February 2016 – Oral Cancer News

Immunotherapy Continues to Advance in Head and Neck Cancer

Source: www.onclive.comAuthor: Megan Garlapow, PhD Concomitant administration of motolimod with cetuximab (Erbitux) increases the innate and adaptive immune response in the blood and the tumor microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), overcoming negative prognostic biomarkers of cetuximab therapy alone, according to the biomarker data from a recent phase Ib clinical trial that was presented at the 2016 Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. The trial was recently amended to add nivolumab to the combination of cetuximab and motolimod. Dr. Robert Ferris, MD PhD “We know that PD-1 and PD-L1 are overexpressed in head and neck cancer, and so it was somewhat irresistible to combine our baseline treatment of cetuximab and motolimod with the PD-L1 inhibition pathway. EGFR itself drives PD-L1, so combining cetuximab with anti-PD-1 inhibitor makes sense. So, we’ve amended this trial. We’re now accruing to treatment with cetuximab, motolimod, and the anti–PD-L1 nivolumab in this trial,” said lead author Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, professor, Departments of Otolaryngology, Radiation Oncology, and Immunology, Cancer Immunology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to the authors of the phase Ib data presented at the symposium, the rationale for combining cetuximab with motolimod (VTX2337) as neoadjuvant therapy was that cetuximab induces cellular immunity that correlates with neoadjuvant clinical response. The phase I dose-escalation and safety of the combination had been established (NCT 01334177). This study of neoadjuvant cetuximab and motolimod had accrued 14 patients with HNSCC that was stage II-IV, resectable, and located in the oropharynx, [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-02-29T10:49:56-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer-causing HPV plummeted in teens since vaccine, study finds

Source: www.cnn.comAuthor: Sarina Storres (CNN)The human papillomavirus vaccine was first recommended for adolescent girls in the United States in 2006. Since that time, the prevalence of the cancer-causing virus has been dropping among young women, according to a new study. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared the rates of HPV infection in women 14 to 34 years of age during the years before the vaccine was recommended, between 2003 and 2006, with the most recent years for which data are available, 2009 to 2012. Among girls 14 to 19 years old, rates of infection with the four types of HPV included in the 4vHPV vaccine decreased from 11.5% to 4.3%. There was also a drop, although smaller, in women 20 to 24 years old, from 18.5% to 12.1%. Among the older groups, women ages 25 to 29 and 30 to 34, the prevalence of these HPV types did not change and was about 12% and 9%, respectively. "These results are very encouraging and show the effectiveness of the vaccine," said Dr. Lauri E. Markowitz, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC and lead author of the study, which was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. "Eventually we expect to see decreases in HPV in older groups as women who were young (enough to get the vaccine) age," Markowitz added. Among the 14- to 24-year-old women in the study who were sexually active, rates of infection with the HPV types in the vaccine was only 2.1% among those [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-02-23T12:35:48-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

NCCN Is ‘Vague,’ So Study Clarifies H&N Cancer Follow-up

Source: www.medscape.comAuthor: Nick Mulcahy Clinical guidelines can sometimes be slow to respond to epidemiology. Take the case of oropharyngeal cancers that are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. They are increasingly common in the United States and, as several studies have demonstrated, have better survival than cancers of this type that are not HPV-positive. Nonetheless, one of the beacons in oncology care, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), recommends the same follow-up care guidance for oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma whether it is associated with HPV or not, according to two experts. For post-treatment follow-up, including recurrence detection, "the NCCN guidelines are one-size-fits-all," said Jessica Frakes, MD, a radiation oncologist at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. She spoke during a press briefing at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona. "You are exactly right: the NCCN is fairly vague about when to perform imaging," said Christine Gourin, MD, an otolaryngologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who moderated the press briefing. Dr Frakes and her colleagues have stepped into this informational breach with a new study that might help clinicians gain clarity on the use of surveillance imaging in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer and reduce its frequency. "The purpose of our study is to determine when these patients fail and when they have side effects so we know how to guide optimal follow-up," Dr Frakes explained. The study authors examined 246 cases of nonmetastatic HPV-positive oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma treated with radiation therapy at [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-02-23T12:17:36-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Study: HPV vaccine reduces HPV incidence in teenage girls

