Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

Cowboy Cody Kiser Joins Anti-Tobacco Campaign to Help Educate Young Consumers

Source: parade.condenast.comAuthor: Lindsay Lowe The campaign to educate consumers about the dangers of tobacco has a new all-American hero: rodeo cowboy Cody Kiser, who’s partnering with the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) to educate parents and kids about the health risks associated with smokeless tobacco. While chewing tobacco has long been popular among rodeo cowboys, Kiser, 23, says the drug never appealed to him, and says he hopes to serve as a positive example in an industry with traditionally strong sponsorship ties to the tobacco industry. “My dad was a cowboy, so I know what it’s like looking up to cowboys as heroes for my whole life,” he said in a release. “Health and fitness have always been incredibly important to my family. My dad was a positive role model in my life growing up in that regard, and the idea of using spit tobacco never appealed to me.” Tobacco and rodeo have a long intertwining history; the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association was sponsored by the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company from 1986 to 2009, when the Cowboys Association decided to end its relationship with tobacco advertisers. One can of spit tobacco has the equivalent nicotine of 40 cigarettes, and a “30-minute chew” is the equivalent of smoking three cigarettes, according to the OCF, meaning that an addiction to smokeless tobacco “can be one of the hardest to break.” Spit tobacco (which can refer to smokeless tobacco, dip, snuff, chew, and chewing tobacco) can cause gum disease, tooth decay, and “white patches [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-08-08T09:35:22-07:00August, 2014|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Study Finds a ‘Fat Burning Process’ Termed ‘Cachexia’ Kills about One Third Cancer Patients

Source: scicast.comAuthor: Staff Madrid, Spain (Scicasts) — Most cancer researchers are working on the biology of the tumour. However, Michele Petruzzelli, a member of Erwin Wagner's group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), has been looking for ways to attack the disease indirectly. He focused on the effects of tumours on the rest of the body, and not on the tumour itself. His work on the body's response to a tumour has uncovered that cachexia—the extreme thinness and weakness eventually being the real cause of death in one third of patients with cancer—is triggered by a process that is heavily studied not to fight cancer, but to fight obesity: the conversion of white fat tissue into brown fat tissue. "It is the first time that this phenomenon we might call burning fat has been associated with a negative effect", says Erwin Wagner, the Director of the BBVA Foundation-CNIO Cancer Cell Biology Programme. "What we observe is that the transformation of white fat into brown fat, currently one of the most researched subjects because of its potential effects on obesity and diabetes, has very severe consequences in the context of cancer". The study is published in Cell Metabolism. The researchers also argue that if it is possible to reduce the transformation of fat tissue, the symptoms of cachexia will improve, although they do not completely disappear. The authors demonstrate this by blocking mediators of inflammation, a process linked to cachexia, specifically, to the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6. "Inhibiting [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-08-07T09:50:37-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Scientists Discover Genetic Mutations Linked to Salivary Gland Tumours

Source: scicasts.comAuthor: Staff Juniper, FL — Research conducted at the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has discovered links between a set of genes known to promote tumour growth and mucoepidermoid carcinoma, an oral cancer that affects the salivary glands. The discovery could help physicians develop new treatments that target the cancer’s underlying genetic causes. The research, recently published online ahead of print by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that a pair of proteins joined together by a genetic mutation—known as CRTC1/MAML2 (C1/M2)—work with MYC, a protein commonly associated with other cancers, to promote the oral cancer’s growth and spread. “This research provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of these malignances and points to a new direction for potential therapies,” says TSRI biologist Dr. Michael Conkright, who led the study. The C1/M2 protein is created when the genes encoding CRTC1 and MAML2 mutate into a single gene through a process known as chromosomal translocation. Such mutant “chimera” genes are linked to the formation of several forms of cancer. The team discovered that the C1/M2 protein further activates genetic pathways regulated by MYC, in addition to CREB, to begin a series of cellular changes leading to the development of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. “The identification of unique interactions between C1/M2 and MYC suggests that drugs capable of disrupting these interactions may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of mucoepidermoid carcinomas, ” said Dr. Antonio L. Amelio, first author of the study who is now assistant professor with [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-08-06T09:59:24-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Anti-vaccine fears aren’t only for vaccines anymore

