2009 – Page 49 – Oral Cancer News

Study on the oral hygiene of patients with oral cavity cancer

Source: Stomatologiia (Mosk), January 1, 2008; 87(6): 21-23 Author: M St Bratoicheva and V K Kondeva Many authors consider oral hygiene an important factor in the etiology and pathogenesis of oral cavity cancer. The aim of the present study was to establish the role of poor oral hygiene in the development of malignant lesions in the oral cavity. One hundred and three patients were interviewed. Questions, regarding oral hygiene were included in the interview. Results showed that 53,80% of urban residents brush their teeth twice daily whereas 65,52% of rural residents brush their teeth irregularly - p<0,001 (chi(2)=23,67). 46,88% of women clean their teeth twice daily. 46,94% of men do not maintain adequate oral hygiene - p<0,05 (chi(2)= 9,21). Regarding the brush, it was found out that 56,00% of females use a hard bristle toothbrush, the same refers to 28,04% of men - p<0,05 (chi(2)= 4,15). Hard bristle toothbrush was used by 48,88% of urban residents and 9,09% of rural residents - p<0,05 (chi(2)= 5,78). People up to 30 years of age use hard bristle toothbrush most often -39,13% - p<0,01 (chi(2)=12,26). The accumulated evidence provides further explanation why oral cavity cancer is more frequent in men, rural residents and in the elderly. Oral hygiene is a factor in the development of oral cavity cancer. Authors' affilation: stomatologii Meditsinskogo universiteta, Plovdiv, Bolgariia

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-28T09:30:56-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Screening for oral precancer with noninvasive genetic cytology

Source: Cancer Prevention Research, 10.1158/1940-6207 Authors: Jantine F. Bremmer et al. Oral squamous cell carcinomas develop in precancerous fields consisting of genetically altered mucosal epithelial cells. These precancerous fields may appear as clinically visible lesions, in particular, oral leukoplakia, but the large majority remains clinically undetectable. The aim of this study was to assess the potential value of a noninvasive screening approach to detect precancerous fields. As a first step, we developed a suitable assay and investigated 25 leukoplakia patients and 20 noncancer control subjects. Exfoliated cells were removed by a brush from multiple small areas of the oral mucosa, including the leukoplakia. Brushed samples were investigated for allelic imbalance (AI) at chromosomes 3p, 9p, 11q, and 17p using microsatellite markers known to show frequent alterations in oral precancer. AI was absent in all (137) of the samples of the 20 control subjects, yielding a specificity of 100%. AI was detected in exfoliated cell samples of 40% (10 of 25) of the leukoplakia lesions studied. Genetic changes were also found outside the leukoplakia lesions. Most frequent was AI at 9p (9 of 10). The noninvasive assay was validated against the biopsy results of the leukoplakia lesions yielding an estimate of sensitivity of 78% (7 of 9) and a positive predictive value of 100% (7 of 7). Altogether, these results show the feasibility of a noninvasive genetic screening approach for the detection and monitoring of oral precancer. This assay could therefore contribute to the secondary prevention of oral squamous cell carcinoma. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-28T09:00:06-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco road takes a turn to the smokeless

Source: online.wsj.com Author: Kevin Helliker About 18 months ago, Russell Stevens gave up cigarettes and took up a new habit -- placing between his lip and gum a tiny pouch of smokeless tobacco called Camel Snus. The 26-year-old Kentuckian says it satisfies his craving for nicotine while exposing him to far fewer risks than did smoking. Like Mr. Stevens, more Americans are continuing to give up smoking, helping to push cigarette consumption down about 3% each year. To help kick the habit, many smokers turn to safer sources of nicotine -- the addictive but non-carcinogenic ingredient in cigarettes -- such as nicotine gum, patches or lozenges. But one method that has been gaining ground as a safer alternative to cigarettes -- smokeless tobacco -- remains controversial. A decades-old federal law requires smokeless tobacco to carry a label warning that it is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. The perils include possibly increased risk for certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. And U.S. public-health officials note that no clinical trials have been conducted showing that smokeless tobacco is an effective quitting aid. Adding to the controversy: Some of the biggest cigarette makers are jumping into the non-combustible market. "There is no evidence that smokers will switch to smokeless tobacco products and give up smoking," Michael Thun, vice president of epidemiology for the American Cancer Society, said in a recent article in the journal CA. Still, popular brands of smokeless tobacco generally contain far fewer carcinogens than do cigarettes, although some studies indicate [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-27T15:06:01-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Refeeding syndrome – awareness, prevention and management

