5/11/2004 HILARY WALDMAN Hartford Courant Cancer patients often leap two gigantic hurdles in the race against disease. First comes treatment to stay alive. Next is life after treatment. And for patients such as Sandra Smith, who lost most of her jaw and the floor of her mouth to oral cancer, living now includes smiling, speaking clearly and chewing tender meat with replacement parts that move and function almost as well as the originals. Smith and about 6 million other people nationwide are beneficiaries of advances in reconstructive surgery that some doctors say they could not have imagined 10 years ago. The ability to create Smith's new, living jawbone; to rebuild breasts without destroying abdominal muscles; and to restore function to limbs or fingers damaged by accident hinges on the relatively newfound ability of doctors to stitch together veins and arteries whose diameters are about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. "Reconstructive surgery has never been more exciting," said Dr. Allen Van Beek, a Minnesota plastic and reconstructive surgeon and president of the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation, an arm of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "It goes well beyond what would have been possible without the advent of microsurgery." Most people have heard the term microsurgery when a person loses a finger in an accident and the severed digit is placed in an ice-filled baggie and rushed to the hospital along with the patient. A surgeon in Boston started experimenting with replacing and restoring function to severed [...]

5/10/2004 NEW YORK , NY Reuters Health Puffing on one cigar may be enough to harden the body's main artery for hours afterward, a small study shows. Researchers say the findings add to evidence that, far from being a "safe" alternative to cigarettes, cigars increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study of 12 healthy men who smoked cigarettes and cigars found that shortly after smoking a cigar, the men showed evidence of greater stiffness in the aorta, the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The degree of stiffness in large arteries is key in how well the heart's main pumping chamber can work and blood can flow. The new findings provide the first evidence that cigar smoking immediately increases stiffness in large arteries, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Charalambos Vlachopoulos of Athens Medical School in Greece. They report the findings in the American Journal of Hypertension. Tobacco use in its various forms has long been known to carry serious health risks. Yet there's been a popular perception that cigars, which enjoyed a surge in popularity starting in the 1990s, offer a safer way to smoke. But research shows that cigar smoking does boost the risk of heart disease, stroke and several types of cancer, including lung and oral cancers. In the new study, the researchers used a measure called pulse wave velocity to gauge aortic stiffness in 12 young, male smokers for two hours after they smoked a cigar, [...]

5/2/2004 Arizona Odeen Domingo The Arizona Republic He's seen it. The hurt it could create. The damage it could cause. Spit tobacco facts INGREDIENTS Nicotine: a poisonous and highly addictive drug. Carcinogens: cancer-causing agents. Abrasives: wear down teeth and allow nicotine and other chemicals to get directly into blood system. INCREASES THE RISK OF: Mouth cancer: cancer of cheeks, gums, lips and tongue. Throat cancer: cancer of the voice box and esophagus. Heart disease: heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure. Dental diseases: stained teeth, tooth decay, receding gums and gum disease. Stomach problems: ulcers, increased bowel activity and stomach cancer. Source: Saskatchewan Health and National Cancer Institute Diamondbacks center fielder Steve Finley has seen it almost destroy his good friend Pete Harnisch. "It" is spit tobacco. It's also commonly known as smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco or dip. Whatever it's called, it almost ended Harnisch's career. Harnisch, a one-time All-Star pitcher who last pitched in the major leagues in 2001, was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1997 at the time when he was trying to quit a 13-year-old habit he knew was dangerous. So when Finley was asked recently to do commercials sponsored by the National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP), which is headed by Hall of Fame baseball announcer Joe Garagiola Sr., he didn't hesitate. "(Garagiola) asked me if I'd be a part of (the anti-spit tobacco campaign) and help the organization," said Finley, 39, a non-user. "It's a bad habit . . . it caused a big brush [...]

