2012 – Page 18 – Oral Cancer News

Oral cancer and cultural factors in Asia

Source: findarticles.com Authors: Sherry L Priebe, Jolanta Aleksejuniene, Shafik Dharamsi, Christopher Zed Abstract: Oral cancer is on the rise worldwide, with over 200,000 cases diagnosed yearly. The predisposing social and cultural habits related to this disease acquired in resource-poor countries in Southeast Asia remain prevalent among its users following migration to other and better resourced countries. As a result, countries that once rarely experienced high levels of oral cancer will likely see an increased incidence of this disease. Therefore, oral health professionals need to be aware of the cultural risk factors and the resulting oral health effects in order to respond effectively to the increasing incidence of oral cancer. The objective of this overview is to inform what is known about populations from resource poor countries in Asia in regards to oral cancer and its related cultural factors. Introduction: The social and cultural habits that may predispose people to oral cancer are common in resource-poor countries in Southeast Asia, and remain prevalent among its users following migration to other and better resourced countries. As a result, countries that once rarely experienced high levels of oral cancer will likely see a considerable increase of this disease. It has been suggested that following migration from these countries to North America, the habit has remained prevalent among this ethnic group. (1) Increasing the level of awareness among oral health professionals about oral cancer and its related cultural risk factors, as well as developing better early diagnosis are of key importance in addressing morbidity [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-17T05:33:42-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer medicine is stuck in the past

Source: www.technologyreview.com Author: Susan Young Pathologists and doctors are using a 19th century definition of cancer to diagnose the disease, which leads to unnecessary treatment in some cases, according to Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society. Speaking on Thursday at the 2012 TEDMED conference, Brawley called for a 21st century approach to cancer diagnosis; and a modern, genomics-based appreciation of cancer so that patients don't undergo surgeries and chemotherapy for tumors that pose little threat. Pathologists still use drawings made in 1840 to determine whether the cells in a biopsy are cancerous or not, said Brawley. When a lump is deemed to be cancerous, surgery often follows. But as many as 25% of breast cancers and, by some estimates, 60% of prostate cancers could be left untreated and merely monitored, he said. Brawley said the medical community needs to use genomic sequencing to identify the genetic signals of those cancers that doctors need to watch and those that need to be treated. This could be achieved by sequencing tumors from different cancer patients and looking for a genetic "profile" that is associated with dangerous, stable, or benign cancers.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-17T05:13:15-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Young Girls More Likely to Report Side Effects after HPV Vaccine

Source: Therapeutics Daily PORTLAND, Ore., April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Younger girls are more likely than adult women to report side effects after receiving Gardasil, the human papillomavirus vaccine. The side effects are non-serious and similar to those associated with other vaccines, according to a new study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the Journal of Women's Health. As part of an ongoing study and evaluation of this relatively new vaccine, researchers surveyed 899 girls and young women (ages 11-26) within two weeks after they received the Gardasil vaccine injection in the upper arm. The survey, which took place in 2008, also found that while most girls and young women did know that the vaccine can prevent cervical cancer, and that three doses are recommended, many didn't know that the vaccine can also prevent genital warts and abnormal pap smears. "Gardasil is an important cancer-prevention vaccine, but too few girls are getting it. Our study found that young girls do have some knowledge about the vaccine, but they need to know more. If these girls and their parents know what to expect, they will likely be less afraid of getting the vaccine," said study lead author Allison Naleway, PhD, a senior investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. Since 2006, the CDC has recommended Gardasil for girls ages 11-12, and for older girls and women (ages 13-26) who did not receive the vaccine when they were younger. The CDC [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-11T09:43:23-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Emergence of nanobiotechnology

