2019 – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

How to encourage vaccination against HPV cancers? Drexel study suggests taking a cue from anti-vaxxers

Source: www.inquirer.com Author: Marie McCullough To persuade more people to get the cancer-preventing HPV vaccination, public health groups should emulate a tactic of the anti-vaccine movement, concludes a Drexel University study of Instagram posts. The researchers aren’t suggesting that vaccine proponents spread misinformation on social media, as vaccine foes do. But the study found that emotional, personal accounts with photos of youngsters — a staple of anti-vaccine content — get way more “likes” than the dispassionate, factual messages typical of pro-vaccine posts. “By studying what makes these messages so effective, we can improve fact-based, pro-vaccination messaging,” said senior author Philip M. Massey, a community health researcher at Drexel. The study, which analyzed 360 Instagram posts from April to August of last year, was conducted before Facebook — the owner of Instagram — announced this spring that it would curb anti-vaccine messages. But such content still abounds, because Facebook’s crackdown is limited to recommendations and ads. Before the crackdown, a majority of Facebook ads spreading vaccine misinformation were funded by just two groups, one led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s World Mercury Project, according to a study published this month in the journal Vaccine. Another study, in JAMA Pediatrics in September, found that 13 years after Merck’s Gardasil vaccine was hailed as a revolution in cancer prevention, most Americans still don’t know that HPV (human papillomavirus) is a family of sexually transmitted germs that can cause oral and genital cancers, and most doctors still aren’t promoting the shots. The immunization is [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-27T06:30:20-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Reducing RT toxicity in head and neck cancer: recent research context

Source: www.medpagetoday.com Author: Kristin Jenkins, contributing writer, MedPage Today In patients with head and neck malignancies, studies show that the significant acute and long-term toxicities and poor quality of life (QOL) associated with postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) can be improved by selectively reducing larger radiotherapy volumes. This includes treating just one side of the neck. In patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), however, locoregional failure rates with the omission of PORT to the pathologically uninvolved neck (PN0) have been less clear. As a result, PORT has historically been delivered to the PN0 neck, with several studies showing high rates of regional control ranging from 95% to 100%. Notably, consensus clinical practice guidelines continue to recommend the use of bilateral irradiation of node-negative necks. However, results from a prospective phase II study in 72 patients with primary HNSCC and high-risk pathology features now suggest that PORT to the PNo neck can be eliminated without sacrificing excellent disease control or QOL. At a median follow-up of 53 months, absolute regional control in the unirradiated neck was 97%, even though 67 patients (93%) had stage III/IV disease and 71% of tumors involved or crossed midline. No patient received contralateral neck PORT, and 17 patients (24%) were treated for the primary neck tumor only, said Wade Thorstad, MD, of Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues. The 5-year rates of local control, regional control, progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were 84%, 93%, 60%, and 64%, respectively, they reported [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-21T12:57:43-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Studies confirm HPV shot is safe

Source: www.webmd.com Author: Serena Gordon, HealthDay Reporter The HPV vaccine gives parents a chance to prevent their children from developing some types of cancer, and two new studies reaffirm what past research has found -- the vaccine is safe. The two studies included millions of doses of Gardasil 9 vaccine, the only vaccine currently used in the United States for the prevention of HPV-related cancers. "The data from our study were very reassuring. We saw nothing unexpected or surprising. With Gardasil 9, we can now prevent a large portion of cervical, oropharyngeal [mouth, tongue and throat] and other cancers," said one of the studies' lead author, Dr. James Donahue. He's an epidemiologist with the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Wisconsin. The studies and an accompanying editorial were published Nov. 18 in the journal Pediatrics. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus. It's estimated that 79 million people in the United States are already infected with HPV. Around 14 million new infections with HPV occur every year. About half of those are teens and young adults, according to the editorial. Sometimes these infections get better on their own, but many do not. HPV is responsible for more than 33,000 cancers each year -- 20,000 in women and 13,000 in men. Routine use of the Gardasil 9 vaccine could prevent about 90% of these cancers, the editorial said. Yet editorial author Dr. H. Cody Meissner, from Tufts University Medical Center in Boston, noted that the rates of immunization with the HPV [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-19T14:17:53-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Survivorship clinic helps patients with what comes after head and neck cancer

