancers are not taken

Source: www.nytimes.com Author: Gina Kolata Many Americans do not think twice about taking medicines to prevent heart disease and stroke. But cancer is different. Much of what Americans do in the name of warding off cancer has not been shown to matter, and some things are actually harmful. Yet the few medicines proved to deter cancer are widely ignored. Take prostate cancer, the second-most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, surpassed only by easily treated skin cancers. More than 192,000 cases of it will be diagnosed this year, and more than 27,000 men will die from it. And, it turns out, there is a way to prevent many cases of prostate cancer. A large and rigorous study found that a generic drug, finasteride, costing about $2 a day, could prevent as many as 50,000 cases each year. Another study found that finasteride’s close cousin, dutasteride, about $3.50 a day, has the same effect. Nevertheless, researchers say, the drugs that work are largely ignored. And supplements that have been shown to be not just ineffective but possibly harmful are taken by men hoping to protect themselves from prostate cancer. As the nation’s war on cancer continues, with little change in the overall cancer mortality rate, many experts on cancer and public health say more attention should be paid to prevention. But prevention has proved more difficult than many imagined. It has been devilishly difficult to show conclusively that something simple like eating more fruits and vegetables or exercising regularly helps. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-14T09:23:01-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Mouth is indicator of overall health, says dental school professor

Source: www.sciencedaily.com Author: staff One day in medical clinics, the big picture of a patient's state of health may be found in little pictures from the mouth, says Li Mao, MD, a new professor at the University of Maryland Dental School. The mouth or oral cavity area is an excellent indicator of the whole body's health, says Mao, who is the chair of the new Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences at the School. Mao recently joined the Dental School to be at the forefront of a movement to retool dental education, he says, to make dentists practice more within the bigger health care community. Future lung cancer prevention trials, for example, could soon be designed so that surface tissues inside the cheek could be checked to detect tobacco-induced damage in the lungs, according to a study led by Mao last year published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. "We hypothesized that tobacco-induced molecular alterations in the oral epithelium are similar to those in the lungs," says Mao. "This might have broader implications for using the mouth as a diagnostic indicator for general health." University of Maryland Dental School Dean Christian S. Stohler, DMD, DrMedDent, a leader in the movement to retool dental education, says, "I feel that dentists should play a major role in prevention of cancer and Dr. Mao is the leading oral cancer researcher in the country. He crosses the bridge between medicine and dentistry. Being a physician helps expand dental health care and he wants to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-13T14:11:41-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|