Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

Study: Cruciferous vegetables help prevent oral cancer

Soucre: Dr.Biscuspid.com October 1, 2012 -- Eating cruciferous vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of developing several cancers, including oral, esophageal, colorectal, breast, and kidney cancer, according to a study in the Annals of Oncology (August 2012, Vol. 23:8, pp. 2198-2203). Epidemiological studies have shown that eating cruciferous vegetables -- which include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, and bok choy -- is associated with reduced risk for a number of cancers, the study authors noted. The Italian researchers conducted a meta-analysis of data from multiple case-control studies done in Italy and Switzerland to examine the association between consumption of cruciferous vegetables and risk of multiple cancers. The analysis included 1,468 cancers of the oral cavity/pharynx, 505 of the esophagus, 230 of the stomach, 2,390 of the colorectum, 185 of the liver, 326 of the pancreas, 852 of the larynx, 3,034 of the breast, 367 of the endometrium, 1,031 of the ovary, 1,294 of the prostate, and 767 of the kidney, along with 1,492 control patients. Compared to men and women who ate no cruciferous vegetables, those who ate such vegetables at least once a week cut their risk of cancer of the oral cavity/pharynx by 17%, esophageal cancer by 28%, colorectal cancer by 17%, breast cancer by 17%, and kidney cancer by 32%, the study showed. In addition, eating cruciferous vegetables cut the risk of stomach cancer by 10%, pancreatic cancer by 10%, laryngeal cancer by 16%, endometrial cancer by 7%, ovarian cancer by 9%, and prostate cancer by [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-10-02T10:14:17-07:00October, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Studies question value of certain HNC biomarkers

Source: Dr.Biscuspid.com September 19, 2012 -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA positivity alone, particularly when assessed using polymerase chain reaction methods, is a poor biomarker for HPV-driven head and neck cancers (HNCs), according to two studies published in Cancer Research (September 18, 2012). These studies identified alternative potential markers, including viral load, viral gene expression, and the evaluation of HPV DNA in combination with certain HPV assays. Prior research has established that HPV is a cause of some head and neck cancers, including oropharyngeal cancer, and that patients with HPV-associated disease tend to have a better clinical outcome. Consequently, the proper assessment of the clinical status of individual tumors has become a goal of clinicians treating this disease because HPV at the tumor site does not indicate causal involvement in the cancer. In the first study, Dana Holzinger, PhD, of the division of genome modifications and carcinogenesis at the German Cancer Research Center, and colleagues analyzed the potential of direct and indirect HPV markers to identify patients with HPV-driven tumors. They analyzed 199 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma specimens for HPV DNA, viral load, RNA expression patterns seen in cervical carcinomas, and the p16 protein. They found that the cervical cancer RNA expression pattern and viral load were associated with the lowest risk for death from oropharyngeal cancer. In contrast, a weaker association was found for samples that were HPV DNA-positive or that expressed the p16 protein. "We showed that high viral load and a cancer-specific pattern of viral gene expression are [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-28T13:42:14-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

CMC gets $8M to study oral damage from radiation

Source: wcnc.com by Karen Garloch / The Charlotte Observer A research team in the Department of Oral Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center has received an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study tissue damage in patients who have received high-dose radiation for head and neck cancer. Hospital officials said it is the largest research grant ever awarded to CMC. Dr. Michael Brennan, associate chairman of the oral medicine department, will be principal investigator for the Charlotte research site. Patients will also be enrolled at Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, New York University and the University of Connecticut. Brennan said the five-year study will help doctors develop evidence-based guidelines for the care of patients’ dental health before or after radiation therapy. Patients with head and neck cancer often receive high-dose radiation therapy that results in lifelong damage to oral and facial tissues. Side effects include a decrease in saliva production, which increases the risk of tooth decay and tooth loss. Radiation can also impair bone healing, leading to an increased risk of infection around the teeth and increased risk of jaw fractures and pain that could require surgery. Patients enrolled in the study will receive a standard dental assessment prior to radiation therapy, and follow-up visits will be conducted every six months for up to two years. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2012-09-28T09:39:10-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Oropharyngeal cancer patients with HPV have a more robust response to radiation therapy

