Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

Three clinical studies give GSK’s cancer vaccine an edge

Source: EH News Bureau Author: Staff GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited (GSK) recently shared the results of three recently published clinical studies, conducted for its cervical cancer vaccine—Cervarix. Said Dr Hasit Joshipura, Vice President, South Asia and Managing Director, GSK India, "The findings confirmed that the vaccine offers protection against five of the most common cancer-causing virus types, generates significantly higher immune response compared to the other available vaccine Gardasil and provides high and sustained antibody levels for at least 7.3 years till date." The clinical studies involved 18,644 women and was published in The Lancet. The study confirmed that Cervarix is not only highly effective at protecting against the two most common cervical cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) types, 16 and 18, but also provides additional cross-protection against HPV types 31, 33 and 45, the three most common cancer-causing virus types beyond 16 and 18. This additional efficacy could translate into approximately 11-16 per cent extra protection against cervical cancer over and above the protection afforded by efficacy against HPV 16 and 18 alone. In India, the same five HPV types are responsible for almost 90 per cent cervical cancer cases. "These results amply demonstrate that preventive vaccination is one of the most effective methods of primary prevention of HPV infection, the necessary cause of cervical cancer. In tandem with screening tests, it is perfectly positioned to lend a decisive edge against this deadly cancer. Extending the scope of protection beyond types 16 and 18 will allow prevention of the vast majority [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-08-21T04:48:45-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Snuff and chewing tobacco linked to increased risk of fatal MI or stroke

Source: WebMD Author: Marlene Busko Lyon, France - Smokeless tobacco—such as snuff and chewing tobacco—is not harmless when it comes to heart health, according to a new meta-analysis [1]. A review of 11 studies from Sweden and the US, almost entirely in men, showed that smokeless-tobacco users had an increased risk of death from MI or stroke. The study, by researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC), is published online August 18, 2009 in BMJ. Contrary to common belief that smokeless tobacco has very little effect on health, these products have been shown to increase cancer risk, coauthor and IARC researcher Dr Kurt Straif (Lyon, France) told heartwire. "There is sufficient evidence for a causal association between smokeless tobacco and oral and pancreatic cancer [2] and probably also esophageal cancer [3]," he said. "Now, this study adds evidence that smokeless tobacco causes death from cardiovascular diseases," Straif summarized. Widespread, growing use of snus Types of smokeless tobacco used in North America and Europe include dry snuff that is inhaled, as well as moist snuff (called snus in Sweden) and chewing tobacco (or spit tobacco), which are sucked inside the cheek. These products have been around for centuries, and after a decline in consumption for most of the 20th century, use has rebounded in the past few decades, the authors write. In 2000, 23.9% of men and 4.1% of women in Sweden reported using snus daily or occasionally. In the same year, in the US, 4.4% of men and 0.3% of women were [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-08-19T12:14:50-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer pharmacoethnicity: ethnic differences in susceptibility to the effects of chemotherapy

Source: Clinical Cancer Research Authors: Peter H. O'Donnell and M. Eileen Dolan A long-term goal of pharmacogenomics research is the design of individualized therapy based on the genomic sequence of the patient, in order to maximize response and minimize adverse drug reactions. Pharmacoethnicity, or ethnic diversity in drug response or toxicity, is becoming increasingly recognized as an important factor accounting for interindividual variation in anticancer drug responsiveness. Although pharmacoethnicity is determined by genetic and nongenetic factors, there is rapidly accumulating clinical evidence about ethnic differences in the frequencies of polymorphisms within many of the important cancer drug-related genes. This article reviews the current clinical evidence for ethnic differences in anticancer drug dispositionand sensitivity while highlighting the challenges, and potential solutions, to acquiring such knowledge. The discovery of "ethnic-specific genetic signatures," representing unique sets of drug susceptibility-governing polymorphisms, may be the outcome of such work. Ultimately, such understanding will further the lofty goal of individualization of chemotherapy based on a person's unique genetic make-up to improve the tolerability and effectiveness of chemotherapy for all patients.

