Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

Researchers Identify Chemical Linked to Oral Cancer Risk in Smokeless Tobacco

By Denise Mann WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Aug. 22, 2012 -- Dip, chew, snuff, and other types of smokeless tobacco are known to increase risk for oral cancer. Now new research in rats is zeroing in on exactly how this may occur. The findings were presented at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Philadelphia. The newly identified cancer-causing culprit in these products is (S)-NNN. It is part of a larger family of chemicals called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are also found in such foods as beer and bacon. They form naturally in the stomach when people eat foods containing high levels of nitrite. Nitrosamine levels in smokeless tobacco are far higher than in food, according to a prepared statement. Researchers fed rats a low dose of two forms of chemicals found in smokeless tobacco for 17 months. The doses were about equivalent to a person who used half a tin of smokeless tobacco every day for 30 years. (S)-NNN seemed to cause large numbers of oral and esophageal tumors in the rats, the study shows. "There is a very specific oral carcinogen in smokeless tobacco and it is potent," says researcher Silvia Balbo, PhD. She is a cancer researcher at the Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This compound is found in all smokeless tobacco products, including those that look like breath mints, strips, or candy, and “snus,” which are pouches filled with tobacco that are placed between the upper lip and gum. [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-23T09:19:37-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Loss of Heterozygosity (LOH) Profiles—Validated Risk Predictors for Progression to Oral Cancer

Source: Cancer Prevention Research Lewei Zhang4,5, Catherine F. Poh1,2,4,5, Michele Williams2,4, Denise M. Laronde1,4, Ken Berean5, Pamela J. Gardner3, Huijun Jiang1, Lang Wu6, J. Jack Lee8, and Miriam P. Rosin1 Authors' Affiliations: 1Cancer Control Research Department, 2Oral Oncology Department, 3Fraser Valley Program in Oral Oncology/Dentistry, British Columbia Cancer Agency; 4Faculty of Dentistry and Departments of 5Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and 6Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver; 7Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada; and 8Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Corresponding Author: Miriam P. Rosin, Director, BC Oral Cancer Prevention Program, BC Cancer Agency, Department of Cancer Control Research, 675 West 10th Avenue, Rm 3-113, Vancouver V5Z 1L3, British Columbia, Canada. Phone: 604-675-8061; Fax: 604-675-8180; E-mail: [email protected] Abstract A major barrier to oral cancer prevention has been the lack of validated risk predictors for oral premalignant lesions (OPL). In 2000, we proposed a loss of heterozygosity (LOH) risk model in a retrospective study. This paper validated the previously reported LOH profiles as risk predictors and developed refined models via the largest longitudinal study to date of low-grade OPLs from a population-based patient group. Analysis involved a prospective cohort of 296 patients with primary mild/moderate oral dysplasia enrolled in the Oral Cancer Prediction Longitudinal Study. LOH status was determined in these OPLs. Patients were classified into high-risk or low-risk profiles to validate the 2000 model. Risk models were refined using recursive partitioning and Cox regression analyses. The prospective cohort validated that the high-risk lesions (3p and/or 9p LOH) had a 22.6-fold increase in risk (P = 0.002) compared [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-22T11:47:21-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Molecular markers help predict oral cancer progression

Source: DrBicuspid.com August 21, 2012 -- A group of molecular markers has been identified that can help clinicians determine which patients with low-grade oral premalignant lesions are at high risk for progression to oral cancer, according to data from the Oral Cancer Prediction Longitudinal Study published in Cancer Prevention Research (August 21, 2012). "The results of our study should help to build awareness that not everyone with a low-grade oral premalignant lesion will progress to cancer," said Miriam Rosin, PhD, director of the Oral Cancer Prevention Program at the British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency, in a press release issued by the American Association of Cancer Research, which publishes the journal. "However, they should also begin to give clinicians a better idea of which patients need closer follow-up." In 2000, Rosin and colleagues used samples of oral premalignant lesions in which progression to cancer was known to have subsequently occurred to develop a method for grouping patients into low- or high-risk categories based on differences in their DNA. In their current population-based study, the researchers confirmed that this approach was able to correctly categorize patients as less or more likely to progress to cancer. They analyzed samples from 296 patients with mild or moderate oral dysplasia identified and followed over years by the BC Oral Biopsy Service, which receives biopsies from dentists and ear, nose, and throat surgeons across the province. Patients classified as high-risk had an almost 23-fold increased risk for progression. Next, the researchers added two additional DNA molecular [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-22T09:55:45-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Salivary glands project offers hope for head and neck cancer patients