Source: http://m.dailykos.comAuthor: Staff member - Hunter The anti-vaccination forces are gaining new victims: In May, the Tennessean reported on a truly shocking medical problem. Seven infants, aged between seven and 20 weeks old, had arrived at Vanderbilt University's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital over the past eight months with a condition called "vitamin K deficiency bleeding," or VKDB. This rare disorder occurs because human infants do not have enough vitamin K, a blood coagulant, in their systems. Infants who develop VKDB can bleed in various parts of their bodies, including bleeding into the brain. This can cause brain damage or even death. Which is why newborns usually get a vitamin K shot immediately after birth, just in case. It's not a vaccine, it's a vitamin, and odds are good that many of the same people objecting to the this vitamin pop vitamin pills regularly. The problem is that yes, it's an injection, and so parents are assuming (with the help of anti-vaccine groups, not-at-all-coincidentally) there must be something devious about that. A quick Google search returns a number of dire warnings about vitamin K shots circulating on the Internet. One of the top results is an article at TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com, which urges readers to "Skip that Newborn Vitamin K Shot," before going on to list an array of "dangerous ingredients in the injection cocktail." (The site also calls vaccines "scientific fraud.") [...]And then there's physician Joseph Mercola (whose popular website calls vaccinations "very neurotoxic" and suggests they are associated with a list of conditions, [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-07-30T17:17:27-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

CDC finds coverage for HPV vaccination among teens is still low

Source: medicalnewstoday.comAuthor: staff Although there has been a slight increase in human papillomavirus vaccination coverage among adolescents since 2012, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that vaccine coverage in this population remains "unacceptably low". Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. There are more than 150 types of HPV, 40 of which can be contracted through skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex. Low-risk HPV types, such as HPV-6 and HPV-11, can cause warts around the genitals or anus. But high-risk types, including HPV-16 and HPV-18, account for approximately 5% of all cancers worldwide. Specifically, HPV-16 and HPV-18 account for around 70% of all cervical cancers and almost 50% of all vaginal, vulvar and penile cancers. HPV-16 is also accountable for more than 50% of throat cancers. There are currently two vaccines available for HPV, which are administered in three shots over 6 months. Cervarix and Gardasil are used for the prevention of cervical cancer, while Gardasil can also protect against anal, vulvar andvaginal cancers and genital warts. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that preteen girls and boys aged 11 or 12 are vaccinated against HPV. The vaccination is also recommended for teenage girls and young women up to the age of 26 who did not receive it when they were younger, and teenage boys and young men up to the age of 21. HPV vaccination coverage increased in 2012-13, but remains too low But despite these recommendations, a new report from the [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-07-25T10:13:50-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Former LA Laker Michael Cooper diagnosed with tongue cancer

Source: insidesocal.comAuthor: Mark Medina Former Laker Michael Cooper will take a leave of absence as the head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream because of early stage tongue cancer. Cooper plans to have a surgical procedure this week at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta and is expected to recover in two weeks. Assistant coach Karleen Thompson will assume head coaching duties during Cooper’s absence. “The doctors and staff at Emory have been tremendous, and I know I’m in good hands,” Cooper said in a statement. “I’m fortunate that my condition was diagnosed early, and this episode illustrates the importance of screening and early detection. I know the team will be in good hands with Coach Thompson at the helm during my absence, and I look forward to returning to the court soon.” Cooper has guided Atlanta to an Eastern Conference best 15-6 record in his first season. He also coached the East to a 125-124 overtime win at the WNBA All-Star game on Saturday. Cooper is best known as a defensive specialist with the Showtime Lakers (1978-90) where he won five NBA championships. He also coached the Los Angeles Sparks to two WNBA championships (2001, 2002). Cooper left his second stint with the Sparks to coach the USC’s women’s basketball team. But he resigned in March after finishing 11-20, his first losing record in four seasons. *This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2014-07-22T09:44:16-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Health Insurance providers still take advantage of consumers despite Obamacare

Source: huffingtonpost.comAuthor: Jeffrey Young No law has done more to reform health insurance and protect consumers against the industry's most heinous practices than the Affordable Care Act. But Obamacare didn't magically transform insurers into benevolent entities solely devoted to taking care of sick people. Health insurance companies, even those that are not-for-profit, have to collect more money in premiums than they shell out in claims for medical care. That means they have a financial incentive not to pay for things. And since health insurance companies can no longer shun the sick to maximize profits -- either by denying coverage to people based on their medical histories or by rescinding the policies of paying customers who fall ill and rack up bills -- insurers are employing other tactics to shift costs to sick people and make it harder to get health care, consumer advocates say. "One of the things that occurred to me, even as the bill was working its way through Congress, was that once it was passed, insurers would do all they could to try to preserve profit margins," said Wendell Potter, a former Cigna executive turned industry critic. Here are a few of the tactics that consumers and advocates have complained about: Refusing to pay for medical care that should be covered Nothing in Obamacare says insurance companies have to pay any bill that comes their way. That's fine, because doctors and patients want things all the time that are wasteful and unnecessary, and everyone shares the cost for that. Zoë Keating is a [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-07-21T15:37:51-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Florida jury awards $23 billion for punitive damages to widow in lawsuit against R.J. Reynolds