Source: www.upi.comAuthor: Stephen Feller Just over half of girls have received the HPV vaccination, but a new CDC study shows it has significantly reduced prevalence of the cancer-causing STI among females who have received the vaccine when compared with those who have not. Photo by Adam Gregor/Shutterstock WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The prevalence of human papillomavirus infection among teenage and young adult women is down nearly two-thirds since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started recommending vaccine in 2006, according to a new study. The study is the first to show a drop in prevalence among women in their 20s, and continues to show decreases seen in smaller studies during the last few years, but researchers say the effect could be much stronger. The vaccine is recommended by the CDC and other organizations for girls and boys starting at age 11, experts say, in order to protect children from HPV before they become sexually active and can become infected. Concerns that the vaccine would influence teens' sexual practices have also been unfounded, as research has shown the vaccine does not make children more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, based on a the lack of an increase in other STI incidence among vaccinated girls. "It's just like putting on your seatbelt before turning on the car," Dr. Alix Casler, medical director of pediatrics for Orlando Health, told UPI. She suggests separating the adolescents' eventual discovery of sex from the effort to prevent life-threatening diseases. Recommendations [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-02-22T13:59:16-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

ASTRO: Study maps distinct molecular signatures of HPV-positive throat cancer patients by smoking status

Source: www.dotmed.comAuthor: ASTRO Scottsdale, Ariz., February 18, 2016, ASTRO -- Throat cancer patients exposed to both human papillomavirus (HPV) and tobacco smoke demonstrate a pattern of mutations along several key cancer genes, according to research presented today at the 2016 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. These distinct molecular profiles of heavy and light smokers who develop HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) may inform decisions related to treatment intensity by establishing additional prognostic criteria for this subset of patients. Researchers examined the molecular characteristics of OPSCC caused by HPV in an effort to determine which DNA mutations predict lower disease free and survival rates among HPV-positive throat cancer patients who smoke. Whereas most patients with OPSCC caused by HPV have an excellent prognosis for disease free survival, those who also smoke generally face more dire prognoses. The 66 cases of HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in this study were split into heavy and light smoking behavior groups based on pack years. This metric of smoking frequency over long stretches of time is determined by multiplying the number of years a person has smoked by their average number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day. Forty of the 66 patients reported more than 10 pack years (e.g., more than one pack per day for 10 years or two packs per day for five years), and 26 patients reported fewer than 10 pack years. “Throat cancer patients who smoked and had a history of fewer than 10 pack years had significantly [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-02-22T12:34:20-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Excitement at new cancer treatment

Source: www.news.doximity.comAuthor: James Gallagher A therapy that retrains the body's immune system to fight cancer has provoked excitement after more than 90% of terminally ill patients reportedly went into remission. White blood cells were taken from patients with leukaemia, modified in the lab and then put back. But the data has not been published or reviewed and two patients are said to have died from an extreme immune response. Experts said the trial was exciting, but still only "a baby step." The news bubbled out of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting in Washington DC. The lead scientist, Prof Stanley Riddell from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, said all other treatments had failed in these patients and they had only two-to-five months to live. He told the conference that: "The early data is unprecedented." Re-training In the trial, cells from the immune system called killer t-cells were taken out of dozens of patients. The cells normally act like bombs destroying infected tissue. The researchers genetically modified the t-cells to engineer a new targeting mechanism - with the technical name of chimeric antigen receptors - to target acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Prof Riddell told the BBC: "Essentially what this process does is, it genetically reprograms the T-cell to seek out and recognise and destroy the patient's tumour cells. "[The patients] were really at the end of the line in terms of treatment options and yet a single dose of this therapy put more than [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-02-22T12:19:53-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

A small revolution in cancer treatment by Belarusian and U.S. scientists

Source: http://eng.belta.by/ Author: Igor Belotserkovsky Scientists from Belarus and the United States have developed a new method for detecting residual cancer cells. This method also contributes to their destruction. This is done with the help of nanobubbles generated in some cancer cells. The method was successfully tested on laboratory mice with implanted head and neck cancer cells. Although scientists are only at the beginning of the road, they call their discovery a small revolution in the fight against cancer. The results of the research titled “Intraoperative diagnostics and elimination of residual microtumors with plasmonic nanobubbles” was published in the prestigious science journal Nature Nanotechnology on 15 February. To learn more about the successes of oncologists, BelTA talked to Igor Belotserkovsky, PhD in Medical Sciences, one of the authors of the research, the leader of the head and neck tumor research team at the Aleksandrov National Cancer Center. Mr Belotserkovsky, what is the share of head and neck tumors in the structure of other localizations? In the total structure of oncological morbidity, the share of head and neck tumors is 3-4% (excluding skin cancer). Larynx and oral cavity cancer are diagnosed most frequently. For example, in 2014 laryngeal cancer was detected in 604 Belarusians, oro-pharyngo-laryngeal cancer in 1,338 people. Men fall ill ten times more often. Despite the fact that head and neck cancers are categorized as tumors of outside localization, many patients with cancer have their disease diagnosed when it has already reached an advanced stage. This is due to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-18T14:45:09-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Immunotherapies gaining traction in head and neck cancers

