Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

The Most Deadly HPVs in the World

Source: WebMD News Author: Daniel DeNoon Cervical Cancer-Causing Viruses ID'd in Worldwide Study Oct. 19, 2010 – Two human papillomavirus types included in HPV vaccines cause 71% of cervical cancers -- but there are six other cervical cancer-causing HPVs, an international study finds. Led by Spanish researcher Silvia de Sanjose, MD, the effort analyzed 22,661 tissue samples from 14,249 women from 38 countries in six continents. Researchers looked for any of the 118 known types of HPV. The samples included 10,575 cases of invasive cervical cancer -- for women, the second most common cancer in the world. HPV is believed to cause nearly all cervical cancers. Although the study detected HPV in only 85% of cervical cancers, de Sanjose and colleagues suggest that various problems (such as DNA degradation in samples) led researchers to miss HPV in the remaining 15% of cases. There are currently two HPV vaccines: Cervarix from GlaxoSmithKline and Gardasil from Merck. Both protect against HPV types 16 and 18; Gardasil also protects against the genital wart-causing HPV strains 6 and 11. The new study strongly supports use of these vaccines, as HPV 16 and HPV 18 account for 71% of invasive cervical cancers. HPV 16, HPV 18, and HPV 45 are found in 94% of cervical adenocarcinomas. HPV types 18 and 45 are found in much younger women with invasive cervical cancer, suggesting that these viruses are particularly deadly. HPV 16 is also linked to cancer in younger women. In addition to HPV 16, 18, and [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-26T12:24:24-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Health Risks of Oral Sex- linked to Oral Cancer

Source: Women's Health Magazine Author: Alyssa Giacobbe Long known to cause cervical cancer, the pervasive but often silent human papillomavirus (HPV) has been finding its way into women's mouths Mische Eddins, 37, awoke with a head cold. Or what seemed like one anyway. Postnasal drip. Sore throat. Swollen lymph nodes. No biggie—it was the fall of 2007, and a seasonal bug was winding its way through Seattle. "I had just been bragging to my friends about how I'd managed to avoid getting sick," she says. "But I was healthy, so it all passed quickly." Everything, that is, except a swollen node on the left side of her neck, which, months later, hadn't gone away. Christmastime came, and the little bump was still there. Sans appointment, Mische walked into her doctor's office and left with a script for antibiotics. No improvement. She then bounced from M.D. to M.D., and finally, six months after that seemingly innocuous head cold, she had a PET/CT scan. The results were a total shock: Mische had stage III oral cancer, and the disease had spread from her tonsil to her lymph nodes. Within hours, her docs had scheduled a tonsillectomy and were talking about chemo and radiation. Someone suggested she prepare a will. "I was floored," she says. "A will?" A professional singer, Mische exercised almost every day, ate a mostly organic diet, didn't booze heavily, and never smoked as an adult. Even her doctors were stymied. Searching for answers, one physician tested Mische's cancer cells [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-26T10:04:27-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Dead man will be remembered for spreading oral cancer

Source: The Gawker/ WSJ Author: Steven Miller Louis Bantle, the former marketing director and chairman of U.S. Tobacco, died earlier this month at the age of 81 from emphysema and lung cancer. Bantle was most famous for convincing millions of teenagers to dip. The WSJ chroniclesBantle's work from the 1960s through the 1990s, during which time he helped turn snuff into a billion-dollar business and tripled its use among 18-24 year-olds. "We must sell the use of tobacco in the mouth and appeal to young people," he said, according to the minutes of a marketing meeting in 1968. "We hope to start a fad." "If you go to high school in Texas and you don't have a can of snuff in your pocket, you're out," Mr. Bantle told Forbes in 1980. Your legacy will live on, Mr. Bantle. Original Article from the WSJ: Louis Bantle made dipping snuff into a national pastime. Mr. Bantle, who died Oct. 10 at age 81 after a long struggle with lung cancer and emphysema, was chairman of United States Tobacco Co. for two decades beginning in 1973, a period that saw an explosion in snuff's popularity, particularly among younger users. In the 1970s, sales of the company's Skoal and Copenhagen tobaccos were relatively small and concentrated in the upper Midwest, where Scandinavian woodcutters had spread the smokeless habit in the 19th century. Mr. Bantle ramped up advertising featuring football and rodeo star Walt Garrison and other rugged athletes. He introduced a series of "starter" [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-20T08:39:52-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Dentistry’s Schmidt and Boston Biomedical Share $1.25mil NIH Grant for Cancer Pain Research