Source: www.thedailystar.net Author: Md. Riajul Hossain Think of the tiny robots swimming through your blood vessels all over your body and fighting your enemies. Fascinating! Isn't it? The picture you are having in your mind right at this moment could be possible only because of the blessings of nanotechnology. When you apply genetic engineering in microorganisms, say bacteria, to attain your goal of curing various types of problems that living organisms might have, can be termed as nanobiotechnology. To define nanotechnology, it is stated that nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Nanoparticles are actually much too small to see with your eyes, or even with a typical light microscope. At the nanoscale, materials can behave in different and unexpected ways. For example, gold is yellow in color, but at the microscale of 25 nm size, they appear red. The target of the researchers in this field is to harness these different and unexpected behaviors of the nanoparticles to make new technologies, namely nanotechnology. Today, we will see how nanotechnology can involve biotechnology and what nanobiotechnology has to offer for us. You need not necessarily engineer microbes for nanobiotechnology every time. Even small nanoparticles could be used to deliver drugs in human bodies, to clear environmental pollutants etc. all of which could be taken under the umbrella of nanobiotechnology. This technology is being heralded as the key to new cancer treatments, energy independence, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-09T18:41:44-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

RNA molecules may help treat head/neck cancer

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid Staff A nanoparticle drug delivery vehicle for small interfering RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecules (siRNA) shows promise for the treatment of head and neck cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of Controlled Release. Dong Shin, MD, of Emory University and Mark Davis, PhD, of the Nanosystems Biology Cancer Center at the California Institute of Technology had previously developed a nanoparticle that encapsulates a siRNA agent aimed at a protein known as RRM2. For this study they again collaborated to evaluate the effectiveness of these particles in head and neck cancer (JCR February 8, 2012). RRM2, when overexpressed in these tumor types, plays an active role in tumor progression and in the development of drug resistance, the researchers noted. Initial tests on head and neck tumor cells growing in culture showed that this construct was taken up by the tumor cells, and as a result growth of the cells was inhibited substantially. Based on these findings, the researchers tested a siRNA-loaded nanoparticle in a mouse model of human head and neck cancer. One intravenous injection of the drug shut down production of RRM2 for at least 10 days, with the nanoparticle being present in the tumor for three days, they reported. Four injections given over 10 days triggered a substantial amount of tumor cell death and significantly reduced tumor progression. The researchers did not observe any adverse effects or changes in body weight during therapy. In addition, the drug had no effect on RRM2 production [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-09T18:25:12-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Exposure to Nicotine and Carcinogens among South Western Alaskan Native Cigarette Smokers and Smokeless Tobacco User

Source: AACR Journals Background Prevalence of tobacco use, both cigarette smoking and smokeless, including iqmik (homemade smokeless tobacco prepared with dried tobacco leaves mixed with alkaline ash), and tobacco-related cancer is high in Alaska Native people (AN). To investigate possible mechanisms of increased cancer risk we studied levels of nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in tobacco products and biomarkers of tobacco toxicant exposure in South Western AN people. Methods Participants included 163 cigarette smokers (CS), 76 commercial smokeless tobacco (ST), 20 iqmik, 31 dual CS and ST (DT) and 110 non-tobacco (NT) users. Tobacco use history, samples of tobacco products used and blood and urine samples were collected. Results Nicotine concentrations were highest in cigarette tobacco and TSNAs highest in commercial ST products. AN participants smoked on average 7.8 cigarettes per day (CPD). Nicotine exposure, assessed by several biomarker measures, was highest in iqmik users, and similar in ST and CS. TSNA exposure was highest in ST users, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure highest in CS. Conclusions Despite smoking fewer CPD, AN CS had similar daily intake of nicotine compared to the general US population. Nicotine exposure was greatest from iqmik, likely related to high pH due to preparation with ash suggesting high addiction potential compared to other ST products. TSNA exposure was much higher with ST compared to other product use, possibly contributing to high rates of oral cancer. Impact Our data help understanding high addiction risk of iqmik use and cancer-causing potential of various forms of tobacco use [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-09T09:31:27-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Snus spat erupts in Norway

Source: Ice News A row has erupted over snuff tobacco in Norway after a state researcher said the government should be promoting it as a way of stopping smoking. Health officials have dismissed the criticisms of Karl Erik Lund, however, saying the substance, known as snus in Norway, is highly addictive and can cause cancer. Mr Lund, of the state institute for alcohol and drug research SIRUS, told Aftenposten newspaper that Norway should start being honest with its people by telling them that snus is “much less dangerous” than smoking. Dr Maja-Lisa Løchen, a professor of preventive medicine at the Univerity of Tromsø, however, told the newspaper that she was “furious” that they had given the story “so much space”. “No research has documented that using snus is an effective way to stop smoking,” Dr Løchen told Aftenposten. “On the contrary, some smokers can wind up using both forms of tobacco.” Løchen added that users, who usually place the snus under their lips to absorb the nicotine, also risk contracting other forms of cancer. She added that the health ministry would not be recommending the product. Snus is banned in many European countries but has a long tradition of use in Norway and Sweden where it is still legal. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2012-04-06T09:53:42-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Swedish Match Announces Market Expansion for General Snus