Source: Head &Neck Oncology 2009, 1:4 Authors: Hisham M Mehanna, Paul C Nankivell, Jamil Moledina and Jane Travis Refeeding syndrome is an important, yet commonly overlooked condition affecting patients. It occurs when feeding is commenced after a period of starvation. Head and neck cancer patients are at particular risk owing to prolonged periods of poor nutritional intake. This may be from general effects such as cancer anorexia or from more specific problems of dysphagia associated with this group of patients. Awareness of the condition is crucial in identifying patients at risk and taking measures to prevent its occurrence. Objectives: The aims of this review are to: 1) Highlight the condition and stress the importance of its consideration when admitting head and neck cancer patients. 2) Discuss the pathophysiology behind refeeding syndrome. 3) Review the literature for the best available evidence and guidelines. 4) Highlight the need for further high quality research. Conclusion: Refeeding syndrome is potentially fatal, yet is preventable. Awareness and identification of at-risk patients is crucial to improving management. Refeeding syndrome is caused by rapid refeeding after a period of under-nutrition, characterised by hypophosphataemia, electrolyte shifts and has metabolic and clinical complications. High risk patients include the chronically under-nourished and those with little intake for greater than 10 days. Patients with dysphagia are at particular risk. Refeeding should commence at 10kcal/kg per day in patients at risk, and increased slowly. Thiamine, vitamin B complex and multi-vitamin supplements should be started with refeeding. New NICE guidelines state that pre-feeding [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-26T15:23:20-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Perceptronix sponsors UBC dentistry research day

Source: www.earthtimes.org Author: press release Perceptronix is proud to be a silver sponsor for the 2009 UBC Dentistry Research Day on January 27 with its focus on early detection of oral cancer. This event closely parallels the company's agenda in promoting early cancer diagnosis for better patient outcomes. Perceptronix will be showcasing and demonstrating the use of OralAdvance(TM), a new quantitative cytology test for the early detection of oral cancer. With recent advances in visualization techniques for the oral cavity, dentists are encountering more suspicious lesions. OralAdvance(TM), with its soft cyto-brush sample collection kit, provides dentists with an informative new option for assessing these lesions when biopsy is not warranted or possible. It provides an objective measure of gross DNA abnormality that can give important information about the pre-malignant or malignant nature of a lesion. About Perceptronix Medical Inc. Perceptronix Medical Inc. (Vancouver, Canada) is a private laboratory and cancer diagnostics company specializing in the provision of innovative early cancer detection tests based on quantitative cytology. The Company's DNA image cytometry technology was developed in partnership with the British Columbia Cancer Agency (Vancouver, Canada). Quantitative cytology provides physicians with an innovative cytopathology assessment based on an objective measure of large-scale DNA abnormality that can indicate precancerous or cancerous changes. The company has developed proprietary tests for the early detection of lung cancer and oral cancer using its DNA cytometry technology and offers quantitative cytology analysis of various tissues.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-26T14:20:53-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Nicorette launches 25g nicotine patch to help people stop smoking

Source: Nursing Times Nicorette has launched a new nicotine replacement therapy programme that includes a 25mg nicotine patch to help people trying to stop smoking Nicorette recommends that smokers begin a stop smoking attempt using a 25mg nicotine patch for eight weeks, then step down to a 15mg patch for two weeks, followed by 10mg patch for a further two weeks. They cite evidence from a European multi-centre trialinvolving 3,575 smokers to support the introduction of a higher strength 25mg patch. This study found that one in two smokers who used the 25mg patch and abstained from smoking during the first week of a quit attempt remained smoke free at 12 weeks. Read full study here

Webmaster2009-01-26T13:21:16-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Developing smokeless tobacco products for smokers: an examination of tobacco industry documents : February 2009 (Volume 18, Number 1)

Source: Clove Cigarettes News Blog Objective: To investigate whether development of smokeless tobacco products (SLT) is intended to target current smokers. . . . Conclusions: Heavy marketing of new SLT products may encourage dual use and result in unknown public health effects. SLT products have been designed to augment cigarette use and offset regulatory strategies such as clean indoor air laws. In the United States, the SLT strategy may provide cigarette companies with a diversified range of products under the prospect of federal regulation. These products may pose significant challenges to efforts by federal agencies to reduce harm caused by tobacco use. Internal documents show that tobacco manufacturers, including cigarette and SLT companies, have developed and targeted new SLT products to exploit cigarette smokers. Cigarette manufacturers recognised the importance of entering the SLT market especially in light of health, social and legislative changes influencing the cigarette market and shifting demographics of traditional SLT users. Cigarette manufacturers were initially focused on developing alternative smokeless products for smokers who would otherwise quit because of the changes in the cigarette market. Over time, the cigarette companies appear to have focused their efforts on products designed to augment cigarette use when smoking is not possible, thus offsetting regulatory strategies such as clean indoor air laws. Major cigarette companies’ marketing of new SLT products under established brand names may be aimed at increasing the appeal of SLT to smokers, who are not necessarily interested in quitting smoking. At the same time, SLT companies have aimed [...]

