Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

The little town that could!

Source: The Oral Cancer Foundation Author: John Pohl Rossville, Indiana Delivers Big Results With Oral Cancer Walk Don’t tell Kelly Hodson and Shana Frey that a town with a population of 1,513 is too small for an oral cancer walk. The Oral Cancer Foundation certainly won’t. Kelly is a certified dental assistant and Shana a registered dental hygienist for Rossville Family Dentistry, the best—and only—dental practice in Rossville, Indiana. The practice is owned by a mother-and-daughter team: mom Dr. Alice Sue Green has been practicing for almost 40 years, while daughter Dr. Jennifer Green-Springer has been at it for 11 years. The practice’s all-femaie staff understandably has a soft spot for women’s health issues. About a year ago, after participating in breast cancer walks in Indianapolis and Lafayette, Kelly and Shana decided to organize their own cancer walk. Given that they work as dental professionals, it seemed natural to them that oral cancer would be the cause they would target. So Kelly started surfing online and quickly discovered the Oral Cancer Foundation. Soon thereafter, she was in touch with Susan Lauria, the Foundation’s New Jersey-based Event Coordinator. As Kelly put it, “I had lots of questions, and Susan had all the answers.” To promote the event, Susan advised Kelly and Shana to send letters and posters to dental practices in Lafayette and other nearby towns, and to contact newspapers and radio stations in those areas as well. They also relied heavily on word-of-mouth support. And support is exactly what they [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-05-09T09:57:36-07:00May, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

No choo choo needed–Chattanooga walks for oral cancer

Source: The Oral Cancer Foundation Author: John Pohl Chattanooga Walk Promotes Early Detection of Oral Cancer! Chattanooga, Tennessee derives its name from a Cherokee word that means “big catch” and refers to the great fishing that can be found on the Tennessee River. And “big catch” is exactly what the cause of oral cancer detection has landed in the way of Jeanna Richelson, a very determined Chattanooga-based engineer and oral cancer survivor who is very clearly on a mission. On Saturday, April 10, Jeanna organized the First Annual Chattanooga Oral Cancer Awareness Walk, which raised over $18,000 for the Oral Cancer Foundation. According to Foundation founder and executive director Brian Hill, “I don’t believe there has ever been an oral cancer walk that was this successful in its first year. This was an absolutely amazing effort by Jeanna.” Less than one year ago, it dawned on Jeanna that while other types of cancer had support groups, there was no support group for oral cancer in the Chattanooga area. Not one to sit around and wait for things to happen, Jeanna let local hospitals and media know that she was starting such a group. Only one other person attended the group’s first meeting in 2009. Fortunately, word soon started to spread, and today the group numbers 20 members. One of these members is Kathi Gill, who lives just across the Tennessee-Georgia border and who had attended an oral cancer walk in Nashville in 2009. Last fall, Kathi suggested that the group [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-05-09T09:58:17-07:00May, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer failed to silence Sen. Diane Allen

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer Author: Cynthia Burton As Diane Allen lay on a gurney at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, she knew she had to learn to let go. She had found the right doctor, the right hospital. She told relatives and close friends she was about to undergo surgery for an aggressive form of oral cancer. Part of her tongue and part of the floor of her mouth were to be removed in that November surgery. Her doctors had told her she probably would never speak normally again. So, the woman who had made a living talking - as a television news reporter and anchor in Philadelphia and Chicago and most recently as a Republican New Jersey state senator - probably would lose one of her greatest assets. But that's not what made her tear up the most as she recently recalled her feelings over the last few months. The hardest part was the thought of never again being able to read to her three grandchildren. She tried to take control of that, too. She recorded CDs for them, reading Goodnight Moon and "A Visit From St. Nicholas." Everything she could control was under control. And then, as she lay on the gurney, she gave up control. She felt a sense of calm. Allen, a Quaker, said, "I learned submission for the first time in my life, to rest in the Lord." She woke up able to speak, not well, but people could understand her. After months of [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-05-04T20:45:10-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Integration of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors with preoperative chemoradiation