Source: Iewy Author: Staff The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a joint, five-year, $1.25 million grant to Dr. Brian L. Schmidt, a Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the NYU College of Dentistry, and Dr. Markus Hardt, a protein chemist at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute, for a study of the molecular mechanisms of oral cancer pain. The ultimate goal of the research is to spur the development of more sophisticated analgesics (pain medications) to alleviate the pain that is so often manifested in patients with oral cancer. “Oral cancer is a logical place to start when seeking clues about cancer pain,” Dr. Schmidt said. “To begin, oral cancer is very painful. In fact, pain is the most common presenting symptom associated with this cancer. Secondly, oral cancer is painful at the primary site, not just at sites of metastasis as is the case in almost all other cancers. Lastly, the primary site of the oral cancer is readily accessible, enabling us to directly sample the cancer microenvironment.” Dr. Schmidt hypothesizes that the cause of oral cancer pain and pain generated by other cancers may be produced along similar molecular pathways in the body. Oral cancer pain, like many other kinds of cancer pain, is triggered by specific actions. Just as oral cancers can cause patients to feel pain in the oral cavity when they speak, other cancers generate pain during mechanical stimulation. For example, if a [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-18T14:53:54-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

ACOG Endorses Guidelines on HPV Vaccination

Source: MedPage Today Author: John Gever The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is adding its weight to recommendations that 11- and 12-year-old girls be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) and that "catch-up" shots are a good idea for unvaccinated teens and young women up to age 26. In a new statement, ACOG's Committee on Adolescent Health Care also stressed that Pap smears are still necessary for women starting at 21, even if they've been vaccinated against HPV. Current vaccines do not protect against all viral strains, and vaccination does not clear preexisting infections. Two HPV vaccines are now available: a bivalent product (Cervarix) that protects against genotypes 16 and 18; and a quadrivalent product (Gardasil) that protects against the same two strains plus genotypes 6 and 11. The new statement, published online in Obstetrics & Gynecology, updates one issued in 2006 when the quadrivalent product was approved. The bivalent vaccine was approved last October. The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that girls first receive HPV immunization at age 11 or 12, before becoming sexually active, and the ACOG committee said that was appropriate in most cases. "Depending on the circumstances, the vaccine can be given to individuals as young as age 9 years," the committee indicated. Vaccination before the start of sexual activity ensures maximal effectiveness, but ACIP has recommended catch-up vaccination for sexually active young women who have not received either product. The ACOG committee endorsed the recommendation, noting that the vaccines may even be given [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-13T16:40:03-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

HPV ‘Epidemic’ Behind Increases in Oral Cancer

Source: MedPage Today Author: Crystal Phend Rising rates of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma may stem from a new epidemic of sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a review. The incidence of oral cancer has been on the rise over recent decades in the U.S. and some northern European countries, noted Torbjörn Ramqvist, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and Tina Dalianis, of the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control in Solna, Sweden. The corresponding increase in the percentage of those tumors positive for HPV over the past 10 years isn't simply because of more sensitive testing, they wrote in the November issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases. For example, the Swedish Cancer Registry documented a 2.8-fold increase in tonsillar cancer around Stockholm from 1970 to 2002. Examination of all available tonsillar cancer samples indicated a rise in HPV-positive tumors over this period from 23% to 68%, with a further jump to 93% by 2007. Similar patterns were seen for tumors at the base of the tongue, the second most common type of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. "We suggest that this increase is caused by a slow epidemic of HPV infection–induced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma," Ramqvist and Dalianis wrote in the paper. Changes in sexual patterns are likely to blame, "such as increased oral sex or increasing numbers of sex partners," they added. The HPV-positive rate is much higher -- at 45% to 100% -- in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas than for other types of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, in which [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-13T16:37:25-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Nuances in the changing epidemiology of head and neck cancer

Source: Cancer Network Author: Daniel C. Beachler, MHS Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a heterogeneous group of malignancies caused by the traditional risk factors of tobacco, alcohol, and poor oral hygiene, as well as more recently identified roles of human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).[1-3] We commend Kim and colleagues on their comprehensive review of the epidemiology of HNSCC. There has been a clear change in the epidemiology of HNSCC which has further accentuated differences in etiology, survival, and demographics among HNSCC patients. We will discuss several important nuances of this changing epidemiology, including the role of tobacco, race, sexual behavior, and gender, as well as HNSCC in nonsmokers and nondrinkers. As tobacco use has declined over the past several decades,[4,5] so has the number of cancers caused by tobacco and alcohol.[1,6,7] Continued decline in tobacco use and associated HNSCC is not guaranteed, however; in fact, some recent evidence suggests rates of tobacco use in the US may be stabilizing.[5] In contrast, the incidence of HPV-associated HNSCC has increased over the past several decades,[7] although it is unclear what is driving this change. The increasing incidence of HPV-associated HNSCC could be related to changes in oral sexual practices resulting in more oral HPV infection, or it may be explained by increased persistence and progression due to changes in relevant cofactors. Kim and colleagues noted in their review that HPV-associated HNSCC largely occurs among nonsmokers and nondrinkers. While it is true that HNSCC patients with HPV-associated disease [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-09-30T12:46:32-07:00September, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

