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First DNA Test for Two Types of Human Papillomavirus Approved by FDA

Source: FDA News The first DNA test that identifies the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) causing the majority of cervical cancers among women in the United States is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The test, called Cervista HPV 16/18, detects the DNA sequences for HPV type 16 and HPV type 18 in cervical cells. Differentiating these HPV types gives health care professionals more information on a patient’s risk of subsequently developing cervical cancer. A positive Cervista 16/18 test result indicates whether HPV type 16, 18 or both types are present in the cervical sample. The FDA also approved yesterday the Cervista HPV HR test, which is the second DNA test that detects essentially all of the high-risk HPV types in cervical cell samples. The Cervista HPV HR test uses a method similar to the Cervista HPV 16/18 test to detect the DNA sequences of these HPV types. In women age 30 and older or women with borderline cytology, the Cervista HPV 16/18 test can be used together with cytology and the Cervista HPV HR test to assess risk of cervical disease. “Results from these two tests, when considered with a physician’s assessment of the patient’s history, other risk factors, and professional guidelines, can help physicians better determine risk and could lead to better patient management,” said Daniel G. Schultz, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. The U.S. Centers for [...]

Webmaster2009-03-16T13:13:26-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Chewing tobacco use surges among boys

Source: Reuters Reporter: Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Use of snuff and chewing tobacco by U.S. adolescent boys, particularly in rural areas, has surged this decade, a federal agency said in a report on Thursday that raised concern among tobacco control advocates. The use of such smokeless tobacco products increases the risk of oral cancer as well as heart disease and stroke. It leads to nicotine addiction just like cigarette smoking. The report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed a 30 percent increase in the rate of smokeless tobacco use among boys aged 12 to 17 from 2002 to 2007. Use by adults remained stable. In 2007, the report estimated that 566,000 boys in that age group had used chewing tobacco or snuff. "This trend toward more smokeless tobacco use by kids is of great concern," Danny McGoldrick, vice president for research at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids advocacy group, said in a telephone interview. "This is an industry that has a history of targeting kids because they know that's when everybody starts," he added. Among adolescent boys, the rate of use of smokeless tobacco rose from 3.4 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent in 2007, according to the report. McGoldrick said the increase occurred as smokeless tobacco companies greatly increased their spending on marketing and introduced a new range of products. The findings reiterated the need for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to have the power to regulate tobacco products, as legislation being considered [...]

Webmaster2009-03-05T11:00:47-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

The selling of tobacco to children

Source: Examiner.com Writer: Jan Potter Recent news articles have complained of recent marketing trends by the tobacco marketing women and girls. The cigarettes come packaged in an attractive and enticing pink package. This is not new, but every year, it appears that tobacco companies spend more and more money trying to draw in new smokers with these attractive packages. For years, many people were upset by candy cigarettes that were sold to children as “pretend.” These have almost disappeared in many markets, but there is a new problem though and that is the marketing of tobacco “drops” or other products that look exactly like candy. Parent may not even realize that the package contains a tobacco product because of its appearance. The marketing of this “candy” and other related products is considered very dangerous for children because of the friendly appeal of the packaging. This kind of product comes as small “candy” sized pieces, as “film” strips, or as toothpick sized sticks. Another product that has been around for several years is the tobacco “snus” (which rhymes with goose). Snus generally contain more nicotine than a cigarette but some consider them safer because they are not inhaled. They are, however, addictive. The snus is a small packet of tobacco powder meant to be put under the tongue. It is believed that they are dangerous because of the impact of the tobacco on the body. It might not mean lung cancer, but there is the [...]

Webmaster2009-03-02T10:56:08-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

