OCF News Team – B – Page 3

Early warning signs of oral cancer

Author: MetroCreative Connection Source: www.washtimesherald.com Oral cancer is a significant threat across the globe. Data from the World Health Organization indicates that more than 450,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year. The Oral Cancer Foundation notes that oral cancers are part of a group of cancers referred to as head and neck cancers. All cancers in that group are potentially dangerous, but oral cancers account for roughly 85 percent of all head and neck cancer diagnoses, which underscores the importance of routine oral health checkups. The Moffitt Cancer Center® in Florida notes that many dentists perform oral cancer screenings during routine checkups, which dispels the notion that checkups are unnecessary for individuals who practice proper dental hygiene every day. The American Dental Association notes there is not a one-size-fits-all regimen for dental health. However, at least two visits to a dentist per year can ensure teeth stay clean and afford dentists opportunities to screen for oral cancers and detect other issues, including gingivitis. In addition to scheduling routine checkups, individuals can learn to spot the common symptoms of oral cancer. The Moffitt Cancer Center urges individuals to seek medical attention if any of these signs persist for more than two weeks: A sore, irritation or thickness in the mouth or throat • A white or red patch on the inside of the mouth • A feeling that something is caught in the throat • Hoarseness or other vocal changes • Persistent coughing • Difficulty chewing, swallowing or [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-04-05T07:38:47-07:00April, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Rise in Oral Cancer Linked to HPV

https://youtu.be/L2WpbKb390w

OCF News Team - B2022-04-05T07:36:17-07:00April, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

U.S. Tobacco Use at Lowest Level in Decades, CDC Says

Author: Carolyn Crist Source: www.webmd.com March 28, 2022 -- Tobacco use dropped among U.S. adults in 2020, hitting the lowest levels since the mid-1960s, according to a new study from the CDC. From 2019 to 2020, the percentage of adults who use any type of tobacco product decreased from 21% to 19%. The percentage of adults who smoke cigarettes dropped from 14% to 12.5%, and the percentage who use e-cigarettes or vaping devices decreased from 4.5% to 3.7%. “This is definitely positive news as these numbers are continuing a downward trend in tobacco use we’ve seen in the past few years,” Thomas Carr, the national director of policy at the American Lung Association, told UPI. “That said, tobacco use is a big cause of lung disease, so the problem isn’t solved,” he said. The research team analyzed data from more than 31,000 adults who took the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, which included questions about the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco. Current cigarette smoking was defined as smoking 100 or more cigarettes during one’s lifetime and now smoking cigarettes “every day” or “some days.” For other products, such as cigars and vaping pens, current smokers were those who used them “every day” or “some days” at the time of the survey. The researchers found that about 47 million U.S. adults reported using any tobacco product, making up 19% of the adult population. That included 12.5% for cigarettes, 3.7% for e-cigarettes and vaping products, 3.5% [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-04-02T11:05:58-07:00April, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

‘Powerful’: World’s first PCR test for mouth cancer developed – get result in 90 minutes

Author: Adam Chapman Source: www.express.co.uk A NEW weapon in the fight against cancer has arrived: the world's first PCR test for mouth cancer. How does it work and what are the implications for improving mouth cancer rates? Early detection is key to surviving cancer and researchers have developed an innovative tool to aid this effort. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed the world’s first PCR test for mouth cancer. The test's accuracy has been demonstrated on patients from China, India and the UK and the results are published in the international journal, Cancers. Named the Quantitative Malignant Index Diagnosis System (qMIDS) by inventor Doctor Muy-Teck Teh, it has the potential to relieve pressure on the NHS and may improve the early detection of oral cancer. How it works The test is quick and easy. It only needs the PCR machine used in Covid testing and a technician to operate it. A tiny sample (the size of half-a-grain of rice) is taken from the suspicious area in the patient’s mouth and the test only takes 90 minutes after reaching the technician – similar to a Covid PCR test. Until now there hasn’t been a perfect way to identify the lesions likely to develop into cancer. There is a grading system which highly skilled consultant oral pathologists use to assess the tissue samples through a microscope. However, this grading system does not always accurately predict or capture the lesions that will or have become cancerous. This is because early [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-04-02T10:41:06-07:00April, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Your Healthy Family: Vaping puts teens at higher risk of oral cancer

Author: Lisa Greenburg Source: www.fox4now.com Many people think vaping isn't as bad for you as smoking, but health experts say that's a myth. A dentist says vaping has the same oral effects as tobacco, and puts teens at high risk of oral cancer. A team of researchers from the University of California found teens who vape had five times the cancer-causing chemicals in their bodies than teens who did not, especially from the fruit-flavored vaping cartridges. Dr. Fred Guerra of Guerra Dental said vaping negatively impacts your mouth in the same ways as tobacco. "It can be precancerous. It can lead to gum disease. It gives people bad breath. It gives people dry mouth, and dry mouth increases cavities, so while people may think it's safer for the rest of the body, it's not necessarily," Dr. Guerra said. He said all dentists need to be on the front lines of oral cancer and talk to teens and young adults about the dangers of vaping. "Dentists are in such a unique position to counsel our patients on never starting. Or if they have, to do it in a manner that's not threatening and not demeaning. To try to show them that they have control over the effects of some of these devices, so that they can make a rational decision to say 'OK, I need to quit. How can I quit?” Dr. Guerra said. Even if the vaping products have no nicotine, Dr. Guerra said it's still bad for your mouth. [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-05T11:56:48-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