Source: Clincancerres Author: Annelies Debucquoy1, Jean-Pascal Machiels2, William H. McBride3, and Karin Haustermans1 Corresponding Author: Annelies Debucquoy, Laboratory of Experimental Radiotherapy, Department of Radiation Oncology, CDG Building, Box 815, UH Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Phone: 32-16-346900; Fax: 32-16-346905; E-mail:[email protected]. Abstract In many different cancer cell types, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway becomes hyperactivated because of overproduction of the ligand, overproduction of the receptor, or constitutive activation of the receptor. The overproduction of EGFR and its ligands correlates with poor prognosis in several solid tumors such as lung, colon, and ovary. These observations led to the development of EGFR inhibitors for anticancer treatment. In the last few years, promising results have been obtained in several tumor types, with EGFR inhibitors given as monotherapy or in combined treatments. In particular, cetuximab in combination with curative-intent radiotherapy in head and neck cancer increases median survival over radiation alone. Similarly, the same approach might benefit patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Unfortunately, the first clinical studies combining chemoradiation with cetuximab in rectal cancer gave disappointing results. Translational research suggested that the low response rate observed might have been due to the strong antiproliferative effect of cetuximab that may have compromised the activity of chemotherapeutics that target proliferating cells. This result indicates the need for more translational research to unravel how the molecular mechanisms might be manipulated to optimize the combined treatment regimen and to identify biomarkers that can select those patients who will derive most benefit. Clin Cancer Res; 16(10); OF1–6. ©2010 AACR. [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-05-03T18:01:14-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Alcohol based mouthwash and oral cancer – too much confusion

Source: Scienceblogs.com Author: Francis Mawanda (Please note, this post is an editorial opinion not a news article) If you are like me, you probably always and almost faithfully, include a bottle of mouthwash on your grocery list especially after watching and/or listening to the numerous commercials in the media which claim that you will not only get long lasting fresh breath, but also freedom from the germs that cause plaque and gingivitis. However, many proprietary mouthwashes including my favorite brand contain Alcohol (ethanol) which also gives them the characteristic burn we have to endure, albeit for a few seconds each day, but safe in the knowledge that the product is hard at work killing all the germs that give us bad breath and may cause plaque and gingivitis. But the question I continually ask myself is whether regular or long term use of these products is safe especially after reading the numerous research reports and newspaper articles suggesting a possible link between long term use of alcohol based mouthwashes and oral cancer. Several research studies have reported finding an association between long term mouthwash use and oral cancer (1, 2, 3). For example, in a study conducted by Wynder and colleagues (1), they found a significant association between mouthwash use and oral cancer. A bigger multi-site study by Guha and colleagues (3) comparing participants who reported having used mouthwash to those who reported never having used mouthwash found that individuals who reported using mouthwash more than twice a day were [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-23T12:26:22-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

CDC urges 50-state anti-smoking effort

Source: CNN Author: Ann Curley In 2007, the Institute of Medicine, the medical branch of the National Academy of Sciences, released "Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation," stating a goal of eliminating smoking as a public health problem in the United States. The strategies included strengthening and fully activating tobacco control methods similar to the CDC's plans, as well as tobacco regulation. In 2008, the World Health Organization's MPOWER program outlined additional steps that complemented and reinforced the other agencies' recommendations. As an example of the success of these strategies, the CDC cites the state of California, which has one of the oldest comprehensive tobacco control programs. California cut adult smoking rates from 22.7 percent in 1988 to 13.3 percent in 2006. That reduction in smoking accelerated the decline of heart disease deaths and lung cancer incidence in California, compared with the rest of the country. In 2009, 14 states and the District of Columbia implemented an excise tax on cigarettes. Those state tax hikes followed a 62-cent federal cigarette tax hike instituted by Congress in April 2009. Twenty-four states and D.C. have comprehensive smoke-free laws. Seven states do not have statewide smoke-free laws of any type: Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. While some progress has been made in getting more states to implement tobacco control measures, the report stresses that much more is still needed. The CDC's Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs 2007 noted that states could plan and [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-23T11:17:16-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Nicotine vaccine shows effectiveness in early tests

Source: CNN Author: Val Willingham (CNN) -- A vaccine that could help people stop smoking is showing promise in early clinical trials, researchers announced this week at a national meeting of addiction specialists. The vaccine is designed to stimulate the immune system to generate antibodies that would latch on to nicotine in a smoker's body and prevent it from ever entering the brain. The vaccine maker, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, reported that those who responded best to NicVAX in earlier testing had been able to quit smoking for three times longer than those in the placebo group, with data from 19 to 26 weeks, and then for 12 months. These are considered statistically significant results and superior to the testing results of Zyban and Chantix, prescription medications already approved to help smokers over the age of 18 quit, Nabi officials told the National Institute on Drug Abuse conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition, those whose bodies responded most effectively to NicVAX cut the number of cigarettes smoked, from a baseline of 20 cigarettes per day to 10 cigarettes per day. Those who took the vaccine experienced few side effects, said Dr. Raafat Fahim, president and CEO of Nabi Biopharmaceuticals. In 2009, Zyban and Chantix were ordered by the Food and Drug Administration to carry "black box" warnings of the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. Nabi began the first phase III trials for NicVAX last November, enrolling 1,000 people. In March, a second phase III trial began with another 1,000 participants. [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-23T07:03:24-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