VELscope System Called the World’s Leading Oral Cancer Screening System

Source: LED Dental Inc Writer: John Pohl WHITE ROCK, British Columbia—February 27, 2009—LED Dental Inc. claimed today that its VELscope system is used for more oral cancer examinations than any other adjunctive technology in the world. Impressive Milestones Passed According to Dr. Ralph Green, president and CEO of LED Dental's parent, LED Medical Diagnostics, "Since our mid-2006 launch, we have sold over 4,000 VELscope systems worldwide. Based on an independent survey of VELscope users, we estimate that these devices have been used to conduct over 4 million VELscope exams to date." Dr. Green added, "What's more, we estimate that over 3 million additional VELscope exams will be conducted in 2009 alone. Based on sales information reported by our leading competitor, it is clear that their product is currently being used for a much lower number of exams." Powerful Supporting Research The tissue fluorescence visualization technology platform on which the VELscope system is based is the culmination of over $50 million in research funded by the National Institutes of Health and other respected institutions and conducted by such leading organizations as the British Columbia Cancer Agency and the University of Texas's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Translating this highly sophisticated, breakthrough technology for use in an efficacious device to examine the oral mucosa was the brainchild of LED Dental and the British Columbia Cancer Agency. Launched in 2006 as the first tissue fluorescence device made commercially available to the dental community, the VELscope system revolutionized the dental practitioner's ability to visualize the oral mucosal [...]

Webmaster2009-02-27T20:19:09-07:00February, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Drink a day increases cancer risk

Source: BBC News A glass of wine each evening is enough to increase your risk of developing cancer, women are being warned. Consuming just one drink a day causes an extra 7,000 cancer cases - mostly breast cancer - in UK women each year, Cancer Research UK scientists say. The risk goes up the more you drink, whether spirits, wine or beer, the data on over a million women suggests. Overall, alcohol is to blame for about 13% of breast, liver, rectum, mouth and throat cancers, the researchers say. They estimate that about 5,000 cases of breast cancer in the UK - 11% of the 45,000 cases diagnosed each year - can be attributed to women's consumption of alcohol. The study looked specifically at women who consumed low to moderate levels of alcohol - defined as three drinks a day or fewer. Over the seven years of the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, a quarter of the 1.3 million women reported drinking no alcohol. Of those who did drink, virtually all consumed fewer than 21 drinks per week, and an average of 10g of alcohol per day, which is equivalent to just over one unit of alcohol found in half a pint of lager, a 125ml glass of wine or a single measure of spirits. Nearly 70,000 of the middle-aged women developed cancer and a pattern emerged with alcohol consumption. One too many? Consuming one drink a day increased the risk of all types of [...]

Webmaster2009-02-26T15:40:18-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Students hear ‘wake-up call’ about tobacco

Source: Star-Tribune Writer: ALLISON RUPP Gruen Von Behrens' story brought some middle-schoolers to tears. If it didn't bring tears, it at least had them asking questions and thinking about the negative effects of tobacco. During the question and answer part of Von Behrens' presentation, one girl's voice trembled as she asked, "How long does it take someone to die from tobacco?" Von Behrens doesn't care if he scares students. In fact, that's what he wants. "Some of the things may scare you," he said in the beginning. "If scaring you is what keeps you from using tobacco products, then I am going to scare the pants off you." Von Behrens didn't even need to open his mouth for some fear to set in. He has undergone 34 surgeries and hundreds of procedures to remove oral cancer from his mouth and repair what was left over. His face prominently shows what chewing tobacco can do. The 31-year-old lost all his teeth, most of his tongue and his jaw, although part of a leg bone was used to replace the jaw. Layers of skin from his thigh were used to try to rebuild his chin. Von Behrens began chewing tobacco at 13. Students and teachers called the presentation "powerful." "My parents don't smoke, do drugs or really drink alcohol so I always knew I didn't really want to do that stuff," said Levi Shade, an eighth-grader at Poison Spider School. "But now it's a sure thing -- I will never ever do it." Von [...]

Webmaster2009-02-17T12:35:17-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Row erupts over oral cancer paper authorship

Source:The Australian Writer: Gay Healy AN international expert on oral cancer withdrew from joint authorship of a paper that drew a link between the disease and theListerine mouthwash made by his university laboratory's corporate sponsors, it has been claimed. The research paper's co-authors say Newell Johnson, whose Griffith University laboratory was funded by pharmaceutical firm Pfizer, Listerine's recent owner, decided not to put his name to the research paper, which made headlines across the world with its finding that alcohol-based mouthwashes were implicated in oral cancer. Professor Johnson says he was never an author. The claim about his involvement and withdrawal, made by Australian co-authors Michael McCullough of the University of Melbourne and Camile Farah of the University of Queensland, adds a new dimension to the controversy ignited by the paper, published in the Australian Dental Journal last December. In January UQ's head of dentistry Laurence Walsh came to the defence of mouthwashes, arguing they might prevent oral cancer, but later conceded that Listerine's present owner, Johnson & Johnson, had sponsored some of his workshops. The paper found the risk of oral cancer was increased by prolonged use of alcohol-based mouthwashes and highlighted six Listerine products. Professor McCullough said the research paper or literature review sprang from a 2007 meeting of the three researchers at a conference in Amsterdam. "After a session on the role of alcohol in oral cancer, we ended up deciding that we would formally write this article and review it between the three of us," hesaid. [...]