Webmaster2009-01-26T13:07:36-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

HPV testing followed by cytology and repeat HPV testing may improve cervical cancer screening

Source: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2009 101(2):69 Author: staff The use of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing as an initial screening step followed by triage with a standard Pap test (cytology) and repeat HPV DNA testing may increase the accuracy of cervical cancer screening, according to a study in the Jan. 13 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Compared to cytology alone, the screening strategy improved detection of precancerous growths without a substantial increase in the number of false-positive tests. Randomized trials have shown that using DNA testing for HPV—which is known to cause cervical cancer—in screening programs would increase detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) compared with cytology. However, HPV DNA testing also results in a substantial increase in false-positive tests, which lead to unnecessary and costly retesting. In the current study, Joakim Dillner, M.D. of Lund University in Malmö, Sweden, and colleagues compared the efficacy of 11 different screening strategies that used HPV DNA testing, cytology, or a combination of the two. To evaluate the different strategies the investigators retrospectively analyzed data from 6,257 women who were enrolled in the intervention arm of a large randomized screening trial, called Swedescreen, in which HPV DNA testing was used in addition to standard cytology. As seen in previous trials, the use of HPV DNA testing in conjunction with cytology increased the screening efficacy, detecting 35 percent more cases of CIN grade 3 or worse, compared with cytology alone. The strategy, however, doubled the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-26T08:49:12-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Noted Hopkins scientist says research indicates need for effective HPV vaccine for women and men and a simple HPV screening test

Source: www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/news Author: press release A call to explore a broader use of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines and the validation of a simple oral screening test for HPV-caused oral cancers are reported in two studies by a Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigator. Leading HPV expert Maura Gillison, M.D., Ph.D., the first to identify HPV infection as the cause of certain oral cancers and who identified multiple sex partners as the most important risk factor for these cancers, reports her latest work in the November 3, 2008, journal Clinical Cancer Research and in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monograph. The CDC report on HPV-associated cancers appears on line November 3 and in the November 15, 2008, supplement edition of Cancer. In the CDC report, believed to be the first and most comprehensive assessment of HPV-associated cancer data in the United States, investigators analyzed cancer registry data from 1998-2003 and found 25,000 cancer cases each year occurred at cancer sites associated with HPV infection. In additional analysis, Gillison and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute identified HPV infection as the underlying cause of approximately 20,000 of these cancers. Gillison and team found approximately 20,000 cases of cancer in the United States each year are caused by HPV infection. Oral cancers are the second most common type of HPV-associated cancers and are increasing in incidence in the U.S., particularly among men. Add to that anal, penile, vaginal, and vulvar cancers that are also linked to HPV infection, and Gillison [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-25T16:27:22-07:00January, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Study: Do more to help patients quit smoking

Source: www.timeswv.com Author: Mary Wade Burnside A survey of cancer patients being treated at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center indicates that many of the smokers did not quit the habit in light of their diagnosis and some of them were not even advised to do so by their doctors. “It absolutely benefits patients to quit,” said Dr. Jame Abraham, chief of oncology at WVU Hospitals and the medical director of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown. “No. 1, we know that smoking can potentially alter the effectiveness of chemotherapy. “No. 2, smoking can cause many other conditions, including lung cancer and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and smoking can increase the chance of getting pneumonia and lung disease, which can complicate the ability to take the treatment.” The study was the idea of Lola Burke, now a second-year medical student who performed much of the survey work, Abraham said. Burke sent surveys to 1,000 cancer patients, and 200 of them responded. Of the 200 who responded, 52 percent had a history of smoking, but only 20 percent had been actively smoking at the time of the diagnosis, Abraham said. Of the active smokers, 44 percent quit while 56 percent did not, Abraham said. “Another thing we found was that 40 percent were not told by the doctors to quit,” he added. “They didn’t even hear this from their doctors or their health-care provider.” Bruce Adkins, director of the Division of Tobacco Prevention for the West Virginia Bureau [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-25T08:51:25-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|