Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

Reirradiation for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer

Source: Medscape News Date: November 29, 2012 Abstract Recurrence of head and neck cancer in a previously irradiated volume presents a challenging problem and has poor prognosis. A minority of patients are eligible for the preferred therapy, surgical resection. Systemic therapy is offered to patients with unresectable disease but offers little, if any, chance of cure. Repeat irradiation with systemic therapy is a potentially curative option. One randomized trial and several cooperative group and institutional studies support its use. Long-term disease-free survival has been observed, albeit with the risk of significant, possibly life threatening, late complications. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy has been shown to reduce toxicity and improve disease control. Novel systemic therapies and radiotherapy techniques, including stereotactic body radiotherapy, are under active study. Introduction Radiation therapy plays a central role in the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Within a treatment paradigm of functional organ preservation, evidence-based guidelines recommend radiotherapy for three quarters of all patients with HNC. [1] Both organ-preserving definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and selective postoperative CRT improve locoregional recurrence (LRR) and prolong overall survival (OS). [2,3] Nevertheless, despite improvements, LRR after CRT continues to be a vexing problem for 20–35% of patients. [4–8] Even patients with favorable prognosis human papillomavirus-related HNC [9] have a LRR rate of nearly 15%. [4] Locoregional recurrence is related to a number of different factors. Some tumors are inherently radioresistant. Additionally, as radiation is delivered more precisely with smaller margins, the potential for recurrences related to 'marginal misses' has increased. Ongoing exposure [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-12-05T14:26:22-07:00December, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton Is Cancer Free

Source: RTT News Date: November 30, 2012 After a long six-year battle, Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton is finally cancer free. The bassist was first diagnosed with tongue and throat cancer in 2006. "I'm feeling really good," Hamilton told BackstageAxxess. "The doctor who treated me in 2009 said, 'Listen, I can help you in a way that is going to preserve your way of life. But you're going to have to come in here a lot afterwards for a long time.' I said, 'Sign me up!' I go in there about every two to three months. I get looked at by having the doctor put a scope down my throat. It's a nerve-wracking process, but I don't have to worry about it for a couple of months and I'm feeling great." After he was originally treated in 2006, the cancer returned three years later, but now his doctor has given him the great news that another return is unlikely. by RTT Staff Writer This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2012-12-06T18:25:15-07:00December, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Global burden of cancer: opportunities for prevention

Source: The Lancet, Volume 380, Issue 9856, Pages 1797 - 1799, 24 November 2012 In The Lancet, Isabelle Soerjomataram and colleagues report that about 169 million years of healthy life were lost due to cancer worldwide in 2008 alone, based on a summary measure (disability-adjusted life-years [DALY] lost) that combines years lived with disability and years of life lost because of premature death. By contrast with mortality rates and counts, which emphasize deaths occurring at old ages, DALY give more weight to deaths occurring at young ages at which people are more likely to be working, raising children, and supporting other family members. Worldwide, the highest DALY rates were noted in eastern African countries (eg, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia) in women and in several high-income and middle-income countries (eg, Hungary and Uruguay) in men. Despite the substantial limitations inherent in the modeling of sparse cancer registry data and various assumptions about the natural history of every disease and related variables, these findings emphasize the growing burden of cancer in economically developing countries. This burden is partly due to the ageing and growth of the population and marketing-driven adoption of unhealthy lifestyles such as tobacco use and consumption of high-calorie food, as well as limited progress in reduction of infection-related cancers.2 Opportunities exist to reduce these major risk factors and the associated cancer burden through broad implementation of proven interventions specific to every country's economic development level. These interventions include tobacco control, improvement of opportunities for physical activity and healthier dietary patterns, [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-11-28T11:10:26-07:00November, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Temple researchers show targeted cancer drug may stunt heart’s ability to repair itself

