Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

U.S. scientists say Lilly Erbitux cancer drug not worth price

Source: Bloomberg Author: Lisa Rapaport Eli Lilly & Co.’s tumor-fighter Erbitux doesn’t prolong lung cancer patients’ lives enough to justify its $80,000 cost, U.S. scientists said in commentary published today. Erbitux added to other cancer drugs extends survival about 1.2 months more than chemotherapy alone, making the price too high for a “marginal benefit,” commentary in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute said. Erbitux, which Lilly markets with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., generated $1.3 billion last year as treatment approved for other malignancies. The high price of some of the newest cancer medicines are coming under scrutiny as part of an effort by lawmakers and health officials to rein in overall medical costs. President Barack Obama has set aside $1.1 billion in the U.S. economic stimulus bill to study the comparative effectiveness of treatments for cancer and other diseases. “We must avoid the temptation to tell a patient that a new drug is available if there is little evidence that it will work better than established drugs that could be offered at a miniscule fraction of the cost,” wrote the commentators, Tito Fojo with the National Cancer Institute and Christine Grady at the National Institutes of Health. Lilly, of Indianapolis, and marketing partner Bristol- Myers, of New York, withdrew an application to extend the Erbitux’s use to lung tumors in February after the Food and Drug Administration questioned differences in American and European versions of the treatment. $10,000 a Month The authors projected that Erbitux costs $80,000 based on a typical course of treatment for lung [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-30T16:01:21-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer Foundation praised for its social media efforts

Source: The Oral Cancer Foundation Author: John Pohl Social Media Guru Mashable.com Cites Organizations Using Social Media for Public Good The Oral Cancer Foundation was recently praised by a leading Internet media website in an article discussing non-profit organizations that are effectively using Internet based social media for the public good. Mashable, the world’s largest site focused exclusively on Web 2.0 and social media such as blogs, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, touted the online efforts of several organizations in a recent story entitled, 5 Unique Social Good “Finds”. Other organizations cited included The National Suicide Prevention Hotline and the ASPCA. Founded in July 2005, Mashable is the most prolific source for information and reviews of new websites and services, publishes breaking news on new web developments, and provides social media resources and guides. Mashable's audience includes early adopters and influencers, social media enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, large and small corporations, marketing, PR and advertising agencies, Web 2.0 aficionados, and technology journalists. “We are flattered that our social media efforts have generated the attention and kind words of such a leading edge organization,” said Brian Hill, Founder and Executive Director of the Oral Cancer Foundation. “We dedicate a great deal of time and focus to social media, which we believe allows us to connect with younger members of our audience in a way that is richer, more meaningful, and more relevant than we can achieve using more traditional media. This is particularly important to us, as individuals impacted by oral cancers have been [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-30T16:00:34-07:00June, 2009|OCF In The News|

Cancer researchers “play it safe” due to grant system

Source: NYTimes Author: Gina Kolata Among the recent research grants awarded by the National Cancer Institute is one for a study asking whether people who are especially responsive to good-tasting food have the most difficulty staying on adiet. Another study will assess a Web-based program that encourages families to choose more healthful foods. Many other grants involve biological research unlikely to break new ground. For example, one project asks whether a laboratory discovery involving colon cancer also applies to breast cancer. But even if it does apply, there is no treatment yet that exploits it. The cancer institute has spent $105 billion since PresidentRichard M. Nixon declared war on the disease in 1971. TheAmerican Cancer Society, the largest private financer of cancer research, has spent about $3.4 billion on research grants since 1946. Yet the fight against cancer is going slower than most had hoped, with only small changes in the death rate in the almost 40 years since it began. One major impediment, scientists agree, is the grant system itself. It has become a sort of jobs program, a way to keep research laboratories going year after year with the understanding that the focus will be on small projects unlikely to take significant steps toward curing cancer. “These grants are not silly, but they are only likely to produce incremental progress,” said Dr. Robert C. Young, chancellor at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and chairman of the Board of Scientific Advisors, an independent group that makes recommendations to the cancer institute. The [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-30T04:29:16-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Mark Karan’s track “Walk Through the Fire” -proceeds to benefit OCF