Charlotte Parker2009-07-30T19:13:03-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Throat cancer from HPV proves treatable

Source: Sciencenews.org Author: Nathan Seppa Cancer of the throat that stems from a human papillomavirus infection responds to treatment better than throat cancer that’s triggered by other causes, researchers report online July 29 in Cancer Prevention Research. The scientists also find that blacks are less likely than whites to have throat cancer that’s attributable to HPV, which may explain why the cancer also proved more deadly in blacks in this study. Throat cancer, formally known as oropharyngeal cancer, includes malignancies at the base of the tongue, on the tonsils, in the back of the mouth or on the walls of the throat. The cancer has been linked to smoking and alcohol use, but it can also arise from HPV infections acquired via oral sex (SN: 5/12/07, p. 291). In the new study, researchers analyzed two sets of people with throat cancer. One group included 196 whites and 28 blacks participating in an ongoing international medical trial. While 66 of the white patients had HPV-positive cancer, only one of the blacks did. All received chemotherapy and radiation. Looking at survival among these patients over more than five years, the researchers found that HPV-negative throat cancer patients had a median survival of only 20 months. Race didn’t change this data significantly. In contrast, patients with HPV-positive throat cancer lived substantially longer. Their median survival time could not be accurately discerned because many patients were still alive when the study data were analyzed, says study coauthor Kevin Cullen, a medical oncologist at the University [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-30T19:12:26-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch announces he has cancer of the salivary gland

Source: Newsday.com Author: Staff The Beastie Boys have cancelled all their upcoming tour dates, including their headlining spot at the All Points West Festival next week, and pushed back their "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1" album, after Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland. In a video statement (below) released this morning, Yauch said the cancer is treatable and will not affect his voice. He will have surgery next week to remove the tumor and will need several weeks of further treatment. "It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later," Yauch said in a statement. No word yet from All Points West organizers on how the cancellation will be handled.

Charlotte Parker2009-07-21T04:10:59-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Thyroid cancer increase puzzles experts

Source: HealthDay News Author: Staff Intensified screening doesn't entirely explain the jump in thyroid cancers noted in the United States since 1980, and scientists now believe that other as-yet-unknown factors are to blame. A new study finds that thyroid tumors of all sizes are being picked up, not just the smaller ones that more aggressive screening would be expected to detect. "You cannot simply explain this by increased screening, there's a real increased incidence," said Dr. Amy Chen, lead author of a study published online July 13 in the journal Cancer. Although, "some of this increased incidence is due to increased screening finding smaller tumors," she added. The findings surprised one expert. "I wrote a chapter about this for a textbook about a year ago and I came away thinking this [rise in cancers] is a reflection of enhanced diagnostics," said Dr. Bruce J. Davidson, professor and chairman of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. But, "it is more disturbing that it's not just small tumors; it seems to be all tumors," he said. An estimated 37,200 new cases of thyroid cancer will be diagnosed this year, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Fortunately, the cancer is considered highly curable, but the researchers said survival rates have not improved with better detection. Until now, an uptick in cases seen over the past three decades was attributed to increased use of ultrasound and image-guided biopsy to detect tumors. Some researchers had found that thyroid cancer [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-15T12:58:55-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccine debate shifts to boys

Source: Buffalo News Author: Henry L. Davis New questions arise as cancer tied to HPV is rising in men Parents who face the dilemma of whether to protect their young daughters with a vaccine aimed at a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer now face a new question: Should they do the same for their sons? As evidence mounts of a rising number of other cancers linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a debate has intensified over whether to give the vaccine to males. Advocates say vaccinating boys and men can prevent them from passing on the virus to their sexual partners. Critics still question the long-term safety and effectiveness of Merck & Co.’s Gardasil, despite studies indicating that its risks and lasting power are within the range of other vaccines. But a newer wrinkle in the debate is the discovery in recent years that oral HPV infections — most likely acquired from oral sex with multiple partners—significantly increase the risk of head and neck cancers. The rate of oral cancers is rising so steadily, especially in men, that, if the trend continues, there may be more oral cancers in the United States caused by HPV in 10 years than by tobacco or alcohol, a major study concluded last year. “We should be investing our care and dollars in preventing HPV infection instead of treating the cancers,” said Dr. Thom Loree of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Physicians at the cancer center have begun publicly touting the benefits of [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-15T13:04:17-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Effectiveness of VitalStim therapy for patients suffering in published study