House Committee convenes hearing on smokeless tobacco

Source: Cancer.gov Author: Staff The House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health, held a hearing on April 14: “Smokeless Tobacco: Impact on the Health of Our Nation's Youth and Use in Major League Baseball.” NCI’s Deputy Director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences Dr. Deborah Winn testified before the committee, as did Dr. Terry Pechacek, associate director for science in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. The full panel of witnesses included representatives of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA); Dr. Greg Connolly, a dentist and Harvard professor who has conducted research on smokeless tobacco for more than 20 years; Gruen Von Behrens, an oral cancer survivor and tobacco prevention advocate; and baseball legend Joe Garagiola, Sr., who continues to work as an MLB announcer and is a vocal advocate for ridding MLB of smokeless tobacco. Dr. Winn’s testimony recognized smokeless tobacco, which includes snuff and chewing tobacco, as an established cause of oral, pharyngeal, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers, and stressed that there is no safe level of tobacco use. She also addressed questions from members of the committee regarding MLB players using smokeless tobacco on the field, and therefore on television. Media depictions of tobacco use have been shown to contribute to an increase in youth tobacco use, explained Dr. Winn. NCI’s “Monograph 19: The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use” provides additional information on this topic. Dr. Pechacek provided an overview of current [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-21T12:49:53-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco ‘mints’ tied to kids’ poisoning

Source: msnbc.com Author: JoNel Aleccia Smokeless, flavored tobacco products that look like candy and come in packages shaped like cell phones may be contributing to accidental poisonings in very young children, new research suggests. Nicotine-laced pellets, strips and sticks that dissolve completely in the user’s mouth — dubbed “tobacco candy” by critics — have joined chewing tobacco and snuff to become the second-most common cause of unintentional tobacco ingestion in kids younger than 6. Between 2006 and 2008, nearly 1,800 U.S. youngsters — almost 600 a year —accidentally consumed smokeless tobacco products, according to an analysis of 13,705 tobacco-related reports to the nation’s poison control centers. That’s a fraction of the nearly 3,600 poisonings a year that involved cigarettes and filter tips, but it worries authors of the new study published in the journal Pediatrics. "Novel smokeless tobacco products, including dissolvable, compressed tobacco products ... are now of major concern, with their discreet form, candy-like appearance and added flavorings that may be attractive to children," the authors write. Potential poisonings add to the growing list of worries from those who fear that tobacco makers thwarted by anti-smoking laws are trying to peddle their addictive products to a new generation of users. Tasty flavors and packaging that resembles Tic Tac mints could be a powerful draw to young users, critics say. “Our response has been one of dismay,” said Cathryn Cushing, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Tobacco Prevention & Education Program. Oregon is one of three states, along with Ohio and [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-19T11:31:12-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Accelerated schedule of radiotherapy for HNSCC is more effective than conventional fractionation

Source: Lancet Oncology 4-2010 Author: Staff An accelerated schedule of radiotherapy for squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is more effective than conventional fractionation, and since it does not require additional resources it might be a suitable new global standard baseline treatment for radiotherapy of HNSCC, according to a study published online April 9 in the Lancet Oncology. The findings of the study called the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) trial showed that accelerated radiotherapy (increasing the number of treatments from five to six a week) prevented local disease recurrence and improved disease-free survival, with no increase in late radiation-induced side-effects, in HNSCC patients in resource-limited settings. Jens Overgaard, MD, chief of the experimental clinical oncology department at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and international colleagues from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America recruited 908 patients with HNSCC of the larynx, pharynx and oral cavity who were eligible for curative radiotherapy from Jan. 6, 1999 to March 31, 2004. Patients were randomly assigned to an accelerated schedule of six fractions of radiotherapy per week of 2 Gy (458 patients) or to a conventional radiotherapy schedule of five fractions per week of 2 Gy (450 patients), up to a total dose 66-70 Gy in 33-35 fractions, according to Overgaard and colleagues. The median treatment time was 40 days in the accelerated group and 47 days in the conventional group. Five year locoregional control was 12 percent better in patients given the accelerated regimen (42 percent) compared with [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-16T11:09:55-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

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