Source: EurekaAlert! Date: November 6, 2012 (Philadelphia, PA) – Scientists for the first time have evidence showing how a widely used type of "targeted" cancer drug can be dangerous to the heart. Studying mice with the equivalent of a heart attack, researchers found that the drug sorafenib (Nexavar) – which inhibits proteins called tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs), and is used in kidney and liver cancer treatment – can interfere with heart stem cell activity, affecting the heart's ability to repair itself after injury. The findings suggest that sorafenib and other similar drugs that target these kinds of protein receptors may raise the risk for heart attack for some cancer patients with underlying heart disease, as well as affect the heart's ability to repair damage. By understanding how these cancer drugs can affect the heart, scientists and clinicians may be able to devise new treatment strategies to lessen such potentially damaging effects of often vital cancer drugs. "The goal is not to take the drug off of the market – it's a very good and useful drug that cancer patients need. We're trying to understand how this cancer drug and others like it can affect the heart, and what types of individuals might be at risk for problems," said senior author Steven Houser, PhD, Professor and Chair of Physiology at Temple University School of Medicine and Director of Temple's Cardiovascular Research Center. "Our results are beginning to provide a clearer picture of some of the potential physiological mechanisms at play." Dr. [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-11-09T11:25:06-07:00November, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer patient fights Medicare for coverage

Source: Dr.Biscuspid.com By Donna Domino, Features Editor November 6, 2012 -- Hank Grass has so far successfully fought his submandibular cancer. But the retired policeman is now facing bankruptcy in his losing battle to get Medicare to cover the oral surgeries, dental treatments, and dentures he needs following radiation treatment. The 77-year-old had his salivary gland removed after doctors found cancer at the base of his tongue three years ago. But the radiation and chemotherapy damaged his teeth and gums so much that he had to have all but three of his bottom teeth extracted. Recently, Grass needed periodontal surgery to treat an infection he developed in his mandible from radiation treatments. After Hank Grass developed submandibular cancer, radiation therapy caused osteoradionecrosis, requiring the extraction of all but three of his bottom teeth. All images courtesy of Hank Grass. So far, Grass has spent $8,000 for the dental treatment and dentures, but Medicare won't reimburse him, saying his dental work was not medically necessary and is cosmetic. And since Medicare has refused payment, Grass' insurance company also has refused to cover the dental procedures. "I've been through a living hell," he told DrBicuspid.com. "We're pinching pennies; we're in bankruptcy." Five doctors -- including his dentist, oncologist, oral surgeon, and the doctor who administered chemotherapy -- submitted letters confirming that Grass' dental procedures were directly related to his cancer treatments. But it was to no avail, he said. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to look at all the [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-11-07T12:40:04-07:00November, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

First gene therapy study in human salivary gland shows promise

Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Date: Monday, November 5, 2012 Gene therapy can be performed safely in the human salivary gland, according to scientists at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health. This finding comes from the first-ever safety, or Phase I, clinical study of gene therapy in a human salivary gland. Its results, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also show that the transferred gene, Aquaporin-1, has great potential to help head and neck cancer survivors who battle with chronic dry mouth. Aquaporin-1 encodes a protein that naturally forms pore-like water channels in the membranes of cells to help move fluid, such as occurs when salivary gland cells secrete saliva into the mouth. These initial results clear the way for additional gene therapy studies in the salivary glands. Although sometimes overlooked, salivary glands present an ideal target for gene therapy. They are easily accessible and, once a gene is introduced, it has no obvious escape route into the bloodstream, where it can have unintended consequences. “You cannot imagine how fulfilling it is to jot down an idea on a napkin in 1991 and then see it enter a clinical trial and help people.,” said Bruce Baum, D.M.D., Ph.D., lead author on the study and recently retired NIDCR scientist who spent the last 21 years moving gene therapy in the salivary glands from the research bench to the clinic. “Can a scientist ask for anything [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-11-06T14:45:46-07:00November, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Germany’s Merck halts supply of cancer drug to Greek hospitals

Source: Reuters.com Date: November 3, 2012 German pharmaceuticals firm Merck KGaA is no longer delivering cancer drug Erbitux to Greek hospitals, a spokesman said on Saturday, the latest sign of how an economic and budget crisis is hurting frontline public services. Drugmakers raised concerns with EU leaders earlier this year over supplies to the euro zone's crisis-hit southern half and Germany's Biotest in June was the first to stop shipments to Greece because of unpaid bills. Publicly-owned hospitals in some countries worst hit by the euro zone debt crisis had been struggling to pay their bills, Merck's chief financial officer, Matthias Zachert, was quoted as saying by German paper Boersen-Zeitung in an interview on Saturday. He said however that the only country where Merck had stopped deliveries was Greece. "It only affects Greece, where we have been faced with many problems. It's just the one product," he told the paper. A spokesman for the company told Reuters that the drug concerned was Erbitux and that ordinary Greeks can still purchase it from pharmacies. Some countries have taken action to pay bills, such as in Spain, where the government has said it will help hospitals to pay off debts. "That has improved things, even though the situation should still be regarded as critical for the coming years," Zachert said. Erbitux is Merck's second best-selling prescription drug, bringing in sales of 855 million euros ($1.1 billion) in 2011 from treating bowel cancer and head and neck cancer. ($1 = 0.7785 euros) This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-11-05T11:16:35-07:00November, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