Source: Dental-Tribune.com Researchers have shown that salivary cells cultured outside the body can be coaxed into forming organized structures similar to those found in the body. These images show cells marked with fluorescent dyes that identify specific proteins found in salivary tissues. (DTI/Photo courtesy of Swati Pradhan-Bhatt/University of Delaware) HOUSTON, Texas/NEWARK & WILMINGTON, Del., USA: Scientists in the U.S. have started a four-year program with the aim of regenerating artificial salivary glands from patients' own cells. As few researchers have applied tissue-engineering strategies in the past, they hope that their current work will lead to new solutions for cancer patients suffering from dry mouth as a consequence of radiation therapy. The researchers estimate that about 40,000 head and neck cancer patients undergo standard radiation as an early course of treatment each year, which often destroys the saliva-producing cells in their mouths. Consequently, patients have difficulty swallowing, eating and speaking owing to dry mouth, a serious condition that is also known to accelerate tooth decay and to induce oral infections. "There is currently no way to prevent or cure xerostomia for cancer patients who are undergoing radiation therapy. This is clearly a problem where regenerative medicine holds great promise for improving the quality of life for many people," said Dr. Robert Witt, a head and neck surgical oncologist at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. For the project, the team developed a technique to harvest and grow salivary acinar cells, which are responsible for water and enzyme production, in the [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-21T18:54:05-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Fewer teens having oral sex

Source: CNN.com Fewer teens aged 15 to 17 are having oral sex now than in 2002, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, but the number remains high. The report, based on data from The National Survey of Family Growth, found that more than a third of teens had engaged in oral sex by the time they turned 17. That number climbed to almost 50% by age 19, and more than 80% for 24-year-olds. The study - based on computer surveys given to over 6,000 teens - also looked at the timing of first oral sex in relation to the timing of first vaginal intercourse. It found that the prevalence of having oral sex before vaginal intercourse was about the same as those having vaginal intercourse before oral sex. "This new CDC analysis debunks many myths about when young people are initiating oral sex," wrote Leslie Kantor, vice president for education at Planned Parenthood, a family planning advocacy group. "Although there has never been data to support it, there has been the perception that many teens engage in oral sex as a 'risk-free' alternative to intercourse. But the CDC analysis shows that sexually active young people are likely to engage in both activities," she wrote. How Americans view teen sex But oral sex, like vaginal intercourse, is not risk-free. According to the CDC's website, "numerous studies have demonstrated that oral sex can result in the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease," not the least of which [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-20T10:51:44-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

New Guidelines for Head & Neck Cancer Reirradiation

Source: PhysciansWeekly.com Recurrent and second primary head-and-neck squamous cell carcinomas arising within or close to previously irradiated areas are a significant clinical challenge. The American College of Radiology published appropriateness criteria for recurrent head and neck cancer after prior definitive radiation. Recurrent and second primary head-and-neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) arising within or close to previously irradiated areas are a significant clinical challenge. Salvage surgical resection is the standard of care, but reirradiation is the only potentially curative treatment when surgery is not an option. Reirradiation is more challenging than initial treatment because of the side effects of prior therapy and concerns about the risks of high cumulative radiation doses to normal structures. Multi-institutional trials and large single institutional experiences have demonstrated that aggressive reirradiation, most often with chemotherapy, is feasible and provides durable locoregional control in some patients. An Expert Consensus on Reirradiation In the August 1, 2011 International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics, the American College of Radiology (ACR) published appropriateness criteria for recurrent head and neck cancer after prior definitive radiation. The ACR expert panel recommended that patient evaluation and reirradiation for HNSCC be performed at a tertiary care center with a head and neck oncology team that is equipped with the resources and experience to manage the complexities and toxicities of retreatment. Evaluation of Patients with Head & Neck Cancer Patient evaluation is important in assuring only appropriate patients are offered reirradiation. Evaluation should include careful restaging imaging, a detailed history and assessment [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-20T10:43:31-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