Source: Eurekalert.org (SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — UC Davis cancer researchers have discovered significant differences in radiation-therapy response among patients with oropharyngeal cancer depending on whether they carry the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted virus. The findings, published online today in The Laryngoscope Journal, could lead to more individualized radiation treatment regimens, which for many patients with HPV could be shorter and potentially less toxic. HPV-related cancers of the oropharynx (the region of the throat between the soft palate and the epiglottis, including the tonsils, base of tongue and uvula) have steadily increased in recent years, according to the National Cancer Institute, especially among men. At the same time, the incidence of oropharyngeal cancers related to other causes, such as smoking or alcohol consumption, is declining. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States; it can spread through direct skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal and oral sex. The UC Davis study, conducted by Allen Chen, associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Radiation Oncology, examined patterns of tumor reduction during radiation treatment in two otherwise similar groups of patients with oropharyngeal cancer: those who tested positive for HPV and those who tested negative for the virus. None of the HPV patients in the study was a smoker, a leading risk factor for the disease. Chen used CT scans acquired during image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and endoscopy (a tube with a small camera) to capture 3D images of the patients' tumors and monitor their treatment progress. [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-27T10:38:35-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Robotic Surgery Through The Mouth Safe For Removing Tumors Of The Voice Box, Study Shows

Source: HealthCanal.com COLUMBUS, Ohio – Robotic surgery though the mouth is a safe and effective way to remove tumors of the throat and voice box, according to a study by head and neck cancer surgeons at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). Dr. Enver Ozer This is the first report in the world literature illustrating the safety and efficacy of transoral robotic surgery for supraglottic laryngectomy, the researchers say. The preliminary study examined the outcomes of 13 head and neck cancer patients with tumors located in the region of the throat between the base of the tongue and just above the vocal cords, an area known as the supraglottic region. The study found that the use of robot-assisted surgery to remove these tumors through the mouth took about 25 minutes on average, and that blood loss was minimal – a little more than three teaspoons, or 15.4 milliliters, on average, per patient. No surgical complications were encountered and 11 of the 13 patients could accept an oral diet within 24 hours. If, on the other hand, these tumors are removed by performing open surgery on the neck, the operation can take around 4 hours to perform, require 7 to 10 days of hospitalization on average and require a tracheostomy tube and a stomach tube, the researchers say. The findings were published recently in the journal Head and Neck. “The transoral robotic technique means shorter [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-26T09:38:37-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer rates for smokeless tobacco described

Source: Health News Observer September 16, 2012 | by Steven Rothrock MD Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is not burned or smoked. Other terms used for smokeless tobacco include chewing tobacco, spitting tobacco, dip, chew, and snuff. Typically these products are held in the mouth until juices are built up and spit out. Spitless products are available and some people choose to swallow the juices instead. Nicotine, which can be addictive, and cancer-causing agents are absorbed through the mouth’s lining. While using smokeless tobacco has been associated with many different cancers, the magnitude of the risk has not been previously well described. This week, in an online edition of the International Journal of Cancer, researchers sought to identify the magnitude of the risk of developing head and neck cancer in those who used smokeless tobacco. Towards that goal, the risk of cancer was compared between 1,046 users and 1,239 non-users of smokeless tobacco. After adjusting for age, sex, race, education, cigarette smoking, and alcohol use, any use of smokeless tobacco was associated with a 20% increased risk of head and neck cancer. Use of smokeless tobacco for 10 or more years had a 320% higher rate of developing these cancers compared to those who never used these products. In addition to head and neck cancers, users of these products are at risk for other cancers (e.g. esophageal, pancreatic, kidney), heart disease, high blood pressure, pregnancy loss, premature birth or low birth weights, low sperm counts, not to mention tooth gum [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-18T13:50:57-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Marilyn Baker: Are some diseases more equal than others?

Source: National Post On Sept. 30, thousands of people will participate in the Run for the Cure marathon. They will raise thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website is a sea of pink and purple and shows many further upcoming events where people can get involved in fighting breast cancer: The Nite of Hope auction, garden parties, the Pink Ribbon Charity Ball. The viewer is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the support. It reminds me of an email I received a few years ago from a dear friend who asked me to pledge support for a breast cancer walkathon. Her personal website stated that “together, we can beat breast cancer.” There were some stats on the disease, plus a little thermometer measuring how her pledges were doing. Seeing the pink ribbons raises many emotions in me. And, to be honest, one of them is anger. Please don’t get me wrong. I have more than a passing interest in breast cancer. I lost a dear sister-in-law to breast cancer. I have friends who live with the illness. I consider myself a lucky breast cancer survivor. So why am I upset? Simple. I’m jealous of all the attention paid to breast cancer when there are so many other cancers that could also benefit from public awareness. All cancers should be a priority. My breast cancer was caught by a screening mammogram. After a biopsy confirmed an invasive lobular carcinoma, I underwent a partial mastectomy and underarm [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-14T11:02:30-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers explain link between alcohol, cancer risk