Swedish Match today announced it has expanded into 7 additional US markets with its General brand Swedish snus. General is the number #1 selling snus in the world and the flagship brand for Swedish Match. Now General will be available in convenience stores and tobacco outlets in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Denver, Nashville and throughout the state of Ohio with its two new flavors in the product assortment, Nordic Mint and Classic Blend. Those flavors were launched in Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia in mid-2011. "These particular markets were chosen because they meet a number of important criteria to maximize the success of the General brand - from local smoking restrictions to the number of adult tobacco consumers and the potential opportunity for the snus category as a whole," according to Clark Darrah, Vice President Next Generation Products. General is authentic Swedish snus crafted from a sophisticated blend of premium tobaccos using a unique GothiaTek® production process ensuring the highest measure of quality. Snus is sold in pouches that are placed inconspicuously under the user's upper lip, and is a form of smokefree and spit free tobacco that is popular among white-collar professionals throughout Scandinavia, where it first originated in the early 19th century. While the category is still young in the United States, snus has enjoyed tremendous growth of over 225% since its first introduction domestically in 2006 and is now about 6% of the smokeless tobacco category. Darrah adds, "Adult tobacco consumers are [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-06T09:44:02-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

The Gardasil Problem: How The U.S. Lost Faith In A Promising Vaccine

Source: Forbes Magazine, written by Matthew Herper Neal Fowler, 50, the chief executive officer of a tiny biotech called Liquidia, was assuming a position common to road-warrior entrepreneurs: leaning his elbows on the seat-back tray in an airplane so he could gaze at the screen of his laptop. That’s when he felt the lump in his neck. Fowler, a pharmacist, figured his lymph node was swollen by a recent cold, but the oncologist seated next to him—his chairman of the board—thought they’d better keep an eye on it. The chairman was right. Over the next week the lymph node got bigger and harder. It was not sore to the touch, as happens during a cold. Fowler went to the doctor, then a specialist who knew exactly what he was seeing: a new form of throat cancer that ear, nose and throat specialists across the U.S. now say dominates their practices. Some 8,000 of these tonsil tumors turn up each year nationwide, courtesy of strain 16 of the human papilloma virus—the same sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. Usually transmitted when men perform oral sex on women, it can also spread through other forms of contact, perhaps even just kissing. His prognosis was good—80% of those with this new tumor survive. His status as a drug industry veteran and chief executive of a biotechnology company didn’t hurt, either. He went from diagnosis to having the primary tumor removed from his tonsil in just a day. His first team of doctors [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-05T21:25:34-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Declines in Smoking and Lung Cancer Mortality in the U.S.: 1975–2000

Source: Oxford Journals Although changing smoking behaviors have had a major impact on lung cancer mortality in the U.S., the numbers of lung cancer deaths averted are only a small fraction of deaths that could have been avoided had all smoking ceased following the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report. Further efforts to control tobacco use are needed to decrease the impact of the disease, according to a study published March 14 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The restrictions on smoking in public places, escalations in cigarette taxes, reduced access to cigarettes, and an increased public awareness on the health issues related to smoking have all helped steadily decrease the number of smokers in the U.S. since the mid 1950’s; however, little measurable information exists in regards to the amount lung cancer deaths have diminished in association with the decline in smoking. In order to determine the effect that reduced tobacco smoking has had on lung cancer mortality in the U.S., Suresh H. Moolgavkar, M.D., Ph.D., of the Program in Biostatistics and Biomathematics at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington and colleagues built independent models based on cohort, case-control, or registry data and adjusted to overall mortality to estimate the number of lung cancer deaths prevented between 1975–2000. The data were distinguished by sex and birth decade (1890–1970), and the prevalence of smoking and lung cancer deaths were considered based on actual tobacco control (ATC), historical changes in smoking rates, no tobacco control (NTC), predicted smoking [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-04T09:10:41-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|