March 2010 – Page 5 – Oral Cancer News

Radiotherapy-induced skin changes and quality of life

Source: The Lancet Oncology Author: Julie B Schnur Quality of life is broadly recognized within oncology as an essential component of cancer care and has been studied extensively in patients with breast cancer.1 Yet, among the three pillars of breast cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy), research on radiotherapy-related quality of life has lagged behind. Specifically, the study of quality of life as it relates to normal tissue effects in patients with breast cancer is woefully understudied. The reasons for this relative lack of attention are unclear, but the results are worrying. Insufficient understanding of the effects of radiotherapy on quality of life can impair doctor—patient communication, inhibit therapeutic progress, and limit a patient's understanding of radiotherapy and its outcomes. Therefore, the report of the START trials today in The Lancet Oncology, by Hopwood and colleagues, is much needed. 2 It makes an important contribution to the area of radiotherapy by looking at several aspects of quality of life (breast, arm, and shoulder effects, and body image). In doing so, these researchers show a consideration of the patient's point of view that is too often absent. The study's findings provide a strong foundation for further pursuit of understanding of the patient's experience of adverse skin changes after radiotherapy. Indeed, at least five areas of future research are readily apparent. 40% of women reported moderate or striking concerns for at least one body image item up to 5 years after treatment, and body image concerns did not differ between radiotherapy regimens. [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-03-04T12:20:58-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Introducing OraRisk HPV salivary diagnostic test by OralDNA Labs

Source: RDHmag Author: Staff NASHVILLE, Tennessee--OralDNA Labs , a leader in advancing wellness in dentistry through salivary diagnostics and a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, recently introduced a OraRisk HPV test. The test is a noninvasive, screening tool to identify the type(s) of oral human papillomavirus (also called HPV). Oral HPV is a mucosal viral infection that is a known risk factor for oral, head, and neck cancers. High-risk types of HPV that persist present an increased risk for cancers in these regions. This test will provide the dental clinician with the ability to establish risk for HPV-related cancers of the oral, head, and neck regions, and determine appropriate referral and monitoring conditions. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, which can be found in the oral cavity, tongue, tonsils, oropharynx, and larynx, affects approximately 40,000 individuals in the United States each year. The most common symptoms of SCCHN include sore throat, earache, hoarseness--and often--enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. Early detection of oral HPV presents an important opportunity to detect those at risk for these types of cancers before symptoms appear. According to OralDNA Labs' Medical Director Ronald C. McGlennen, MD, "The availability of the OraRisksm HPV test marks an important and timely advance in oral diagnostics, because the at-risk profile for oral cancer is rapidly changing." The use of tobacco and heavy alcohol consumption has traditionally been considered to be the primary risk factor for SCCHN, but an alarming number of new cases are being diagnosed each year [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-03-05T21:50:15-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Roger Ebert’s story inspiring local cancer survivors

Source: News Channel 9 Author: Kevin Sims Tuesday on the Oprah Winfrey Show, movie critic Roger Ebert is talking about his battle with oral cancer. That's a fight many folks here in the Tennessee Valley face everyday. And now there's a support group specifically for those survivors. Five days a week, Jeanna Richelson is an engineer at Sisken Steel. 365 days a year, she's an oral cancer survivor. "They found it in the base of my tongue. I had surgery and spent nine days in the hospital," says Richelson. "I had a feeding tube, I was a mess." What a difference a decade makes. Nearly ten years after her diagnosis, Jeanna is cancer-free and is spear-heading that support group for others. "I'm meeting people who are young mothers in their 20's who have oral cancer and they've never smoked," says Richelson. "It used to be the old man's smoking disease but not anymore." When she started her support group last summer, one person showed up for the first meeting. Now they're up to twenty. That's why she says it's so important for celebrities like Roger Ebert to tell their stories. At times, even though she's happily married, Richelson felt like she had nowhere to turn. Now she wears her battle scars proudly. Like the one on her right arm where doctors transplanted a muscle to her tongue. "There are some (victims) that are newly diagnosed and they can see that we have survived it no matter how difficult it is," says Richelson. The hard parts aren't all behind [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-03-05T07:34:53-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