GIVING ORAL CANCER A LOUDER VOICE

BY PATTI DIGANGI, RDH, BS Even with our best efforts, oral cancer continues to have a nearly 50% mortality rate at five years. This equals 40,000 deaths annually in the United States with 370,000 worldwide. It is predicted that there will be a world-wide oral cancer epidemic by mid-21st century. Predictions are based on what has been and current situations. The wonderful part of predictions is they can be wrong. Two people, Alison Stahl and Eric Statler, are leading the way to circumvent that future death rate. They challenge all of us across the country not to be reactive — but rather to be proactive in our approach. Volunteers welcome participants to the oral cancer walk. Eric Statler is a stage IV oral cancer survivor. As happens far too often, he was initially misdiagnosed and thought to be experiencing pain related to wisdom teeth. An infection that followed his extractions was treated with antibiotics and he was dismissed. With no resolution and increasing pain, he went back to the dentist who immediately referred him to a specialist. Someone You Should Know: (from left to right:) Mike Stahl, Kim Benkert, Denise Snarski, Bonnie Chisholm-Green, Trish DeDios, Patti DiGangi, Donna Grzegorek, Alison Stahl, Amy Frazin, Lois Roewade, Ewa Posorski, Tracy Fritz, Zuzana Buc, Cynthia Pfeiffer, and Eric Stadler. At the age of 33, Eric was diagnosed with stage IV HPV related oral cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments followed along with multiple disfiguring surgeries and some facial paralysis. Treatments were initially [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-11-02T14:48:17-07:00October, 2012|OCF In The News|

On the Job with Laura Schmitz Cook

Source: StarTribune.com In seven years as a Registered Dental Hygienist, Laura Schmitz Cook has already seen a lot of change -- for example, she said, "Fluoride varnish has progressed. It was yellowish, now it's clear. You can give it to young kids without fear. It's a great treatment for kids with high decay risk." Digital X-rays are easier to manipulate than film, providing better information about what's going on, and because they're instantly viewable, "they're a great educational tool." Of course, some things haven't changed; Schmitz Cook spends most of her time cleaning teeth. "I take pride in being very gentle, but when people tell me they don't like the dentist, I say, 'I don't take it personally.' I understand the anxiety about going to the dentist." Through her first year in college, Schmitz Cook was torn between being a teacher and being a hygienist. After spending 20 hours shadowing a hygienist, the decision was easy. "I could see myself doing this," she said. In addition to graduating with a four-year degree from an accredited program, Schmitz Cook had to take clinical and written board examinations. Schmitz Cook moved to Minnesota as soon as she graduated from the University of South Dakota and "found a job right away through networking," although she senses that jobs are tighter in the current economy. To be registered in Minnesota, she had to pass a state test on relevant laws and the code of ethics. She also earns 25 continuing education credits every two [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-10-22T10:13:08-07:00October, 2012|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Maine guitar savant Nick Curran dies at 35

Source: Portland Press Herald Curran, who played with Texas rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson, died Saturday after a three-year battle with oral cancer. Nick Curran, a nationally known guitarist and singer from Sanford who played with the Texas rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and numerous other bands, died Saturday after a three-year battle with oral cancer. He was 35. Curran, who was known for blending punk, blues and rockabilly, was a frequent performer in Portland but spent much of his career in the Austin, Texas, area. Curran grew up in Sanford and started playing drums when he was 3 years old. By the time he was 9, he was learning to play the guitar. As a teenager, Curran played with his father's band, Mike Curran & the Tremors. He entered Portland's music scene with talent beyond his years. He made a big impression on Maine musicians such as Matthew Robbins, a guitarist and vocalist for King Memphis. Robbins remembers the days when Curran would stand outside Gritty McDuff's in Portland and peer through the window to watch Robbins' band play. "He was young and extremely talented," Robbins said. "Nick was like a sponge. He could see someone play something and play it right back. He was pretty amazing." Curran was a regular at The Big Easy in Portland during its popular open mike nights. Jimmy Junkins, lead singer and guitarist for Jimmy Junkins and the Soulcats, said he would sneak Curran into the bar and get him up on [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-10-10T10:49:45-07:00October, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

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