Plasmonic nanobubbles can detect and kill only cancer cells

Source: www.azonano.com Author: staff The first preclinical study of a new Rice University-developed anti-cancer technology found that a novel combination of existing clinical treatments can instantaneously detect and kill only cancer cells — often by blowing them apart — without harming surrounding normal organs. The research, which is available online this week Nature Medicine, reports that Rice’s “quadrapeutics” technology was 17 times more efficient than conventional chemoradiation therapy against aggressive, drug-resistant head and neck tumors. The work was conducted by researchers from Rice, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Northeastern University. “We address aggressive cancers that cannot be efficiently and safely treated today,” said Rice scientist Dmitri Lapotko, the study’s lead investigator. “Surgeons often cannot fully remove tumors that are intertwined with important organs. Chemotherapy and radiation are commonly used to treat the residual portions of these tumors, but some tumors become resistant to chemoradiation. Quadrapeutics steps up when standard treatments fail. At the same time, quadrapeutics complements current approaches instead of replacing them.” Lapotko said quadrapeutics differs from other developmental cancer treatments in that it radically amplifies the intracellular effect of drugs and radiation only in cancer cells. The quadrapeutic effects are achieved by mechanical events — tiny, remotely triggered nano-explosions called “plasmonic nanobubbles.” Plasmonic nanobubbles are non-stationary vapors that expand and burst inside cancer cells in nanoseconds in response to a short, low-energy laser pulse. Plasmonic nanobubbles act as a “mechanical drug” against cancer cells that cannot be surgically removed and are otherwise resistant to [...]

Low-dose IMRT may be safe for patients with HPV-positive head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologypractice.com Author: Laura Nikolaides Lower-dose radiation therapy may be safe for some patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer, decreasing the risk of often long-term side effects, such as trouble swallowing, dry mouth, loss of taste, neck stiffness, and thyroid problems, investigators reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Two-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 93% and 80%, respectively, among 62 patients with operable stage III/IVA HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma who received lower-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) after clinical complete response to induction chemotherapy, reported Dr. Anthony Cmelak, professor of radiation oncology at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., and medical director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Franklin. Overall, the phase II study enrolled 90 patients, median age 57 years, who all received induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab. The response to induction chemotherapy determined IMRT dose. The 62 patients who had a complete clinical response received a reduced dose (54 Gy) of IMRT, and the rest of the patients received standard dose IMRT (70 Gy). All patients received standard cetuximab along with radiation. Two-year overall survival and progression-free survival for the higher-risk patients who received the standard dose of IMRT were 87% and 65% respectively. Among those patients receiving low-dose IMRT, survival was slightly higher for those with less than 10 pack-years of smoking and earlier-stage disease; in those patients 2-year progression-free and overall survival were 92% and 97%, respectively. However, Dr. Cmelak does not yet recommend modifying regimens for patients with [...]

Internal lymphedema causes swallow dysfunction among patients with head and neck cancer

Author: Bryant FurlowSource: oncologynurseadvisor.com CHICAGO, IL— Treatment-related dysphagia symptoms are likely caused by internal lymphedema among patients with head and neck cancer, according to research presented at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. “Internal lymphedema (correlated with subjective and objective measures of swallow dysfunction,” said lead author Leanne Kolnick Jackson, MD, at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.  “Most of the time patients have silent aspiration, which is most dangerous. So if a patient ever says they have dysphagia, it warrants an exam” including imaging as well as endoscopy, Jackson said. External lymphedema is visible and recognizable, but internal lymphedema—which occurs in up to 90% of cases of external lymphedema—can go undetected, the coauthors noted. “External lymphedema is just the tip of the iceberg,” said senior author Barbara A. Murphy, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Only 10% of patients with lymphedema have only external lymphedema.” Secondary lymphedema and fibrosis are “ubiquitous and underreported” late effects among patients with head and neck cancers, Jackson reported. Using the Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey (VHNSS) version 1.0, the researchers collected patient-reported swallow dysfunction among study participants undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. They subsequently studied patients' swallow function and internal lymphedema, using endoscopic assessments, modified-barium videofluoroscopy, the Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS), and National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS). Endoscopy does not detect internal lymphedema well “for every site,” Jackson noted. “Some sites are not well evaluated by endoscopy.” At 18 months posttreatment, VHNSS swallow/nutrition scores [...]

2014-06-02T11:03:51-07:00June, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Internal lymphedema underlies swallow dysfunction in head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologynurseadvisor.com Author: Bryant Furlow Treatment-related dysphagia symptoms are likely caused by internal lymphedema among patients with head and neck cancer, according to research presented at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. “Internal lymphedema (correlated with subjective and objective measures of swallow dysfunction,” said lead author Leanne Kolnick Jackson, MD, at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. “Most of the time patients have silent aspiration, which is most dangerous. So if a patient ever says they have dysphagia, it warrants an exam” including imaging as well as endoscopy, Jackson said. External lymphedema is visible and recognizable, but internal lymphedema—which occurs in up to 90% of cases of external lymphedema—can go undetected, the coauthors noted. “External lymphedema is just the tip of the iceberg,” said senior author Barbara A. Murphy, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Only 10% of patients with lymphedema have only external lymphedema.” Secondary lymphedema and fibrosis are “ubiquitous and underreported” late effects among patients with head and neck cancers, Jackson reported. Using the Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey (VHNSS) version 1.0, the researchers collected patient-reported swallow dysfunction among study participants undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. They subsequently studied patients' swallow function and internal lymphedema, using endoscopic assessments, modified-barium videofluoroscopy, the Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS), and National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS). Endoscopy does not detect internal lymphedema well “for every site,” Jackson noted. “Some sites are not well evaluated by endoscopy.” At 18 months posttreatment, VHNSS swallow/nutrition scores [...]

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