Source: reuters.comAuthor: Barbara Liston A Florida jury has awarded the widow of a chain smoker who died of lung cancer punitive damages of more than $23 billion in her lawsuit against the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the nation's second-biggest cigarette maker. The judgment, returned on Friday night, was the largest in Florida history in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a single plaintiff, according to Ryan Julison, a spokesman for the woman's lawyer, Chris Chestnut. Cynthia Robinson of Florida Panhandle city of Pensacola sued the cigarette maker in 2008 over the death of her husband, Michael Johnson. Johnson, a hotel shuttle bus driver who died of lung cancer in 1996 at age 36, smoked one to three packs a day for more 20 years, starting at age 13, Chestnut said. "He couldn't quit. He was smoking the day he died," the lawyer told Reuters on Saturday. After a four-week trial and 11 hours of jury deliberations, the jury returned a verdict granting the widow $7.3 million and the couple's son $9.6 million in compensatory damages. The same jury deliberated for another seven hours before deciding to award Robinson the additional sum of $23.6 billion in punitive damages, according to the verdict forms. Lawyers for the tobacco company, a unit of Reynolds American Inc [RAI.N] whose brands include Camel cigarettes, could not immediately be reached for comment. But J. Jeffery Raborn, vice president and assistant general counsel for R.J. Reynolds, said in a statement quoted by the New York Times that the company planned to challenge "this runaway [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-07-21T14:56:14-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Cowboy becomes advocate for Oral Cancer Foundation

Source: Idaho Press-Tribune/www.idahopress.comAuthor: Kelcie Moseley Brian Hill was a self-professed health freak. He was an outdoorsman who had never used tobacco. He was a fit 230 pounds with 8 percent body fat. But a lump in the side of his neck changed his life in 1997. Hill is the founder and president of the Oral Cancer Foundation, a small national nonprofit organization based in Newport Beach, California. He is an oral cancer survivor who contracted the disease through human papillomavirus, or HPV, which happens more often than people think, Hill said. He is now a fierce advocate for more awareness of the disease, which is also often caused by smoking or chewing tobacco — and those two forms of tobacco are about as common with the rodeo crowd as Coors and Budweiser. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 14 percent of boys ages 12 to 17 use smokeless tobacco nationwide, and the rates are higher in rural states. The newest effort to achieve more awareness and early detection of oral cancer starts with Cody Kiser, the new rodeo representative for the foundation. Kiser, 23, is a bareback bronco rider who competed in the Snake River Stampede this week on his rodeo circuit. He graduated in May with a civil engineering degree from the University of Nevada-Reno, not far from his hometown of Carson City. “We’ve wanted to (have a rodeo representative) for about five years, we just never found the right person who was the right voice [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-07-21T14:28:55-07:00July, 2014|OCF In The News|

Antioxidants May Cause More Harm Than Good in Cancer Patients

Source: medscape.comAuthor: Zosia Chustecka While alternative health gurus often encourage increasing antioxidants in the diet and the taking of antioxidant nutritional supplements such as beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E, and selenium, new research findings suggest that antioxidants could do more harm than good, especially in cancer patients. The idea is discussed in a perspective article on the promise and perils of antioxidants for cancer patients in the July 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Coauthor David Tuveson, MD, PhD, professor and deputy director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center in New York, explained in an interview with Medscape Medical News that the idea that antioxidants could be useful in cancer goes back to Linus Pauling, and is based on observations that oxidation within cells is needed for cell growth. "As cancer cells growth rapidly, a cancer cell would have more oxidation within it than a normal cell," he added, and the hope was that antioxidants would interfere with these cellular oxidative processes and would suppress the growth. "Although some early preclinical studies supported this concept," the authors write, there have now been several clinical trials that have shown no effect of antioxidants on reducing the incidence of cancer, and there have even been suggestions of harm in persons who are at risk for cancer. Dr. Tuveson noted a clinical trial from Scandinavia in the early 1990s, which found that high doses of antioxidants, particularly beta-carotene, were associated with more lung cancer rather than less as had been hoped for. There was [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-07-14T15:04:19-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

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