Source: Dr.Bicuspid.com September 4, 2012 -- Almost 30 years after discovery of a link between alcohol consumption and certain forms of cancer, scientists are reporting the first evidence from research on people explaining how the popular beverage may be carcinogenic. The findings were reported August 22 during the American Chemical Society annual meeting in Philadelphia. The human body metabolizes the alcohol in beer, wine, and hard liquor into several substances, including acetaldehyde, a substance with a chemical backbone that resembles formaldehyde -- a known human carcinogen, according to lead author Silvia Balbo, PhD, a research associate at the University of Minnesota. "We now have the first evidence from living human volunteers that acetaldehyde formed after alcohol consumption damages DNA dramatically," Balbo stated in a press release. "Acetaldehyde attaches to DNA in humans in a way that results in the formation of a 'DNA adduct.' It's acetaldehyde that latches onto DNA and interferes with DNA activity in a way linked to an increased risk of cancer." To test the hypothesis that acetaldehyde causes DNA adducts to form in humans, Balbo and colleagues gave 10 volunteers increasing doses of vodka (comparable to one, two, and three drinks) once a week for three weeks. They found that levels of a key DNA adduct increased up to 100-fold in the subjects' oral cells within hours after each dose, then declined about 24 hours later. Adduct levels in blood cells also rose. "These findings tell us that alcohol, a lifestyle carcinogen, is metabolized into acetaldehyde [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-05T09:14:48-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

High HPV Immunization Rates Achieved With PATH Initiative

Source: Medscape.com August 30, 2012 (Montreal, Quebec) — Exceptionally high immunization rates against human papillomavirus (HPV) have been achieved in target-aged girls in India, Peru, Uganda, and Vietnam as a result of a PATH initiative, researchers told delegates here at the Union for International Cancer Control World Cancer Congress 2012. Vivien Tsu, PhD, MPH, director of the HPV vaccines project at PATH, reported that a minimum of 80% — and in some countries well over 90% — of school-aged girls received at least 1 dose of the HPV vaccine in the 4 countries to which the initiative has been directed over the past several years. "The reason the program was successful in these countries, and likely many others, is that there is visible government endorsement and involvement in the program," Dr. Tsu explained. "For the most part, people trust that the government is trying to help them, so if the government is saying 'this is worth doing,' the community participates." As Dr. Tsu noted, cervical cancer — at least 70% of which is caused by HPV types 16 and 18 — is a major health issue for women in low- and middle-income countries, with a projected incidence in 2030 of more than 750,000 women. In North America and Europe, cytology has been extremely effective in detecting cervical cancer and, more important, precursor lesions. However, in low- and middle-income countries, "cytology has failed to have much of an impact," Dr. Tsu explained, because these countries lack the necessary resources to offer widespread [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-31T11:09:43-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

It Costs More, but Is It Worth More?

Source: The New York Times- Opinion Pages By EZEKIEL J. EMANUEL and STEVEN D. PEARSON If you want to know what is wrong with American health care today, exhibit A might be the two new proton beam treatment facilities the Mayo Clinic has begun building, one in Minnesota, the other in Arizona, at a cost of more than $180 million dollars each. They are part of a medical arms race for proton beam machines, which could cost taxpayers billions of dollars for a treatment that, in many cases, appears to be no better than cheaper alternatives. Proton beam therapy is a kind of radiation used to treat cancers. The particles are made of atomic nuclei rather than the usual X-rays, and theoretically can be focused more precisely on cancerous tissue, minimizing the danger to healthy tissue surrounding it. But the machines are tremendously expensive, requiring a particle accelerator encased in a football-field-size building with concrete walls. As a result, Medicare will pay around $50,000 for proton beam therapy for a patient with prostate cancer, roughly twice as much as it would if the patient received another type of radiation. The higher price would be worth it if proton beam therapy cured more people or significantly reduced side effects. But there is no evidence showing that this is true, except for a handful of rare pediatric cancers, like brain and spinal cord cancer. For children, the treatment does a better job of limiting damage to normal brain cells and reducing the [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-28T09:24:52-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

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