Webmaster2009-02-17T12:18:31-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Dental Calamities That Can Truly Hurt

Source: New York Times Writer: Nicholas Bakalar DENTAL cavities are not good news, but when it comes to preventive oral health, they may be among the smaller problems. The advice is familiar: brush and floss regularly, use fluoride mouthwash, limit snacks and sweet drinks, visit the dentist twice a year. Good suggestions, even if not everyone follows them: by age 12, 50 percent of children have cavities. But there are two much more serious problems, common dental diseases that can lead not only to loss of teeth but also to loss of life: periodontal disease and oral cancer. Periodontal disease — a chronic bacterial infection of the gums that destroys the bone and tissues that hold the teeth — is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Some people are genetically susceptible, and the problem can be aggravated by smoking, taking certain medications, stress and other factors. Several studies have found that gum disease is associated with an increased risk for heart attack. “It isn’t nailed down yet,” said Dr. Martin J. Davis, professor of clinical dentistryat the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia, “but there seems to be a link between the inflammation of gums and the inflammatory markers of heart disease.” It may be that oral bacteria enter the bloodstream, attach to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries and cause clots to form. Or maybe inflammation itself increases plaque buildup. A 2007 study showed that periodontal disease increased the risk of heart disease in men by one third and doubled it in women, even [...]

Webmaster2009-02-17T09:56:09-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Visual Screening for Oral Cancer is Cost Effective in Low-Income Countries

Source: Carolina News Wire Writer: Lisa Bistreich, Patrick Gibbons RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Using visual inspection to screen for oral cancer is a cost-effective approach to earlier diagnosis in low- and middle-income countries, according to a study conducted by researchers at RTI International. The study, published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, looked at health care workers in Southern India, where oral cancer is a major health problem, and found that visual oral screening, particularly among high-risk individuals is cost-effective. "Our results show that screening for oral cancers by visual inspection is comparable or less expensive than the more widely accepted practice of screening for cervical cancers," said lead author Sujha Subramanian, a senior health economist at RTI. "We hope that the findings of this study will increase screening for oral cancers and help reduce the devastating impact of this cancer on families." More than 160,000 people participated in the study, and the researchers found that targeted screening of the high-risk group of alcohol and tobacco users is the most cost-effective approach. They determined that visual inspection for oral cancer targeted to high-risk people could be performed for under $6 per person over the course of a nine-year screening program. According to GLOBOCAN, the Indian subcontinent alone accounts for one-third of the world burden and oral cancer is the most common form of cancer and cancer-related death among men in India. Two-thirds of all deaths from oral cancers occur in low income countries. Worldwide, 270,000 new cases and 145,000 [...]

Webmaster2009-02-12T16:14:33-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Gwyneth Paltrow: Charity Chick

Source: Gossipgirls.com She’s always been interested in using her celebrity for the benefit of others, and last night Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted at the Women’s Cancer Research Fund’s ‘Unforgettable Evening.’ The “Shakespeare in Love” hottie was looking absolutely gorgeous as she arrived at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, sporting a white dress with a matching blazer and a pair of pink and yellow feathered heels as she mingled with guests including Courtney Cox and Rita Wilson. And Gwyn was more than just another attendee at the event - she also received the 2009 Courage Award for her dedication to cancer research. Gwyneth, along with her mother Blythe Danner and brother Jake Paltrow founded the Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund in memory of her father who suffered for years with mouth cancer, and finally lost his battle in 2002. The fund is part of the National non-profit Oral Cancer Foundation, (http://www.oralcancer.org)

Webmaster2009-02-13T00:43:23-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

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