Charlotte Parker, Author at Oral Cancer News

New radiotherapy technique proven safe, less toxic for cancer patients, University Of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute study finds

Source: Medicalnewstoday.com Author: Staff A new technique known as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is safe for patients with recurrent head and neck cancers and may improve their quality of life, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). Results of the phase I study were reported today in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. Each year approximately 500,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are diagnosed worldwide. While treatment has improved with advances in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, more than half of patients will die from recurrent disease. Treatment options for patients with recurrent disease are limited, and for many, surgery may not be an option, according to principal investigator Dwight E. Heron, M.D., director, Radiation Oncology Services, UPMC Cancer Centers. "Chemotherapy alone can provide this patient population some palliation and pain relief, but it doesn't prolong survival," said Dr. Heron. "A few patients may be able to receive additional radiation treatments, but head and neck cancers, by their very nature, develop in very delicate areas of the body, which provide significant retreatment challenges." SBRT may offer these patients an alternative, noted Dr. Heron. "At the completion of our study, we found this treatment was tolerated very well. No maximum tolerated dose was reached, and no toxicities occurred that caused us to limit the dosing." SBRT is a relatively new technique using CyberKnife® technology, which delivers high doses of radiation with more precision than conventional techniques. The vast majority of patients complete [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-21T06:01:15-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Early detection is the key

Source: Newstime.com Author: Sandra Diamond Fox Standing before nearly 500 graduates of New York University's School of Dentistry at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan last month, two-time Emmy Award nominee Colleen Zenk Pinter stepped forward to accept the Dr. Harry Strusser Memorial Award for public service. While Pinter, 56, was accustomed to being on stage -- for more than 30 years she played the character of Barbara Ryan on CBS' "As The World Turns" -- speaking at NYU's graduation held very special meaning for her. She was being honored for her work in bringing awareness to oral cancer. Little more than two years ago, the Redding resident for 23 years and mother of six received the news that would change her life -- she was diagnosed with stage 2 squamous cell carcinoma of the ventral tongue. Oral cancer. Pinter's nightmare began in 2005 when she noticed a change in her speech. After an examination, her dentist said it was the result of her teeth shifting, which can sometimes occur after age 50. The following summer, when she developed a painful cold sore under her tongue, an oral surgeon eventually diagnosed it as a bacterial and fungal infection. Once the infection was treated, however, a tumor was discovered underneath it. Pinter started researching oral cancer. "I was in shock," she said. "I didn't fit the profile of people who had this type of cancer." Up until recently, oral cancer was often referred to as "the old man's cancer," and was mostly contracted by [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-19T09:56:13-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Preoperative smoking cessation improves head and neck surgery outcomes

Source: Cancerpage.com Author: Staff NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Even a short period of 4 to 8 weeks of smoking cessation prior to surgery to treat upper aerodigestive tract squamous cell carcinoma improves wound healing, according to a review of the literature. If the patient stays tobacco-free, the risk of cancer recurrence is substantially reduced. However, full cessation is required -- simply reducing the quantity of cigarettes smoked per day is of little benefit, Dr. Richard O. Wein from Tufts Medical Center, Boston, reports in the June Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Studies of the impact of smoking cessation on surgical outcomes within the field of otolaryngology are few and contradictory, Dr. Wein points out. For his review, he drew on studies of smokers operated on for non-otolaryngology conditions as well as for head and neck tumors. The "bottom line," he says, is that "although conflicting reports exist within the literature concerning the impact of short-term smoking cessation, it should be noted that the sheer number of articles reporting the negative impact of continued tobacco use on postoperative pulmonary function and wound healing far outweighs those minimizing this impact." Furthermore, multiple studies indicate increased risk of recurrence or the development of a second cancer in patients who continue to smoke after their index cancers are diagnosed. One study, for example, found that 40% of patients who kept smoking after being treated definitively for a malignant oral cavity tumor had a recurrence or developed a second malignant lesion. Overall costs of care, the author [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-19T07:38:56-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer survivor’s animal sanctuary being foreclosed

