March 2022 – Oral Cancer News

Grim reaper tattoo used in throat cancer reconstruction

Source: www.bbc.co.uk Author: staff Surgeons used skin from a man's arm - including a tattoo of the grim reaper - to reconstruct his tongue and voice box in a life-saving operation. Colin Reilly from Bristol, had to record his own voice before surgery in case he lost the ability to speak in the operation to remove a tumour. As part of the operation his jaw had to be split and the lower half of his face reconstructed when it was completed. Mr Reilly said there is "not enough" he can do for the hospital that saved him. Mr Reilly, 50, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2020 and an endoscopy found a tumour at the back of his tongue. Between October and December 2020 he underwent six weeks of radiotherapy and was fed through a tube, but it became clear the tumour was very advanced and without treatment Mr Reilly would have six months to live. The grim reaper tattoo was taken from his forearm Mr Reilly amazed doctors when he was able to speak soon after the surgery Ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Oliver Dale said he was willing to carry out the surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, despite the position of the tumour making the surgery high risk - with the chance Mr Reilly would not be able to speak or eat again. "Mr Dale was amazing," said Mr Reilly. "He told us that he believed he could do the surgery, despite [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-03-11T09:31:30-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Your Healthy Family: Vaping puts teens at higher risk of oral cancer

Author: Lisa Greenburg Source: www.fox4now.com Many people think vaping isn't as bad for you as smoking, but health experts say that's a myth. A dentist says vaping has the same oral effects as tobacco, and puts teens at high risk of oral cancer. A team of researchers from the University of California found teens who vape had five times the cancer-causing chemicals in their bodies than teens who did not, especially from the fruit-flavored vaping cartridges. Dr. Fred Guerra of Guerra Dental said vaping negatively impacts your mouth in the same ways as tobacco. "It can be precancerous. It can lead to gum disease. It gives people bad breath. It gives people dry mouth, and dry mouth increases cavities, so while people may think it's safer for the rest of the body, it's not necessarily," Dr. Guerra said. He said all dentists need to be on the front lines of oral cancer and talk to teens and young adults about the dangers of vaping. "Dentists are in such a unique position to counsel our patients on never starting. Or if they have, to do it in a manner that's not threatening and not demeaning. To try to show them that they have control over the effects of some of these devices, so that they can make a rational decision to say 'OK, I need to quit. How can I quit?” Dr. Guerra said. Even if the vaping products have no nicotine, Dr. Guerra said it's still bad for your mouth. [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-05T11:56:48-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

DNA biomarker test helps predict recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer after treatment

Author: Emily Henderson, B.Sc. Source: www.news-medical.net A large, multi-institutional study demonstrates that a blood test to detect circulating tumor DNA can accurately predict recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer following treatment. Results also indicate that the biomarker test may detect recurrent disease earlier than imaging or other standard methods of post-treatment surveillance, allowing physicians to personalize treatment more quickly for patients whose cancer returns. Findings from the study will be presented today at the 2022 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. Roughly 15-25% of patients with HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer experience recurrence after treatment, often presenting as distant disease that has spread past the throat and neck. Currently, recurrence is detected primarily through imaging and physical exams, but there is wide variability in the use and frequency of these surveillance methods. In the study, researchers retrospectively examined data from 1,076 patients who had one or more tests to detect circulating tumor tissue modified viral (TTMV)-HPV DNA as part of their post-treatment surveillance. All patients were examined more than three months after completing standard treatment with surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Of the 80 patients (7% of the total sample) who tested positive for the biomarker in surveillance, 95% were confirmed through imaging, biopsy and/or endoscopy as having recurrent HPV-positive disease. The presence of TTMV-HPV DNA was the first indicator of recurrence for 72% of the patients whose cancer returned, and roughly half of the recurrences (48%) were found in patients tested more than 12 months after completing therapy. "Most patients had no [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-03T12:18:52-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Tumor tissue modified viral-HPV DNA test predicts HPV-driven oropharynx cancer recurrence