Source: Reuters.com Author: Staff Published Study Demonstrates Effectiveness of VitalStim Therapy for Patients Suffering with Dysphagia A recent study published in the April 2008 issue of the Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology has revealed the positive clinical effect of the adjunctive use of VitalStim(R) Therapy. A leading brand within the Empi Recovery Sciences line of pain management and rehabilitation products, VitalStim is a non-invasive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device for the treatment of dysphagia. Results of the study were also originally presented at the American Association of Speech-Language Pathology Conference in Miami, Fla. in November 2006. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a sorely neglected medical condition which affects 15 million Americans and is generally caused by a neurological disorder or event, such as a stroke, degenerative neurological diseases and head and neck cancer. Without proper management, dysphagia can lead to aspiration, pneumonia, choking, chronic malnutrition, severe life-threatening dehydration, an increased rate of infection, longer hospital stays, long-term institutional care and even death. VitalStim Therapy is a non-invasive external electrical stimulation therapy that was cleared to market by the FDA in December 2002. VitalStim is a portable, dual-channel electrotherapy system that is used with electrodes specifically designed for application to the muscles of the throat to promote swallowing. Entitled "Adjunctive Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Treatment-Refractory Dysphagia," the study details the measured clinical effect of the VitalStim program on six patients with chronic, treatment-refractive dysphagia. The study describes a prospective case series using validated outcome measures to represent different domains and [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-15T13:04:51-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Fighting malnutrition in cancer patients

Source: MSNBC Author: Staff Poor nutrition contributes to 1 in 5 cancer deaths; experts urge counseling WASHINGTON - The statistic is shocking: Severe malnutrition and weight loss play a role in at least one in five cancer deaths. Yet nutrition too often is an afterthought until someone's already in trouble. A move is on to change that, from hospitals that hire fancy gourmet chefs to the American Cancer Society's dietitians-on-call phone service. With cancer, you've got to "bring a lot more nutrients to each spoonful of food," Certified Master Chef Jack Shoop is learning. A former restaurateur, he's newly in charge of the kitchen at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia. Don't underestimate the added temptation should the result resemble Bon Appetit: "The visual hardiness, and the actual heartiness, of these foods has to be understood for them to embrace it," Shoop insists. Tempting the palate is a huge hurdle: At diagnosis, up to a quarter of patients already have their appetite sapped, and most treatments can bring side effects that worsen the problem. Aside from the well-known nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, some cancers inhibit absorption of the nutrients patients force down. Not to mention strangely altered taste, mouth sores, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and constipation. Literally wasting away About half of all cancer patients eventually suffer serious weight loss and malnutrition, a wasting syndrome called cachexia where they don't just lose excess fat but vital muscle. A healthy person's body adjusts when it doesn't get enough calories, [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-10T11:17:09-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

New evidence supports HPV vaccine

MONDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is highly effective at preventing precancerous cervical lesions that can lead to cervical cancer, a new study shows. The researchers also found that the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine also appears to protect against other cancer-causing HPV types closely related to HPV-16/18, most notably HPV-31 and HPV-45. The study of women aged 15 to 25, who received three vaccine doses over six months, found that it was as much as 98 percent effective against HPV-16/18, and between 37 percent and 54 percent effective against 12 other cancer-causing HPV types. HPV-16/18 causes about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, while the remaining 30 percent of cases are caused by other cancer-causing HPV types. The cross-protective effect of the HPV-16/18 vaccine could provide an additional 11 percent to 16 percent protection against cervical cancer. "Although the importance of continued tests for Pap or HPV in vaccinated and unvaccinated women must be emphasized, HPV vaccination has the potential to substantially reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and precancer, and the numbers of colposcopy referrals and cervical excision procedures," concluded Dr. Jorma Paavonen, of the University of Helsinki in Finland, and colleagues. The study, which was funded by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, maker of the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine Cervarix, appears online July 7 and in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet. In an accompanying editorial, two experts wrote that men must also be included in efforts to halt the spread of HPV. "Currently, the targets for [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-10T15:34:24-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

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