Source: Marinij.com Author: Paul Liberatore Singer-guitarist Mark Karan wrote the title track to this heartfelt solo album while he was in a hospital bed, steeling himself for a battle against throat cancer. After chemotherapy and radiation, Karan, one of rock's most respected sidemen, has been pronounced cancer-free and has returned to his lead guitar slot in Bob Weir's band RatDog. The song "Walk Through the Fire" is about personal resolve, humility, acceptance, courage and lessons learned in his brush with the life-threatening disease. Karan, who lives in Fairfax, manages this without being preachy or mawkish, showing maturity and strength in dealing with what was an intensely emotional experience. Profits from the track will go to the Oral Cancer Foundation. After Jerry Garcia's death, Karan was chosen to share his lead guitar slot with Steve Kimock in the post-Grateful Dead band the Other Ones, playing with that group for its two tours. When Weir, the Dead's rhythm guitarist and singer, formed RatDog, he tapped Karan as his lead guitarist. He moonlights with his side group, Jemimah Puddleduck. He doesn't need any help on this CD, but it's enriched by some prestigious guest musicians - the late Delaney Bramlett joins voices with Karan and plays dobro on Robert Johnson's blues classic "Love in Vain." And Little Feat's Bill Payne sweetens Karan's uptempo "Rock Your Papa" with Wurlitzer organ. The Persuasions add background vocals. Karan nods to Marin rock history with "Annie Don't Lie," a New Orleans-flavored tune written by Alex Call, former lead [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-26T11:09:49-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Use of Erbitux in head and neck cancer rejected by NICE

Source: Pharmafocus.com Author: Staff Erbitux has failed to win NICE approval for the treatment of head and neck cancer, due to doubts over its cost and clinical effectiveness compared to existing treatments. It was rejected under NICE's new scheme to make more end-of-life drugs available by extending the threshold at which they are considered cost-effective, making it an extra heavy blow for manufacturer Merck Serono. Chief executive Andrew Dillon defended NICE's decision, saying the alternative of approving the medicine for the health service was unviable. He added: "This would mean the NHS making significant funds available for a very expensive treatment which may or may not benefit individual patients. Those funds would not then be available for treating other conditions with greater and more certain benefits for other patients." Erbitux is a monoclonal antibody and one of a new class of cancer drugs which target genetic mutations that allow cancer cells to multiply, and are designed to bypass many of the unpleasant side-effects associated with traditional chemotherapy. Licensed also in colorectal cancer, in 2008 the drug made global sales of nearly $1.6 million in 2008, and is expected to reach sales of $3.4 million by 2014. In the latest appraisal, Erbitux was rejected as a treatment of recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell cancer of the head and neck and NICE recommended against its use in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with this cancer. The appraisal committee were uncertain over the clinical effectiveness of the drug and the cost of [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-25T16:43:53-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

NYC may require tobacco retailers to post warning signs

Source: NEWSDAY.COM Author: MICHAEL FRAZIER The New York Health Department is proposing city tobacco retailers post signs with graphic images such as cancer-ravaged throats and black lungs in an effort to discourage smoking, health officials said Wednesday.The signs - the first of their kind in the country - would include health risk warnings and information on how to quit, said Sarah Perl, assistant commissioner of the city's Bureau of Tobacco Control."You're going to see what a blackened lung looks like; you're going to see what mouth cancer looks like; you're going to see what it looks like when you have throat cancer," Perl said. "They're going to have to think, 'Do I really want to pay 10 bucks for mouth cancer?' "The city Board of Health will hold hearings and vote in September on the proposal. Officials expect opposition from many of the city's 12,000 tobacco retailers and the cigarette industry. Jim Calvin, president of the state Association of Convenience Stores, said a new law giving the Food and Drug Administration more tobacco control is sufficient. "I'm not sure we would be eager to give up additional wall space and advertising space for posters and signs and images," said Calvin, whose group represents 7,700 stores statewide. President Barack Obama signed a law Monday allowing the FDA to lower the amount of nicotine in tobacco products; forbid ads geared toward children; ban sweetened cigarettes that appeal to youngsters; and prohibit "light" and "low tar" labeling. The Health Department said its proposal is aimed mainly [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-25T10:49:05-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Philip Morris expects FDA regulation will be a perk

Source: Richmond Times Author: David Ress Jun 23, 2009 (Richmond Times-Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- One of the real tests of how federal regulation will affect tobacco use could be something you'll spot at a convenience store counter. A new law signed by President Barack Obama yesterday will, among many changes, move all tobacco products -- snuff and cigars as well as cigarettes -- behind the counter. How they share space back there could clear the way for more competition in a market now dominated by Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc. It's competition that Chesterfield County-based Swedish Match North America is hoping for, and a rule it believes could lead to something it's long wanted: more space on retailer's shelves for its snuff and chewing tobacco. "It's back to old fashioned blocking and tackling, how to be more competitive -- including against cigarettes," said Gerry Roerty, Swedish Match's president and general counsel. Both Richmond-area tobacco companies broke with most of the rest of the tobacco industry in supporting the regulation of tobacco by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "We have consistently advocated for federal regulation that recognizes the serious harm caused by tobacco products," said Michael E. Szymanczyk, chairman and chief executive of Altria, parent of Philip Morris USA, the largest cigarette-maker. But critics say Altria's nearly decade-old support of regulation is a way to lock in its dominant share of the U.S. market -- both for cigarettes and now oral tobacco, after buying the nation's No.1 smokeless tobacco-maker this [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-23T12:25:44-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Council on Scientific Affairs issues statement