OralDNA Labs introduces OraRisk HPV salivary diagnostic test

Source: www.rdhmag.com Author: press release OralDNA Labs , a leader in advancing wellness in dentistry through salivary diagnostics and a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, recently introduced a OraRisk HPV test. The test is a noninvasive, screening tool to identify the type(s) of oral human papillomavirus (also called HPV). Oral HPV is a mucosal viral infection that is a known risk factor for oral, head, and neck cancers. High-risk types of HPV that persist present an increased risk for cancers in these regions. This test will provide the dental clinician with the ability to establish risk for HPV-related cancers of the oral, head, and neck regions, and determine appropriate referral and monitoring conditions. Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, which can be found in the oral cavity, tongue, tonsils, oropharynx, and larynx, affects approximately 40,000 individuals in the United States each year. The most common symptoms of SCCHN include sore throat, earache, hoarseness--and often--enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. Early detection of oral HPV presents an important opportunity to detect those at risk for these types of cancers before symptoms appear. According to OralDNA Labs' Medical Director Ronald C. McGlennen, MD, "The availability of the OraRisksm HPV test marks an important and timely advance in oral diagnostics, because the at-risk profile for oral cancer is rapidly changing." The use of tobacco and heavy alcohol consumption has traditionally been considered to be the primary risk factor for SCCHN, but an alarming number of new cases are being diagnosed each year [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-02T13:31:45-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Determined to play: man uses air compressor to play saxophone

Source: www.theindependent.com Author: Tracy Overstreet Jerry True just has the music in him. "Anything I touch -- it plays for me," he said. So when throat cancer took away his voice box -- and the air he needed to play the saxophone -- he took up the drums. But that was only until he could manufacture a way to play his Selmer mark VI B-flat sax with an air compressor. "It took me two years to get it just right," True said. True is now back on the band circuit playing in the front row for the Paul Kothe band of Hastings. "We've been playing together for 35 years," True said of Kothe. "He sounds just like he always did," Paul Kothe said. "He has a beautiful sound." True was front and center at the Feb. 21 Kolache Shoot-Out in Elba playing his saxophone with the Kothe Band. The band paused long enough for judges to announce the kolache winners and then for the audience to sing "Happy Birthday" to True -- his 83rd. True was raised in Arcadia and taught himself how to play the sax when his father, a part-time string instructor, brought the instrument home and couldn't make it work. "He sounded like a Canadian goose," True said through the Servox voice simulator he touched to his throat. But the instrument Leonard True couldn't get to work, simply sang for his son. "I was in a dance band by the time I was 12," True said. True's [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-01T19:47:11-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Ipsilateral radiation controls tonsil cancer

Source: www.medpagetoday.com Author: Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Patients with newly diagnosed tonsillar cancer can have long-term disease control and minimal risk of contralateral recurrence with ipsilateral (same side) radiation therapy, data from a large patient series showed. Only two of 102 patients had contralateral failure during a treatment experience dating back to 1970. Ipsilateral radiation therapy resulted in 100% locoregional control at the primary site and ipsilateral neck. "In properly selected patients, ipsilateral radiotherapy to the involved primary site and neck provides excellent local control with a low risk of contralateral nodal failure," Gregory Chronowski, MD, of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, reported at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. "High neck, nonbulky, N2b neck disease does not appear to be a contraindication to ipsilateral radiotherapy in patients with T1-T2 primary tumors. Neck dissection appears to offer reasonable salvage therapy in the event of isolated contralateral neck failure." Limiting radiation therapy to the ipsilateral primary site and neck offers potential advantages over more extensive irradiation. Limiting the treated area minimizes the risk of xerostomia and avoids complications related to exposure of the uninvolved contralateral vasculature, dentition, and musculature. A retrospective review of a large case series from Toronto provided the first evidence that a limited approach to radiation therapy offers good local control and minimal risk of contralateral failure (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2001; 51: 332-43). That analysis showed a three-year local control rate of 77%, cause-specific survival of 76%, and contralateral failure rate [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-01T19:21:16-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Maximal standard uptake value predicted survival outcomes

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: Christen Haigh Maximal standardized uptake value measured from FDG PET readings from the primary tumor of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck predicted disease-specific survival, overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). Additionally, pretreatment maximal standardized uptake value, or SUVmax, for lymphadenopathy was associated with distant metastasis, according to the findings of a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz. “FDG PET scan before treatment for head and neck cancer may help to guide future treatment of patients with high SUV in the tumor and node,” Min Yao, MD, PhD, radiation oncologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, said during a news briefing. Researchers conducted a retrospective study of 295 patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. There were 177 patients who had FDG PET pretreatment and had SUVmax for primary tumor and/or lymphadenopathy (SUV-LN). The three-year local recurrence-free survival rate was 95%; the regional recurrence-free survival rate was 95% and the local-regional recurrence-free survival rate was 92.6%. The three-year distant metastasis-free survival and disease-specific survival rates were both 78.8%. DFS was 63.95% and OS was 67.4%. Primary tumor SUVmax was significantly associated with DFS and OS. A strong association was noted for DFS as well, according to researchers. The three-year distant metastasis-free survival rate was 82.1% when SUV-LN was less than 11.3% and 63.4% when SUV-LN was greater than 11.3. “The findings of this study show that we may use SUV before treatment to personalize [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-01T19:08:50-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Accelerated, shorter course radiation option for advanced head and neck cancer