GSK European Commission amends licence for Cervarix

By: GlaxoSmithKline Source: PharmPro GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) confirmed today that the European Commission has granted Marketing Authorisation to amend the licence for its cervical cancer vaccine, Cervarix®. The approval from the European Commission is important as it recognises the extent of cervical cancer protection demonstrated by Cervarix®, which was not highlighted by the previous indication. The licence amendment is supported by data from the largest efficacy trial of a cervical cancer vaccine conducted to date, the PATRICIA study, and acknowledges that Cervarix® has shown efficacy beyond HPV 16 and 18, the two virus types contained in the vaccine. The summary of product characteristics (SPC) for Cervarix® will be updated to include the prevention of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer causally related to certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and will reflect data showing efficacy against the two vaccine types contained in the vaccine (HPV 16 and 18) and the three next most common cancer-causing virus types (HPV 31, 33 and 45).* Together these five HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33 and 45) account for 80 percent of all cervical cancers. * Vaccine efficacy is different for each of the HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33 and 45, and varies in different cohorts and endpoints. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Biologicals), GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccines business, is one of the world’s leading vaccine companies and a leader in innovation. The company is active in vaccine research, development and production with over 30 vaccines approved for marketing and 20 more in development - both in the prophylactic and therapeutic fields [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-09-17T09:07:55-07:00September, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Medicare expands coverage of tobacco cessation

By Mike Lillis Source: thehill.com The Obama administration on Wednesday expanded Medicare to cover more seniors hoping to kick their tobacco habits. "Most Medicare beneficiaries want to quit their tobacco use," Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement announcing the move. "Now, [they] can get the help they need." Under previous rules, Medicare covered tobacco-related counseling only for beneficiaries already suffering from a tobacco-related disease. Under the new policy, Medicare will cover as many as two tobacco-cessation counseling tries each year, including as many as four individual sessions per attempt. The move is the latest in a string of White House efforts to shift the nation's healthcare system toward prevention, in lieu of simply treating diseases after they've developed. If successful, the new tobacco policy could pay dividends. Of the 46 million Americans estimated to smoke, about 4.5 million are seniors older than 65, HHS says. And nearly 1 million more smokers are younger than 65, but eligible for Medicare benefits. They aren't cheap. Tobacco-related diseases are estimated to cost Medicare about $800 billion between 1995 and 2015. Donald Berwick, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the expansion lends seniors valuable help "to avoid the painful — and often deadly — consequences of tobacco use." The change affects Medicare Parts A and B — hospital care and physician services — but not Part D, which already covers smoking-cessation drugs for all beneficiaries.

Charlotte Parker2010-09-17T08:57:45-07:00September, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Actor’s diagnosis puts spotlight on oral cancer

By: Donna Domino, Associate Editor Source: DrBicuspid.com Actor Michael Douglas' recent revelation that he has stage IV oropharyngeal cancer has highlighted the growing incidence of oral cancer, and experts say dentists can help stem the alarming increase of the disease by checking for it during routine examinations. “Tobacco is no longer the only bad guy.” — Brian Hill, executive director, Oral Cancer Foundation The actor's cancer includes a walnut-sized tumor at the base of his tongue, and he will require radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Douglas says his doctors told him he has an 80% survival rate if it hasn't spread to his lymph nodes. While tobacco was the prime cause of oral cancer in the past, recent studies have attributed the steady increase of the disease to the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are approximately 130 versions of HPV but only nine cause cancers, and the HPV16 version causes almost half of the oral cancers in the U.S., said Brian Hill, executive director of the Oral Cancer Foundation. "Tobacco is no longer the only bad guy," he told DrBicuspid.com. “HPV16 is increasing in incidence as the causative etiology, and if it continues on this trend line, it will replace tobacco as the primary cause of oral cancers." Dentists can play a key role in catching the disease in its early stages if they check for it during examinations, Hill pointed out. "But many dentists think it's such a rare disease that they don't bother to screen for it," he said. [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-03-29T19:08:30-07:00September, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

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