Source: ADA Author: Jennifer Garvin Growing evidence linking oral infection with human papillomavirus as a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer prompted the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs to approve a new statement on the topic at its April meeting. The statement aims to promote awareness of the rising incidence of HPV-associated cancers, particularly in the region of the oropharynx (the middle region of the throat, including the tonsils and base of the tongue). Although the primary risk factors for oral cavity cancer remain tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption, HPV infection is now associated with more than 7,300 cases of oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed annually in the United States. Surveillance data has shown a steady increase in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers over the past three decades, particularly in white men between 40 to 59 years of age. "Oral HPV infection is now commonly accepted as an important risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma," said Dr. Mark Lingen, an oral pathologist and council member. "Over the last two decades, the paradigm of the traditional oral cancer patient has been redefined, and dentists should be aware of this new etiology when providing routine oral soft tissue examinations to patients." The council statement emphasizes that oral HPV infection has emerged as a significant risk factor for oropharyngeal cancers for both men and women, even in the absence of smoking and alcohol consumption. New evidence indicates that the association with oropharyngeal cancer is three times higher for men than women, and a higher [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-22T16:40:27-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

New Information on Perinatal transmission of human papilomavirus DNA

Source: Virology Journal 2009, 6:83 Author: Staff Members The purpose was to study the perinatal transmission of human papillomavirus DNA (HPV-DNA) in 63 mother-newborn pairs, besides looking at the epidemiological factors involved in the viral DNA transmission. The following sampling methods were used: (1) in the pregnant woman, when was recruited, in cervix and clinical lesions of the vagina, vulva and perineal region; (2) in the newborn, (a) buccal, axillary and inguinal regions; (b) nasopharyngeal aspirate, and (c) cord blood; (3) in the children, buccal was repeated in the 4th week and 6th and 12th month of life. HPV-DNA was identified using two methodologies: multiplex PCR (PGMY09 and MY11 primers) and nested-PCR (genotypes 6/11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 42, 52 and 58). Perinatal transmission was considered when concordance was found in type-specific HPV between mother/newborn or mother/child. HPV-DNA genital was detected in 49 pregnant women submitted to delivery. Eleven newborns (22.4%, n=11/49) were HPV-DNA positive. In 8 cases (16.3%, n=8/49) there was type specific HPV concordance between mother/newborn samples. At the end of the first month of life three children (6.1%, n=3/49) became HPV-DNA positive, while two remained positive from birth. In 3 cases (100%, n=3/3) there was type specific HPV concordance between mother/newborn samples. In the 6th month, a child (2%, n=1/49) had become HPV-DNA positive between the 1st and 6th month of life, and there was type specific HPV concordance of mother/newborn samples. All the HPV-DNA positive children (22.4%, n=11/49) at birth and at the end first month of [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-22T15:06:37-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

University benefits the environment and the Oral Cancer Foundation

Source: The Oral Cancer Foundation Author: John Pohl Re-Cell-a-Thon Raises Funds by Recycling Cellphones At one of America’s most scenic and historic universities, a conscientious and industrious group of students, faculty and administrators recently formed a Greening Committee dedicated to raising awareness of the many things that can and must be done to protect the environment. So where is this university located: Vermont? Colorado? Oregon? Not quite; actually, the location is New York City. The Greening Committee is a collaborative effort between New York University’s College of Dentistry and College of Nursing. Formed in the fall of 2007, the roughly 20 committee members decided that they would show their support for Earth Day 2009 by organizing a 4-week-long Re-Cell-a-Thon to recycle cell phones. Not only that, they decided that the funds raised would be donated to the Oral Cancer Foundation. According to Theresa Rinaldi, who chaired the Re-Cell-a-Thon’s Public Relations sub-committee, “We knew that NYU has a wonderful relationship with Brian Hill and the Oral Cancer Foundation, and we couldn’t think of a better organization to donate our proceeds to.” According to Ms. Rinaldi, who is Alumni Outreach Administrator at the College of Dentistry, over 170 phones were collected at seven locations within the two colleges. The Greening Committee partnered with CollectiveGood, a non-profit organization that recycles donated cellphones and PDAs back into reuse. According to CollectiveGood, there are more than 1 billion used mobile phones in the US sitting on shelves or in landfills, and another 125 million will [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-25T18:18:42-07:00June, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer News
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