Source: www.pittwire.pitt.edu/ Author: Gavin Jenkins, excerpted from the fall 2019 issue of Pitt Med magazine Jonas Johnson presses his hand on Edward Christopher’s neck. The examination room at the UPMC Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Clinic is chilly on this June morning as Johnson, chair of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Otolaryngology, glides his fingers along the left side of Christopher’s throat. “Your skin is stiff,” Johnson says. “Scar tissue doesn’t go away.” Five years ago, Christopher was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV) positive cancer on the base of his tongue, left tonsil and the lymph nodes on the left side of his neck. After undergoing surgery to remove the tumors, he received radiation treatment and chemotherapy, followed by another procedure to remove his lymph nodes. When he completed the treatment, he posted a picture on Facebook holding a sign that read “cancer free!” That night, he and his family celebrated with dinner at an Italian restaurant. Christopher felt lucky to be alive and grateful to Pitt doctors. He had no idea how difficult the years to come would be. He credits Marci Lee Nilsen, a nurse who is an assistant professor in Pitt’s School of Nursing, with opening his eyes. In 2016, Johnson and Nilsen created the Survivorship Clinic to help patients like Christopher improve their quality of life after beating head and neck cancer. Most patients grapple with dysphagia—difficulty swallowing—and trismus, commonly known as lockjaw. They might experience a loss of taste, tooth decay, dry mouth and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-19T14:11:06-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Pembrolizumab: New standard of care in head and neck cancer

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Roxanne Nelson, RN, BSN Immunotherapy with pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck & Co), either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy, offers a new standard of care for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), say experts discussing the results from the company-sponsored KEYNOTE-48 trial. Pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy yielded a significant survival benefit in comparison with standard therapy for both the total patient population and for patients whose tumors were positive for programmed cell death–ligand-1 (PD-L1). Monotherapy with pembrolizumab yielded a significant overall survival benefit for patients with tumors that were PD-L1 positive; and in the total study population, overall survival was noninferior. "Thus, pembrolizumab monotherapy is a new standard of care, first-line therapy option for patients with PD-L1-positive recurrent or metastatic HNSCC. Pembrolizumab with chemotherapy is also a new option for all patients, regardless of PD-L1 status," comment Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Lisa Licitra MD, from the University of Milan, Italy, in a commentary that accompanies article in the Lancet. "The positive results of KEYNOTE-048 represent substantial progress for patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC," Ferris and Licitria add. These comments echo the reactions from experts when the study was presented earlier this year at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), as reported by Medscape Medical News at that time. Presenter Danny Rischin, MD, from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, Melbourne, Australia, said: "These data support pembrolizumab plus platinum-based CT [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-18T07:13:03-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Year in review: Head and neck cancer

Source: www.medpagetoday.com Author: Ian Ingram, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage In 2019, headlines in head and neck cancer were dominated by a new first-line approval in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), further attempts at treatment deintensification in the lower-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) population, and a provocative trial looking at patients' quality of life following either robotic surgery or radiation. Immunotherapy OK'd in First-line Based on data from the three-arm KEYNOTE-048 trial, the FDA approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the first-line treatment of metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck SCC. The PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor was approved in combination with chemotherapy for all patients, or as monotherapy for those with PD-L1 expression. Final results of the study demonstrated a 23% reduction in the hazard for death for the group treated with pembrolizumab plus platinum chemotherapy (cisplatin or carboplatin) and 5-fluorouracil. This group had a median overall survival of 13.0 months, as compared with 10.7 months for those treated with the EXTREME regimen of platinum chemotherapy plus 5-fluorouracil and cetuximab (Erbitux). A pembrolizumab monotherapy arm of KEYNOTE-048 showed non-inferiority to EXTREME in all comers and superiority in patients with a PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) ≥1, as represented by a 22% reduction in the hazard for death over the study period. In this CPS ≥1 population, which made up about 85% of the study population, median overall survival was 12.3 with pembrolizumab alone versus 10.3 months with EXTREME. ORATOR Trial Upends Assumption of Surgical Superiority In the first randomized trial to pit transoral robotic [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-16T13:32:00-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Supporting patients at every stage of living with head and neck cancers