4/29/2004 Dr Thomas Stuttaford The London Times WORDSWORTH’S early romantic experiences were not confined to admiring daffodils. But the results of these experiences were not as transient as the beauty of the daffodils fluttering in the breeze by a lake. After Cambridge he went on a walking tour of the Continent before living for a time in France, where he fell for a French woman. When he returned to England, he had a nasty dose of chlamydia. The infection spread to his eyes and gave him life-long trouble. The additional lights he needed to follow a church service can still be seen on his pew. It is not only the eyes that may be damaged by sexually transmitted diseases. There is a suggestion that infection with the human wart virus — HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) — which is the cause of cervical cancer, may also be one of the reasons why oral cancer is becoming more common. Springtime love might have a surprising and unpleasant sequel, for the type of cell involved in cancer of the mouth and the cervix is the same. Two years ago Professor Saman Warnakulasuriya, of King’s College London, presented findings on oral cancer to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Seventy five per cent of the patients had lifestyles that included well-known risk factors for mouth cancers. In the past it was customary to attribute these to rotten or broken teeth, but either changing circumstances, or greater knowledge, has shown that the great risks [...]

4/29/2004 Ralph W. Moss, PhD CancerDecisions.com An article of great importance has appeared in Fortune magazine. It is titled "Why We're Losing the War on Cancer." The author, Clifton Leaf, is Executive Editor of the magazine and is himself a survivor of adolescent Hodgkin's disease. So he is no stranger to cancer or to the potential of modern treatment to cure some of its less common manifestations. Leaf recognizes that he himself was extraordinarily lucky in surviving. But he still has the courage to ask, "Why have we made so little progress in the war on cancer?" He readily acknowledges the flood of recent favorable publicity for drugs such as Gleevec, Herceptin, Iressa, Erbitux and most recently Avastin. "The cure has seemed closer than ever," he says. "But it's not," he continues. "Hope and optimism, so essential to this fight, have masked some very real systemic problems that have made this complex, elusive, relentless foe even harder to defeat. We are far from winning the war. So far away, in fact, that it looks like losing." Leaf gives some facts about cancer that are well known to insiders but will come as a shock to many readers: --More Americans will die of cancer in the next 14 months than have died from every war that the US has fought...combined. --Cancer is about to replace heart disease as the number one US killer. It is already the biggest killer in many age groups. --Even adjusting for age, the percentage of Americans [...]

4/24/2004 Jennifer Warner Consumer Reports Issues List of Potentially Dangerous Supplements Despite known hazards, many potentially dangerous dietary supplements are readily available for purchase in stores and on the Internet, according to a new report from Consumer Reports. Today, the magazine released its "dirty dozen" list of dietary supplements that it says are too dangerous to be on the market. The list includes yohimbe, bitter orange, chaparral, and andro. But researchers say the supplements are sold under many names, which makes it hard for consumers to know what they're getting. Many of the supplements that made the list have already been banned in other countries. But researchers say regulatory barriers created by Congress have prevented the FDA from taking similar actions to protect consumers in this country. The announcement coincides with a report on supplement safety issued today by the Institute of Medicine, which suggests that the FDA should take action against potentially hazardous dietary supplements and asks Congress to ease restraints on the agency. Dirty Dozen of Dietary Supplements Researchers from the consumer magazine say the supplements that made its "dirty dozen" list may cause cancer, severe liver or kidney damage, heart problems, or even death. For example, they say the herb aristolochia has been conclusively linked to kidney failure and cancer in China, Europe, Japan, and the U.S. Yohimbe, a supplement marketed as a sexual stimulant and herbal Viagra, has been linked to heart and respiratory problems. The supplement bitter orange, whose ingredients have effects similar to those [...]

4/24/2004 MONTREAL,Canada CNW Telbec Although it is one of the deadliest cancers and kills almost one Quebecer every day, 61% of people still know little about oral cancer. In addition, 20% of those surveyed were unable to name a single possible cause of the disease, and 36% named other causes, probably incorrect ones. These were the findings of a huge survey of 1,000 adult Quebecers by the SOM-R firm, commissioned by the Ordre des dentistes du Québec (ODQ), and conducted from March 24 to 31 this year. "It just goes to show that we have to make an effort to inform people about this disease," said Dr. Robert Salois, ODQ President, who was attending a screening clinic held today at Carrefour Laval. The ODQ and members of dental societies have been holding all sorts of oral cancer awareness and screening activities across the province, in fact, since early April. Causes that could be better known Aside from a general lack of knowledge about oral cancer, Quebecers are ill informed about its causes. It seems that 63% of those surveyed mentioned smoking as the main cause, 7% cited poor nutrition, 6% said alcohol, and 36% gave other causes. One person in five (20%) was unable to name a single cause. The ODQ reminds everyone that heavy smoking and drinking are the main risk factors for oral cancer. Although separately they can both cause this type of cancer, when combined they multiply the risk. "A heavy smoker is 18 times more likely [...]