Source: www.targetedonc.com Author: Greg Kennelty An explosion of immunotherapies is on the horizon for patients with metastatic head and neck cancer, specifically as phase III trials begin to report findings for PD-1 inhibitors. This upcoming wave of new therapies places importance on understanding optimal treatment settings and adverse events associated with these therapies. In late January, the phase III CheckMate-141 trial investigating the anti–PD-1 agent nivolumab was stopped early, due to a substantial improvement in the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS). The drug was put up against the investigator’s choice of cetuximab (Erbitux), methotrexate, or docetaxel following progression on a platinum-based therapy. At this time, data from the study have not yet been released but are being prepared for future presentation. Findings from the study are being discussed with the FDA and other health authorities. In addition to nivolumab, the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) demonstrated encouraging activity in patients with with advanced PD-L1–positive esophageal carcinoma during the phase Ib KEYNOTE-028 study. Additionally, the agent was effective for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the phase I KEYNOTE-012 study. In the head and neck cancer population, the objective response rate with pembrolizumab was 24.8% in 117 evaluable patients. Tumor shrinkage was experienced by 56% of patients and another 25% had stable disease. The response rate seen with pembrolizumab was similar, regardless of HPV infection status. In those with HPV-positive disease, the ORR was 20.6% compared with 27.2% in the negative group. To gain further insight, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-18T14:35:44-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer less likely in women who have more sex; but not the same for men

Source: www.parentherald.com Author: Diane Ting Having more sex partners reduces the chance of oral cancer for women. Unfortunately, men are more likely to become infected as the number of oral sex partners increases. A study suggests that women who have more vaginal sex partners appear to have a lower risk of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The information was released during the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Throat and mouth cancer are linked to HPV, which is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases. HPV is rather common, as most people are treated of the virus within two years. According to the study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), oral sex may increase the risk of head and neck cancer by 22 percent. In the last 20 years, the number of oral cancer patients has risen to 225 percent. Oral cancer is typically linked to lifestyle causes such as heavy drinking and smoking, according to Mirror. Two in three sufferers of oral cancer were men, which made experts question the imbalance. HPV is the same cancer that causes cervical cancer in women. Research states that because women are first exposed to HPV vaginally, they may develop an immune response that prevents them from getting the infection. Unfortunately, research suggests that this may not be the same for men as they are found twice more likely to develop oral cancer. As the number of oral sex partners increase, the risk of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-18T14:27:17-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccination rates are low, especially in Kansas and Missouri, and cancer experts are alarmed

Source: www.kansascity.comAuthor: Lisa Gutierrez The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys starting at ages 11 to 12. But in state-by-state comparisons, children in Kansas and Missouri rank at or near the bottom of the list. John Amis The Associated Press The University of Kansas Cancer Center recently joined nearly 70 other cancer centers across the country to sound an alarm about the HPV vaccine. Many children still are not getting the recommended vaccine for human papillomavirus, which causes head and neck cancer in men and women, cervical cancer in women and a host of other cancers in both. In Kansas and Missouri, less than 49 percent of girls have received the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kansas ranks dead last in the nation, and Missouri is near the bottom. Both states rank low for the number of boys who are vaccinated too. The public call from KU’s cancer center was blunt: The vaccine prevents cancer. What’s the problem? “It absolutely breaks my heart,” said Terry Tsue, physician-in-chief at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. “We have two vaccines against cancers that are caused by virus, the hepatitis A vaccine and the HPV vaccine. Otherwise, we don’t have a vaccine that prevents cancer. “There are thousands and thousands of people dying annually from this disease that could have been prevented had we had this vaccine 30 years ago. We didn’t have it and were so slow in adopting it that for the next [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-02-18T13:37:23-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|