Source: www.nursingtimes.net Author: Wendy Robson Wendy Robson, lead head and neck clinical nurse specialist at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, shares her perspective on how her role supports the multidisciplinary team to care for patients living with head and neck cancers Before, during and after treatment for head and neck cancers, the care pathway is complex and often overwhelming for patients. Without support, patients often have anxieties around cancer care and concerns related to employment and finances. The Beyond Clinical Outcomes: UK patient experience in head and neck cancers survey report of patients living with head and neck cancers focused on how these cancers affect people and what they valued from cancer care. The report was funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and co-developed via a three-way partnership between BMS, The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Patient Support Group and the Mouth Cancer Foundation – two charities that provide support and advice to patients living with head and neck cancers.1 It identified a need for an engaged multidisciplinary team to be involved throughout the patient pathway. Wendy Robson, head and neck clinical nurse specialist at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) agrees, stating that “we provide holistic support from day one regarding treatment and every other aspect of a patient’s life that is affected by a cancer diagnosis”. Ms Robson and the team at UHNM are driving best practice care for head and neck cancer patients that aligns to national guidelines, offers support throughout the care pathway and helps [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-12T07:35:49-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Doctors try CRISPR gene editing for cancer, a 1st in the US

Source: AP News Date: 11/6/19 Author: Marilynn Marchione The first attempt in the United States to use a gene editing tool called CRISPR against cancer seems safe in the three patients who have had it so far, but it’s too soon to know if it will improve survival, doctors reported Wednesday. The doctors were able to take immune system cells from the patients’ blood and alter them genetically to help them recognize and fight cancer, with minimal and manageable side effects. The treatment deletes three genes that might have been hindering these cells’ ability to attack the disease, and adds a new, fourth feature to help them do the job. “It’s the most complicated genetic, cellular engineering that’s been attempted so far,” said the study leader, Dr. Edward Stadtmauer of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “This is proof that we can safely do gene editing of these cells.” After two to three months, one patient’s cancer continued to worsen and another was stable. The third patient was treated too recently to know how she’ll fare. The plan is to treat 15 more patients and assess safety and how well it works. “It’s very early, but I’m incredibly encouraged by this,” said one independent expert, Dr. Aaron Gerds, a Cleveland Clinic cancer specialist. Other cell therapies for some blood cancers “have been a huge hit, taking diseases that are uncurable and curing them,” and the gene editing may give a way to improve on those, he said. Gene editing is [...]

Charlotte Parker2019-11-06T12:30:16-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Despite only a 50% HPV vaccination rate in adolescents, cervical precancer incidence rates drop

Source: www.targetedonc.com Author: Tony Berberabe, MPH Although a vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV) is widely available, an average of 34,800 HPV-associated cancers attributable to the virus, including cervical, vaginal, vulva, penile, anal, and oropharynx were reported in the United States from 2012 through 2016, according to data published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.1 The estimated number of cancers attributable to HPV types targeted by the 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV) is also rising. These recent increases are due in part to an aging and growing population and increases in oropharyngeal, anal, and vulvar cancers, lead author Virginia Senkomago, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist and senior service fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, said in an email. Although HPV vaccination is an important component of cancer prevention, only about 50% of adolescents have received the vaccine. Of cancer cases attributable to the HPV types targeted by the vaccine, 19,000 (59%) occurred in female patients and 13,100 (41%) occurred in male patients. But there is some good news. Senkomago said HPV infections and cervical precancers have dropped significantly since the vaccine was introduced. Infections with HPV types have dropped 86% among teenage girls. Among vaccinated women aged 20 to 24 years, the percentage of cervical precancers caused by the HPV types most often linked to cervical cancer dropped by 40%. The vaccination is recommended through age 26 for all individuals, especially for those who were not vaccinated when they were younger. The vaccine is not recommended [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-06T09:58:21-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Research to examine possible links between periodontal disease and oral cancer

Source: eu.dental-tribune.com Author: Dental Tribune International staff As worldwide oral cancer rates continue to climb, our understanding of what causes the disease to occur, thankfully, also continues to grow. Tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption have been established as primary risk factors, and researchers are now investigating another potential source for this condition: the bacteria that cause periodontal disease. The research is being led by Dr Louise Belfield, a lecturer in biomedical science at the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School, in collaboration with the university’s Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine. Since cancer requires blood vessels to grow and metastasise, the research team is planning to build on existing evidence that shows how certain bacteria that cause periodontal disease are linked to angiogenesis. To do so, the research team will develop miniature tumours and blood vessels in a laboratory setting, adding the bacteria with the aim of clarifying how they function and what effect they have on the blood vessels. According to a press release from the university, if the research ascertains that the bacteria make the blood vessels grow more rapidly and similarly to those associated with tumours and identifies the process by which this is achieved, the results could form the basis of a new screening programme to detect oral cancer risk earlier. This would make it possible to begin treatment in a more timely manner. “We know that tumours in the mouth, unlike many other tumours, are in constant contact with bacteria, but we don’t know [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-11-06T09:45:25-07:00November, 2019|Oral Cancer News|