October 2012 – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

New gene test detects early mouth cancer risk

Source: www.health.am Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival. The study, published online in the International Journal of Cancer, showed that the quantitative Malignancy Index Diagnostic System (qMIDS) test had a cancer detection rate of 91-94 per cent when used on more than 350 head and neck tissue specimens from 299 patients in the UK and Norway. Mouth cancer affects more than 6,200 people in the UK each year and more than half a million people worldwide, with global figures estimated to rise above one million a year by 2030*. The majority of cases are caused by either smoking or chewing tobacco and drinking alcohol. Mouth lesions are very common and only five to 30 per cent may turn into cancers. If detected in the early stages treatment can be curative, but until now no test has been able to accurately detect which lesions will become cancerous. The current diagnostic gold standard is histopathology – where biopsy tissue taken during an operation is examined under a microscope by a pathologist . This is a relatively invasive procedure and many mouth cancers are being diagnosed at later stages when the chances of survival are significantly reduced. For patients presenting with advanced disease, survival rates are poor (10-30 per cent at five years). Lead investigator and inventor of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-10-04T13:58:21-07:00October, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Photodynamic therapy targets oral dysplasia, oral bacteria

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: Kathy Kincade, Editor in Chief Imagine being able to treat a suspicious lesion on a patient's tongue simply by applying a topical agent, waiting a few minutes, then exposing it to light from a handheld laser or light-emitting diode (LED) device. Imagine being able to treat bacterial and fungal infections in the oral cavity, even periodontal disease, using this same approach. That is the promise of photodynamic therapy (PDT), a minimally invasive technique that first came into medicine in the early 1900s and has been used to treat a plethora of medical conditions, including skin diseases, localized infections, age-related macular degeneration, and premalignant and malignant disorders. "PDT in the oral cavity would utilize a photosensitizing compound and a light source to activate the compound," explained Thomas Mang, PhD, research director in the Laser and Lightwave Research Center at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. "Traditionally, it has been used in head and neck lesions and oral lesions with a photosensitizer given intravenously. But in applications related to early oral lesions and those involving candida and oral species that may be involved with periodontal disease, we look to apply it topically." Distinct advantages Mang has been investigating PDT disinfection of oral biofilm and previously was involved with the development of PDT for treating cutaneous and other cancers while at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He sees a bright future for PDT in dentistry, providing more selectivity and flexibility when treating patients with early oral lesions and microbial [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-10-04T13:43:26-07:00October, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Study: Cruciferous vegetables help prevent oral cancer

Soucre: Dr.Biscuspid.com October 1, 2012 -- Eating cruciferous vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of developing several cancers, including oral, esophageal, colorectal, breast, and kidney cancer, according to a study in the Annals of Oncology (August 2012, Vol. 23:8, pp. 2198-2203). Epidemiological studies have shown that eating cruciferous vegetables -- which include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, and bok choy -- is associated with reduced risk for a number of cancers, the study authors noted. The Italian researchers conducted a meta-analysis of data from multiple case-control studies done in Italy and Switzerland to examine the association between consumption of cruciferous vegetables and risk of multiple cancers. The analysis included 1,468 cancers of the oral cavity/pharynx, 505 of the esophagus, 230 of the stomach, 2,390 of the colorectum, 185 of the liver, 326 of the pancreas, 852 of the larynx, 3,034 of the breast, 367 of the endometrium, 1,031 of the ovary, 1,294 of the prostate, and 767 of the kidney, along with 1,492 control patients. Compared to men and women who ate no cruciferous vegetables, those who ate such vegetables at least once a week cut their risk of cancer of the oral cavity/pharynx by 17%, esophageal cancer by 28%, colorectal cancer by 17%, breast cancer by 17%, and kidney cancer by 32%, the study showed. In addition, eating cruciferous vegetables cut the risk of stomach cancer by 10%, pancreatic cancer by 10%, laryngeal cancer by 16%, endometrial cancer by 7%, ovarian cancer by 9%, and prostate cancer by [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-10-02T10:14:17-07:00October, 2012|Oral Cancer News|