September 2013 – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

Psychosocial services underutilized by those with head and neck cancers

Source: www.healio.com Author: Allen Chen Despite high rates of depression among individuals with head and neck cancers after radiation therapy, mental health services are severely underutilized in this patient population, results of a cross-sectional analysis suggest. Allen M. Chen, MD, of the department of radiation oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and colleagues evaluated data on 211 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. All patients underwent radiation therapy and were disease-free within at least 1 year of follow-up. Exclusion criteria included history of mood disorder, previous use of mental health services, or use of antidepressants or anxiolytics, not including sleep medications. The researchers pooled data from self-administered questionnaires to assess depression rates in these patients. The following scores were assigned to subjective responses of mood: 0, extremely depressed; 25, somewhat depressed; 50, neither in a good mood nor depressed; 75, generally good; and 100, excellent. Results suggested no differences in mean mood scores at 1 year (52), 3 years (55.7) or 5 years (62.1) after treatment. The presence of tracheostomy tube or laryngeal stoma (P=.01), gastrostomy tube dependence (P=.01) and continued smoking at the time of follow-up (P

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-09-11T08:35:36-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer care increasingly regionalized

Source: http://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/ Author: staff Care for head and neck cancer is becoming increasingly regionalized, according to research published online Sept. 5 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Neil Bhattacharyya, M.D., of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and Elliot Abemayor, M.D., Ph.D., of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles, analyzed data for 2000, 2005, and 2010 from a national health care database to assess regionalization of head and neck cancer care. The researchers observed an increase in the percentage of admissions for head and neck cancer to teaching hospitals, from 61.7 percent in 2000 to 64.2 percent in 2005 and 79.8 percent in 2010. A similar pattern was seen in the percentage of cases in large hospitals according to bed size, with increases from 69.2 to 71.4 and 73.3 percent, respectively. No significant change in the distribution of primary payers, including Medicare (39.6 percent), private insurance (33.3 percent), and Medicaid (17.4 percent), was observed for the calendar years examined in the study. "Head and neck oncologic care is increasingly being regionalized to teaching hospitals and academic centers," the authors write. "A better understanding of how care is distributed will improve our understanding of the financial and educational impact of compacting treatment of these patients."

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-09-11T08:30:04-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Rise Is Seen in Students Who Use E-Cigarettes

Source: New York TimesBy: Sabrina TavernisePublished: September 5, 2013 E-cigarettes, battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine in an aerosol mist, are becoming increasingly popular among middle and high school students. WASHINGTON — The share of middle and high school students who use e-cigarettes doubled in 2012 from the previous year, federal data show. The rise is prompting concerns among health officials that the new devices could be creating as many health problems as they are solving. One in 10 high school students said they had tried an e-cigarette last year, according to a national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from one in 20 in 2011. About 3 percent said they had used one in the last 30 days. In total, 1.8 million middle and high school students said they had tried e-cigarettes in 2012. “This is really taking off among kids,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the C.D.C. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine that is vaporized to form an aerosol mist. Producers promote them as a healthy alternative to smoking, but researchers say their health effects are not yet clear, though most acknowledge that they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration does not yet regulate them, though analysts expect that the agency will start soon. Thomas Briant, executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, which represents 28,000 stores, said the study “raises too many unanswered questions,” for [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-09-10T13:01:14-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Ads featuring sick former smokers prompt 1.6 million viewers to try quitting, study shows

Source: Syracuse.comBy: James T. MulderDate: September 9, 2013 Terrie, a North Carolina woman who developed oral and throat cancer as a result of smoking, is one of several former smokers featured in a national anti-smoking ad campaign. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Syracuse, N.Y. -- A national ad campaign featuring a woman who speaks with an artificial voice box and other former smokers living with smoking-related diseases prompted about 1.6 million smokers to try quitting, according to a study released today. More than 200,000 Americans quit smoking immediately following the three-month campaign in 2012, the study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Of those 200,000, about 100,000 are likely to quit permanently, according to the study published today in the Lancet. These results exceed the campaign's original goals of 500,000 quit attempts and 50,000 successful quits, the CDC said. The ads starred people like Terrie, a former cheerleader from North Carolina who was diagnosed with oral cancer and throat cancer, caused by smoking, at age 40. She quit smoking after doctors removed her larnyx and inserted an artificial voice box in her throat. In the ads, one of her tips to smokers is: "Record your voice for loved ones while you still can." The campaign was the first time a federal agency developed and placed paid advertisements for a national tobacco education campaign. The $54 million campaign encouraged people to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, a toll-free number to access quit support [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-09-10T13:04:50-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