Author: Ryan Lawrence Source: www.healio.com A blood test to detect circulating tumor DNA accurately predicted recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer after treatment, according to research presented at Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. In addition, findings from the retrospective clinical case series suggested the biomarker test may detect disease recurrence earlier than imaging or other surveillance methods, allowing clinicians to personalize treatment faster for patients whose cancer returns. "We believe that tumor tissue modified viral [TTMV]-HPV DNA testing should be incorporated into surveillance guidelines for monitoring patients treated for HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer," Glenn J. Hanna, MD, director of the Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Healio. Background Hanna and colleagues pursued the research because, despite favorable outcomes, up to 20% of patients with HPV-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) experience recurrence within 5 years of curative-intent therapy, roughly half of whom present with distant disease. Meanwhile, current practices for surveillance after treatment rely on physical exams and imaging. “Because we now have ultrasensitive blood-based assays to detect HPV DNA in circulation, it made sense to evaluate the impact of testing throughout surveillance. This serves as a liquid biopsy of sorts to detect tumor tissue modified viral-HPV DNA,” Hanna said. “We hoped this would be more sensitive in detecting recurrence as compared with physical exam and/or imaging in follow-up. Detecting recurrence sooner could lead to early intervention for patients and improved outcomes.” Methodology The analysis included 1,076 consecutive patients [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-03T11:54:07-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Can liquid biopsy predict oropharyngeal cancer recurrence?

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Liam Davenport A liquid biopsy test may accurately predict recurrence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) earlier than standard clinical and imaging assessments, a new analysis indicates. Of 80 patients who tested positive for circulating tumor tissue-modified viral (TTMV)-HPV DNA during surveillance, 74% (n = 59) had no other evidence of disease or had indeterminate disease status. And of those patients, 93% (n = 55) "later had proven recurrent, metastatic disease on imaging and/or biopsy," according to Glenn Hanna, MD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, who presented the results February 24 at the 2022 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. "This is the first study to demonstrate broad clinical utility and validity of the biomarker in HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer," Hanna said in a press release. Although patients with HPV-driven OPSCC generally have favorable outcomes, up to 25% will experience recurrence after treatment. Posttreatment surveillance currently relies on physical examinations and imaging, but Hanna and colleagues wanted to determine whether a routine circulating cell-free TTMV-HPV DNA test could detect occult recurrence sooner. Hanna and colleagues analyzed the records of 1076 patients with HPV-driven OPSCC at 118 sites in the US who had completed therapy more than 3 months previously and undergone an TTMV-HPV DNA test (NavDx, Naveris) between June 2020 and November 2021. The results of the test, which used ultrasensitive digital droplet PCR to identify HPV subtypes 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35, were compared with subsequent clinical evidence of OPSCC via nasopharyngolaryngoscopy, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-03-03T07:23:02-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer Symptoms: Bad Breath May Be A Sign Of Mouth Cancer

Author: Monica Lozano Source: www.vervetimes.com The Mouth Cancer Foundation says that the majority of deaths from mouth cancer occur because of late detection, “due to a low public awareness of the signs, symptoms, and risks”. It explains that self-checks for mouth cancer take just two minutes and “could save your life, or someone you know”. Around 8,300 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in the UK, which is about one in every 50 cancers diagnosed, according to the NHS. Mouth cancer is the general term given to the variety of malignant tumours that develop in the mouth, according to The Mouth Cancer Foundation. The charity recommends that everyone over the age of 16 has a professional examination for early signs of mouth cancer, once a year, at their dentist. Cancer Research UK says that if you go to see your GP, they will ask you about your symptoms and they might examine you. They may arrange tests or a referral to a specialist. The organisation notes there are many conditions that cause mouth cancer symptoms, most of which are much more common than mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. Nonetheless, it is important to get these symptoms checked by a doctor. One of the signs is bad breath. It explains: “Most people have bad breath at some point in their life and it is not cancer. But if you have cancer, bad breath might be worse and happen more often.” The Oral Health Foundation says: “Bad breath is a very [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-01T08:17:18-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|