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: Christen Haigh In patients with advanced head and neck cancer, using an accelerated, shorter course of radiation therapy combined with cisplatin allowed a decreased amount of chemotherapy, thus reducing toxicity, according to findings from the phase-3 RTOG 0129 trial presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz. Researchers analyzed data from patients with stage III to stage IV carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx or larynx. They assigned 360 patients to accelerated radiation with two cycles of cisplatin and 361 patients to standard radiation with three cycles of cisplatin. The median follow-up was 4.8 years. “There were no differences in treatment outcome or in acute and long-term toxicity,” Phuc Felix Nguyen-Tan, MD, assistant professor of radiation oncology at CHUM Notre-Dame in Montreal, Canada, said during a news briefing. OS was similar between treatment groups: 59% for the accelerated radiation group and 56% for the standard radiation group (HR=0.9; 95% CI, 0.72-1.13). DFS rates were 45% for patients assigned to accelerated radiation and 44% for patients assigned to standard radiation (P=.42). Local-regional failure rates were 31% with accelerated radiation and 28% with standard radiation (P=.76). Metastasis rates were also similar with rates of 18% with accelerated treatment and 22% percent with standard treatment (P=.06). There were no major differences between groups for grade-3 to grade-4 acute mucositis and worst grade-3 to grade-4 late toxicity: The acute mucositis rate was 33% with accelerated radiation and 40% with standard radiation, and the late toxicity rate [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-01T19:02:18-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Alcohol’s hidden effects revealed in new National Health Service campaign

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff A new 6 million pound NHS campaign to reveal alcohol's hidden effects warns people of the unseen damage caused by regularly drinking more than the advised limits and highlights drinkers' affected organs while they sup their drink in the pub or at home. The campaign was launched recently by Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron. It forms part of a government-wide strategy to tackle the harmful effects of alcohol and is backed by major health charities. Merron said in a press statement that: "Many of us enjoy a drink - drinking sensibly isn't a problem." But, she warned that: "If you're regularly drinking more than the NHS recommended limits, you're more likely to get cancer, have a stroke or have a heart attack." The Department of Health developed the campaign with Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the Stroke Association. Part of it entails showing a series of strong messages on TV, in the press and outdoor posters, showing how much harm drinking more than the NHS advised daily limit can do to your body. In the TV campaign, one advert of three men drinking in a pub, shows one of them with a semi-transparent body, and as he sups his beer, different organs are highlighted to show which parts the narrator, who is explaining the risks of drinking alcohol, is talking about (for example, when high blood pressure is mentioned, the heart becomes more visible). The NHS advises that women should drink no more [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-01T18:58:24-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Roger Ebert ‘ridiculously happy’ after receiving new computerized voice produced from his own words

Source: NYDailyNews Author: Helen Kennedy Famed movie critic Roger Ebert, who was robbed of speech by throat cancer, has a new computerized voice cobbled together from words he recorded for DVD commentary tracks. "It's nice to think of all these great movies sloshing around and coming out as my voice," he wrote in a column Sunday. Ebert's new voice is a mix of words he said on the DVD critiques for everything from classics like "Casablanca" and "Citizen Kane" to the cult porn film he wrote, "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls." He wrote that he had been using standard computer programs to turn typed text into sound, including one his wife liked where the speaker "had a British accent and sounded like a slightly crabby headmaster." But his own words - taken from original recordings unearthed in warehouses at Warner Brothers, the Criterion Collection, New Line and 20th Century Fox - are a vast improvement, he said. "Yes, 'Roger Jr.' needs to be smoother in tone and steadier in pacing, but the little rascal is good. To hear him coming from my own computer made me ridiculously happy," Ebert wrote. "I played it for (wife) Chaz, and she said, yes, she could tell it was me." Since being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, and suffering numerous surgeries and some near-fatal complications, Ebert, of Chicago, lost the ability to speak, eat and drink. He uses a feeding tube and needs 24-hour nursing care. He has written poignantly about his [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-03-01T12:21:39-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|