(S)-N′-Nitrosonornicotine, a constituent of smokeless tobacco, is a powerful oral cavity carcinogen in rats

Source: Oxford Journals Abstract Currently, smokeless tobacco products are being proposed as an alternative mode of tobacco use associated with less harm. All of these products contain the tobacco-specific carcinogen N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN). The major form of NNN in tobacco products is (S)-NNN, shown in this study to induce a total of 89 benign and malignant oral cavity tumors in a group of 20 male F-344 rats treated chronically with 14 p.p.m. in the drinking water. The opposite enantiomer (R)-NNN was weakly active, but synergistically enhanced the carcinogenicity of (S)-NNN. Thus, (S)-NNN is identified for the first time as a strong oral cavity carcinogen in smokeless tobacco products and should be significantly reduced or removed from these products without delay in order to prevent debilitating and deadly oral cavity cancer in people who use them. Abbreviations: HPLC = high-performance liquid chromatography NNK = 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone NNN = N′-nitrosonornicotine POB = pyridyloxobutyl * This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2013-09-09T11:37:03-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

The lack of evidence for PET or PET/CT surveillance of patients with treated lymphoma, colorectal cancer, and head and neck cancer: a systematic review

Source: jnm.snmjournals.org Authors: Kamal Patel et al PET and PET/CT are widely used for surveillance of patients after cancer treatments. We conducted a systematic review to assess the diagnostic accuracy and clinical impact of PET and PET/CT used for surveillance in several cancers. Methods: We searched MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases from 1996 to March 2012 for English-language studies of PET or PET/CT used for surveillance of patients with lymphoma, colorectal cancer, or head and neck cancer. We included prospective or retrospective studies that reported test accuracy and comparative studies that assessed clinical impact. Results: Twelve studies met our inclusion criteria: 6 lymphoma (n = 767 patients), 2 colorectal cancer (n = 96), and 4 head and neck cancer (n = 194). All studies lacked a uniform definition of surveillance and scan protocols. Half the studies were retrospective, and a third were rated as low quality. The majority reported sensitivities and specificities in the range of 90%–100%, although several studies reported lower results. The only randomized controlled trial, a colorectal cancer study with 65 patients in the surveillance arm, reported earlier detection of recurrences with PET and suggested improved clinical outcomes. Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions on the clinical impact of PET or PET/CT surveillance for these cancers. The lack of standard definitions for surveillance, heterogeneous scanning protocols, and inconsistencies in reporting test accuracy preclude making an informed judgment on the value of PET for this potential indication. Authors: Kamal Patel, Nira Hadar, Jounghee Lee, Barry A. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-09-04T07:09:32-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer waiting times ‘could cost lives’

Source: www.rochdaleonline.co.uk Author: staff Statistics released by the Department of Health reveal costly delays that could jeopardize the lives of suspected head and neck cancer patients. According to the 2012/13 Cancer Waiting Times annual report1, 1,252 suspected head and neck cancer patients had to wait longer than three weeks to be seen by a specialist, a delay that could potentially cost lives. With mouth cancer cases on the increase, campaigners the British Dental Health Foundation are calling for suspected head and neck cancer patients to be seen within the two-week referral target due to the very nature of the disease. Without early detection, the five year survival rate for mouth cancer is only 50 per cent. If it is caught early, survival rates over five years can dramatically improve to up to 90 per cent. Between April 2012 and March 2013 over one million patients were seen by cancer specialists following an urgent referral. A total of 96.1 per cent of suspected head and neck cancer were seen within 14 days of referral, compared to 96.3 per cent in 2010-20112. More than 50,000 patients were not seen within 14 days of referral. Cancer waiting times are monitored carefully by the Foundation, which organises the Mouth Cancer Action Month campaign, sponsored by Denplan also supported by Dentists’ Provident and the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), in November each year to help raise awareness of the disease and its symptoms. Tobacco use, drinking alcohol to excess, smoking, poor diet and the human [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-09-04T07:03:39-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Swallowing Exercises Preserve Function in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation

Source: Science DailyDate: Aug. 29, 2013 A study from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) has found that head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation as part of their treatment were less likely to suffer unwanted side effects such as worsening of diet, need for a feeding tube, or narrowing of the throat passage if they complied with a set of prescribed swallowing exercises called a swallow preservation protocol (SPP) during therapy. The five-year study was led by Dr. Marilene Wang, JCCC member, professor-in-residence in the department of head and neck surgery, UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. The study was published online ahead of print in the journal Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery on August 27, 2013. Surgery and radiation (RT) have been the traditional treatments for head and neck cancer but with the advent of improved and targeted chemotherapy many types of this disease are treated with chemotherapy and radiation (chemoradiation or CRT) in the hope of preserving the tissue and structure. Despite the sparing of critical tissue, preservation does not always translate to normal, natural swallowing ability. Most patients who receive CRT have significant side effects during treatment and for a long time after recovery. Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) is one of the most common unwanted side effects of RT and CRT, and is one of the main predictors of decreased patient quality of life after treatment. Wang's study was designed to evaluate the SPP, in which patients had swallow therapy before, during and after radiation treatment. The effectiveness [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-09-03T14:27:18-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Concerned About HPV-Related Cancer Rise, Researchers Advocate Boosting HPV Vaccination Rates

By: Anna AzvolinskySource: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute Advance AccessPublished: August 29, 2013 Deaths from the major cancers—lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate—continue to decline, a trend that started in the early 1990s. Cancer incidence is also declining, if slightly, for both sexes. That’s the good news from the annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, a joint research effort by the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (J Natl. Cancer Inst. 2013;105:175–201). But the study also shows an uptick in rates of anal and oropharyngeal cancer, a type of head and neck cancer related to infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), in the 10-year period ending in 2009. Cancer of the oropharynx increased among white men and women (3.9% and 1.7%, respectively). Anal cancer also increased in both sexes, with the greatest increase among black men (5.6%) and white women (3.7%). Rates of vulvar cancer, another HPV-related cancer, also increased among women despite continued lower rates of cervical cancer. Researchers attribute this rise in HPV related cancers to more HPV infections. “We think that increases in oral–genital sexual practices and increasing number of sexual partners that occurred some 30 years ago as part of the sexual revolution may be implicated in part of the increase in cancer rates we are seeing today,” said Edgar P. Simard, Ph.D., M.P.H., senior epidemiologist of surveillance research. Although rates of HPV infection from three decades ago were not available in the joint report, a trend exists of men and women now in their 50s and 60s having the highest rates of both oropharyngeal and anal cancers. To directly relate HPV infection [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-09-03T14:10:57-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Most head, neck surgeons discuss risk factors, HPV

Source: www.doctorslounge.com Author: staff Most head and neck surgeons discuss risk factors for head and neck cancer, including human papillomavirus (HPV), with their patients, according to a study published online Aug. 29 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Kelly M. Malloy, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted an online survey of 297 members of the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding HPV education and vaccination. The researchers found that the majority (more than 90 percent) of respondents reported discussing risk factors for head and neck cancer, including HPV as a specific risk factor. About half (49.1 percent) reported discussing the importance of vaccinating preadolescents for HPV, with 38.7 percent not relating to this issue because their patients are adults. More than two-thirds (68.9 percent) of the respondents with daughters reported that their daughters had received or were scheduled to receive the HPV vaccine. For respondents with sons, only 55.8 percent reported that their sons had been vaccinated or that they intended for them to be vaccinated. Attitudes toward HPV vaccine safety and efficacy were divergent. There was considerable support of potential future AHNS activities relating to education, increasing public awareness, and advocacy of health policy related to HPV. "Head and neck surgeons are knowledgeable about HPV and show generally positive attitudes and beliefs about HPV education and vaccination," the authors write. "They endorse AHNS actions to improve public and patient education, as well as health policy on [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-09-01T15:58:16-07:00September, 2013|Oral Cancer News|