Source: The Press-Enterprise Author: JULISSA McKINNON After 21 years of sheltering crippled and slaughter-bound horses and other barnyard animals, Renee Duncan is losing her 12-acre rescue ranch to foreclosure. Now Duncan, a 63-year-old former emergency room nurse in remission from cancer, is scrambling to move dozens of rescued animals out of the gully in unincorporated Perris in southwest Riverside County long known as the Meadowbrook Animal Sanctuary and Haven. Until Duncan finds a permanent home, a neighbor is offering shelter to her and her 50-some horses, a couple of emus, two turkeys and dozens of goats, pigs and dogs. Though there are two people bidding on the ranch who say they would allow Duncan and her critters to stay as renters, Ocwen Bank, which is repossessing the ranch, has ordered Duncan to clear the property by 6 a.m. Monday. Eviction attorneys and brokers with Ocwen Bank declined to comment on the situation. Duncan said her nonprofit animal rescue is going under ironically because she always put her animals first. She said she began to run into financial trouble in 2005 after being diagnosed with throat and tongue cancer. She stopped working to undergo chemotherapy and radiation. Duncan refinanced the house three times to try to keep up with medical bills and animal care. As money grew tight, she always paid for animal feed and veterinary care, which amounts to about $3,000 a month, even if that meant not paying the mortgage. "I ended up with a $4,000-a-month payment at 12.5 [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-19T07:40:46-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer patients turning to alternative remedies: become aware of dangers

Source: msnbc Author: Associated Press 60 percent seek natural ‘cures’ despite warnings from doctors TAMPA, Fla. - With much of her lower body consumed by cancer, Leslee Flasch finally faced the truth: The herbal supplements and special diet were not working. "I want this thing cut out from me. I want it out," she told her family. But it was too late. Her rectal cancer — potentially curable earlier on — had invaded bones, tissue, muscle, skin. The 53-year-old Florida woman could barely sit, and constantly bled and soiled herself. "It was terrible," one doctor said. "The pain must have been excruciating." Flasch had sought a natural cure. Instead, a deadly disease ran its natural course. And the herb peddlers who sold her hope in a bottle? "Whatever money she had left in life, they got most of it," said a sister, Sharon Flasch. "They prey on the sick public with the belief that this stuff can help them, whether they can or can't." Some people who try unproven remedies risk only money. But people with cancer can lose their only chance of beating the disease by skipping conventional treatment or by mixing in other therapies. Even harmless-sounding vitamins and "natural" supplements can interfere with cancer medicines or affect hormones that help cancer grow. Preying on insecurities Yet they are extremely popular with cancer patients, who crave control over their disease and want to do everything they can to be healthy — emotional needs that make them vulnerable to deceptive [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-16T12:13:51-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers confirm link between HPV and head and neck cancer but survey shows public ignorance on role of oral sex

Source: Medicalnewstoday.com Author: Olwen Glynn Owen Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important causative agent in squamous cell cancers of head and neck (HNSCC) a new meta-analysis presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) confirms; but a separate European survey at the same meeting reveals the public is woefully ignorant about it and possible ways to avoid it. Lack of public awareness about the possible link between HPV-related head and neck cancer and oral sex with multiple partners presents a case for making vaccinations against HPV more widely available to boys as well as girls before they become sexually active, commented leading expert Professor Jean-Louis Lefebvre of Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France. Researchers led by Farshid Dayyani at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, looked at a total of almost 7000 patients who developed head and neck cancer over the past 20 years to gauge the prevalence of HPV - a possible causative agent. They included studies which had tested for the virus in serum or in tumour tissue by PCR and found almost a quarter of patients (24.2%) had HPV positive tumours. Of these the vast majority (86.8%) were positive for HPV 16, the virus also associated with cervical cancer. Overall, the researchers concluded that being HPV positive increased the risk of developing head and neck cancer by 40 per cent. But being HPV16 positive increased the risk more than fourfold (4.47 times higher) compared to HPV16 negative patients. However, people with HPV-associated head and neck cancer lived [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-19T07:40:26-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Up in smoke: health insurers hold billions in tobacco stocks

Source: Southernstudies.org Author: Desiree Evans A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that major U.S., Canadian and British life and health insurance companies are investing billions of dollars in tobacco company stock. Researchers first revealed that health and life insurance companies had major investments in tobacco companies in 1995 in an article in the British medical journal Lancet. More than 10 years later, insurance companies are still deeply invested in "big" tobacco, despite the national calls upon them to divest. "Despite calls upon the insurance industry to get out of the tobacco business by physicians and others, insurers continue to put their profits above people's health," said Wesley Boyd, the new report's lead author and a faculty member of Harvard Medical School. "It's clear their top priority is making money, not safe-guarding people's well-being." The report found that seven health and life-insurance companies in both the United States and overseas have nearly $4.5 billion invested in companies whose affiliates produce cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco. "Although investing in tobacco while selling life or health insurance may seem self-defeating, insurance firms have figured out ways to profit from both," Boyd said. "Insurers exclude smokers from coverage or, more commonly, charge them higher premiums. Insurers profit -- and smokers lose -- twice over." The study highlights New Jersey-based Prudential Financial Inc., which sells life insurance and long-term disability coverage. With total tobacco holdings of $264.3 million, Prudential Financial is a major investor in three tobacco firms, including America's biggest cigarette [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-19T07:41:28-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Senate Passes Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Bill