CDC says graphic anti-smoking ads work, more on way

Source: USA Today The federal government says its graphic ad campaign showing diseased smokers has been such a success that it is planning another round next year to nudge more Americans to kick the habit. The ads, which ran for 12 weeks in spring and early summer, aimed to get 500,000 people to try to quit and 50,000 to kick the habit long-term. "The initial results suggest the impact will be even greater than that," says Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which spearheaded the $54 million campaign. The ads showed real Americans talking about how smoking caused their paralysis, lung removal and amputations. He says it's the first time the U.S. government has paid for anti-smoking ads, although some media ran them free. The CDC doesn't have a tally yet on how many people actually tried to quit, but it says the ads generated 192,000 extra calls — more than double the usual volume — to its national toll-free quit line, 800-QUIT-NOW, and 417,000 new visitors to smokefree.gov, its website offering cessation tips. That's triple the site's previous traffic. "We do plan to do another (campaign) next year," Frieden says, adding that he has no details yet on the ads or their timing. He says the amount the CDC spent this year is a pittance compared with the $10 billion the tobacco industry spends annually to market its products. The nation's two largest tobacco companies, Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, declined [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-07T10:39:19-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Aspirin Protects Against Barrett’s Esophagus, Study Suggests

Source: ScienceDaily.com Aspirin use appears to reduce the risk of Barrett's esophagus (BE), the largest known risk factor for esophageal cancer, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. "The protective effect of aspirin use appears robust because the analyses suggests a dose-response relationship in which high-dose aspirin was significantly associated with decreased Barrett's esophagus risk," said Chin Hur, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Technology Assessment and lead author of this study. "It would not be advisable at this time for patients to start taking aspirin, particularly at higher doses, if preventing Barrett's esophagus is the only goal. However, if additional data confirms our findings and an individual at high risk for development of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer also could derive additional benefits, most notably cardiovascular, aspirin could be a consideration." Dr. Hur and his team of researchers analyzed characteristics of 434 BE patients for factors that might be used in screening and management. In addition to finding that those taking aspirin were 44 percent less likely to have BE, they also found that men were more than three times more likely to develop BE than women. The incidence of esophageal cancer has been increasing at an alarming rate during the past few decades; current attempts at targeted screening for this type of cancer focus on identifying BE. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly aspirin, have been associated with reduced esophageal cancer incidence. Although [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-07-26T15:26:31-07:00July, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

The Impact of Timing of EGFR and IGF-1R Inhibition for Sensitizing Head and Neck Cancer to Radiation

Source: AntiCancer Research Abstract Background: Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) improved radiotherapy outcome by 10-15% in head and neck tumors (HNSCC). We tested the therapeutic benefits of co-targeting EGFR and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) to further enhance tumor response to radiation. Materials and Methods: Mice bearing FaDu tumor xenografts were treated with ganitumab (previously known as AMG479, an anti-IGF-1R antibody), panitumumab (an anti-EGFR antibody), or both in combination with fractionated doses of radiation. Tumor growth delay and tumor cure/recurrence served as end-points. Results: The best tumor growth delay was achieved when ganitumab and panitumumab were given concurrently with radiation. Tumor cure/recurrence studies showed that combining ganitumab, panitumumab and radiation resulted in significantly higher radiocurability rates than use of either of the agents given with radiation. Conclusion: These findings provide the rationale for clinical testing of the combination of ganitumab and panitumumab for the treatment of HNSCC. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2012-07-26T09:29:45-07:00July, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer in Swedish Snuff Dippers

Source: Anticancer Research Abstract Over recent decades there has been debate over whether or not Swedish snuff is carcinogenic in humans. Animal studies and molecular biological and experimental studies have shown the carcinogenic potential of Swedish snuff, but this has not been proved in prospective randomized studies. We present a case series of patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas diagnosed at the sites where the patients had used Swedish snuff for several years. Sixteen male patients were referred to and treated at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Departments and Ear, Nose and Throat clinics at seven different hospitals in Sweden. The mean age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 72.9 years and the mean time of snuff use prior to cancer diagnosis was 42.9 years. This case series shows that Swedish snuff may not be a harmless alternative to smoking. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2012-07-26T09:25:39-07:00July, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

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