4/22/2004 Austin, Texas Recent preclinical studies provide new insight into the molecular pathways by which p53, the active component of Introgen Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ: INGN) Advexin therapy, kills tumor cells. These preclinical studies were undertaken in order to provide additional molecular data supporting the clinical benefit observed during the clinical development of Advexin, now in phase 3 trials for the treatment of head and neck cancer. The studies were conducted by Introgen’s collaborators at Okayama University in Japan and at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and were published earlier this year in an issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Introgen has previously sponsored studies in Japan which include a phase 1-2 trial in non-small cell lung cancer and a phase 2 trial in esophageal cancer. These recently reported findings add substantially to our knowledge of the timing and expression levels of p53 and genes that are activated by p53 protein after the delivery of Advexin therapy. The p53 protein and gene functions as a tumor suppressor by arresting cell growth, inducing programmed cell death, causing cancer cells to differentiate, and inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels required to support tumor growth. Preclinical and early clinical studies with Advexin have shown that delivery of the p53 gene to cancer cells can provide therapeutic benefit by reducing tumor volume, halting tumor growth, and improving survival. The current study provides additional information regarding the specific pathways that mediate the observed therapeutic effects of Advexin. Lou Zumstein, Ph.D., Introgen’s director of [...]

4/20/2004 Dr. D. R. Sawyer, Dr. M. Pyle, Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine In one of the first national surveys of dental hygienists about their knowledge and screening practices for oral cancers, researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine found indications that while dental hygienists view screening for oral cancer an important component of their practice and possess comparable oral cancer knowledge with the general dentist in the private practice, they often do not carry out oral cancer screenings. Early oral cancer is often asymptomatic and if not caught during its earlier stages, the chances of surviving the disease diminish significantly, according to Dr. Danny R. Sawyer, professor and chairman of Case' department of oral diagnosis and radiology and assistant dean of didactic education. He conducted the study along with Dr. Marsha Pyle, Case associate dean for dental curriculum; Meredith Bailey, a second-year Case dental student; and Maureen Vendemia, professor of dental hygiene from Youngstown State University. The 25-question survey from Case was mailed to 2,000 randomly selected dental hygienists nationwide, with 575 individuals responding to questions about their oral cancer knowledge and oral cancer screening practices. The survey findings were presented at the 2004 annual research meeting of the American Dental Education Association and were compared to an oral cancer survey of dentists presented by the authors at the 2003 ADEA's annual meeting. Some of the findings from the dental hygienist survey were: * Most dental hygienists place a high level of importance [...]

4/20/2004 Case Western Reserve University In one of the first national surveys of dental hygienists about their knowledge and screening practices for oral cancers, researchers at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine found indications that while dental hygienists view screening for oral cancer an important component of their practice and possess comparable oral cancer knowledge with the general dentist in the private practice, they often do not carry out oral cancer screenings. Oral cancer impacts people. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 28,900 people were diagnosed in 2002 with oral cancers and 7,400 people would died as result of their disease. The overall five-year survival rate was 56 percent. Early oral cancer is often asymptomatic and if not caught during its earlier stages, the chances of surviving the disease diminish significantly, according to Dr. Danny R. Sawyer, professor and chairman of Case’ department of oral diagnosis and radiology and assistant dean of didactic education. He conducted the study along with Dr. Marsha Pyle, Case associate dean for dental curriculum; Meredith Bailey, a second-year Case dental student; and Maureen Vendemia, professor of dental hygiene from Youngstown State University. The 25-question survey from Case was mailed to 2,000 randomly selected dental hygienists nationwide, with 575 individuals responding to questions about their oral cancer knowledge and oral cancer screening practices. The survey findings were presented at the 2004 annual research meeting of the American Dental Education Association and were compared to an oral cancer survey of dentists presented by the [...]