Source: CNN.com Author: Evan Glass Senate passes bill increasing FDA power over tobacco products: WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A bill that increases the power of the federal Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products cleared the Senate on Thursday. The Senate voted 79-17 for the Family Smoking and Tobacco Control Act, which is similar to a bill already passed by the House of Representatives. An aide to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said the chamber will vote Friday on accepting the Senate bill, which would send the measure to President Obama for his signature. Most Senate opposition came from tobacco-producing states including Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. In a break from tradition, the two senators from Virginia -- another tobacco state -- supported the measure, indicating a moderate shift in the state's politics. The tobacco bill would allow the FDA to ban some tobacco products, limit the amount of nicotine in tobacco products and enlarge warning labels. A White House statement quoted Obama as calling the measure historic for "giving the scientists and medical experts at the FDA the power to take sensible steps that will reduce tobacco's harmful effects and prevent tobacco companies from marketing their products to children." The statement said Obama looks forward to signing the bill. The American Cancer Society, in a statement released shortly after the vote, said, "Today is an historic day for public health. "Tobacco is virtually the only consumable product not regulated in the U.S. and the tobacco industry exploits this [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-11T15:26:59-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

‘Poor knowledge’ on cervical cancer

Source: The Press Association Author: Staff More than one in three girls does not know the causes of cervical cancer despite the "Jade Goody effect", a new poll suggests. A total of 38% of girls said they were unaware of the causes even though Goody - a former Big Brother star - raised the profile of the disease. Goody died in March aged 27 after a battle with the cancer, which had spread around her body. Anecdotal evidence from across the NHS suggests the number of women attending cervical screening has shot up as a result of her story. The poll of girls aged 12 to 18 was carried out for GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the Cervarix vaccine to protect against Human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer. Of the 255 girls questioned, 5% thought "sexual promiscuity" caused cervical cancer. Another 11% said "a type of virus" caused it but only 6% knew the HPV virus did. When the findings were compared with a survey of 139 girls aged 16 to 18 carried out before Goody was diagnosed, 40% said they did not know what caused the disease and 6% pointed to HPV. This could suggest that knowledge about HPV has not increased despite Goody's diagnosis. The more recent survey also found that 40% of girls thought a family history of the disease was a major factor in getting cervical cancer. Girls aged 12 to 13 are currently being vaccinated against HPV as part of an NHS campaign. [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-08T17:11:12-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer Survivor To Expose Dangers Of Chew Tobacco

Source: Middlesex-London Health Unit Author: Staff For Gruen Von Behrens, an encounter with chewing tobacco on a camping trip nearly two decades ago led to an addiction that not only changed his life, but the lives of hundreds of thousands of teens across North America who have heard his story. Today, the 31 year-old from Illinois tours the continent, using his life story as the backdrop for what can happen when teens get hooked on "Chew". Once a talented young baseball player with dreams of cracking a big league lineup, Von Behrens, has undergone more than 40 surgeries to rebuild his face and jaw, all necessary after he developed squamous cell carcinoma at 17, all consequences of his addiction to chewing tobacco. x-London Health Unit, its Youth Action Alliance, the One Life Crew, the Thames Valley District School Board and the London and District Catholic School Board are pleased to be hosting Von Behrens as he brings his "How Chew Tobacco Gave Me Cancer" presentation to London and Middlesex County next week. Von Gruen’s schedule will see him in London on Monday and Tuesday, then Strathroy on Wednesday and Thursday; a complete schedule of presentations follows this news release. While most of the presentations Gruen Von Behrens will make are specifically aimed at the student body at local high schools, the community will be able to hear his message on Thursday, June 11th at 7:00 p.m. at A. B. Lucas Secondary School in London. Sports teams are encouraged to attend this [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-08T09:56:52-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer News
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