DNA biomarker test helps predict recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer after treatment

Author: Emily Henderson, B.Sc. Source: www.news-medical.net A large, multi-institutional study demonstrates that a blood test to detect circulating tumor DNA can accurately predict recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer following treatment. Results also indicate that the biomarker test may detect recurrent disease earlier than imaging or other standard methods of post-treatment surveillance, allowing physicians to personalize treatment more quickly for patients whose cancer returns. Findings from the study will be presented today at the 2022 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. Roughly 15-25% of patients with HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer experience recurrence after treatment, often presenting as distant disease that has spread past the throat and neck. Currently, recurrence is detected primarily through imaging and physical exams, but there is wide variability in the use and frequency of these surveillance methods. In the study, researchers retrospectively examined data from 1,076 patients who had one or more tests to detect circulating tumor tissue modified viral (TTMV)-HPV DNA as part of their post-treatment surveillance. All patients were examined more than three months after completing standard treatment with surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Of the 80 patients (7% of the total sample) who tested positive for the biomarker in surveillance, 95% were confirmed through imaging, biopsy and/or endoscopy as having recurrent HPV-positive disease. The presence of TTMV-HPV DNA was the first indicator of recurrence for 72% of the patients whose cancer returned, and roughly half of the recurrences (48%) were found in patients tested more than 12 months after completing therapy. "Most patients had no [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-03T12:18:52-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Tumor tissue modified viral-HPV DNA test predicts HPV-driven oropharynx cancer recurrence

Author: Ryan Lawrence Source: www.healio.com A blood test to detect circulating tumor DNA accurately predicted recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer after treatment, according to research presented at Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. In addition, findings from the retrospective clinical case series suggested the biomarker test may detect disease recurrence earlier than imaging or other surveillance methods, allowing clinicians to personalize treatment faster for patients whose cancer returns. "We believe that tumor tissue modified viral [TTMV]-HPV DNA testing should be incorporated into surveillance guidelines for monitoring patients treated for HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer," Glenn J. Hanna, MD, director of the Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Healio. Background Hanna and colleagues pursued the research because, despite favorable outcomes, up to 20% of patients with HPV-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) experience recurrence within 5 years of curative-intent therapy, roughly half of whom present with distant disease. Meanwhile, current practices for surveillance after treatment rely on physical exams and imaging. “Because we now have ultrasensitive blood-based assays to detect HPV DNA in circulation, it made sense to evaluate the impact of testing throughout surveillance. This serves as a liquid biopsy of sorts to detect tumor tissue modified viral-HPV DNA,” Hanna said. “We hoped this would be more sensitive in detecting recurrence as compared with physical exam and/or imaging in follow-up. Detecting recurrence sooner could lead to early intervention for patients and improved outcomes.” Methodology The analysis included 1,076 consecutive patients [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-03T11:54:07-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer Symptoms: Bad Breath May Be A Sign Of Mouth Cancer

Author: Monica Lozano Source: www.vervetimes.com The Mouth Cancer Foundation says that the majority of deaths from mouth cancer occur because of late detection, “due to a low public awareness of the signs, symptoms, and risks”. It explains that self-checks for mouth cancer take just two minutes and “could save your life, or someone you know”. Around 8,300 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in the UK, which is about one in every 50 cancers diagnosed, according to the NHS. Mouth cancer is the general term given to the variety of malignant tumours that develop in the mouth, according to The Mouth Cancer Foundation. The charity recommends that everyone over the age of 16 has a professional examination for early signs of mouth cancer, once a year, at their dentist. Cancer Research UK says that if you go to see your GP, they will ask you about your symptoms and they might examine you. They may arrange tests or a referral to a specialist. The organisation notes there are many conditions that cause mouth cancer symptoms, most of which are much more common than mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. Nonetheless, it is important to get these symptoms checked by a doctor. One of the signs is bad breath. It explains: “Most people have bad breath at some point in their life and it is not cancer. But if you have cancer, bad breath might be worse and happen more often.” The Oral Health Foundation says: “Bad breath is a very [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-01T08:17:18-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco and Your Oral Health

Author: Tricare Communications Source: newsroom.tricare.mil FALLS CHURCH, Va. – There’s a great deal of scientific information that proves using tobacco products is seriously harmful to your health. Nicotine products can increase your risks for cancer of the throat, lungs, and stomach. Also, tobacco products can negatively impact your oral health in several ways. “Tobacco use can lead to gum disease,” said Doug Elsesser, program analyst with the Defense Health Agency’s TRICARE Dental Program. “Smoking or chewing tobacco makes it tougher for your body to fight infection, including in the gums.” The more you use tobacco in any form, the greater the risk of gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And gum disease may require you to get deeper, more invasive teeth cleanings, or even surgery. The bacteria from gum disease can also worsen existing chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Besides gum disease, smoking and smokeless tobacco can have several other negative effects on your oral health. According to the American Dental Association, tobacco use can also lead to: Tooth staining Loss of tooth enamel Gum tissue loss Tooth loss Oral lesions Oral cancer Knowing these facts, you may want to quit tobacco. Or you may want to help a friend or family member quit. Keep in mind, quitting tobacco can be hard, and it may take several attempts. You may also need some support and resources to help you stay quit and get your health back on track. For information on TRICARE’s tobacco [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-02-28T10:22:29-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

What to know about palatine tonsils

Author: Medically reviewed by Nicole Leigh Aaronson, MD, MBA, CPE, FACS, FAAP — Written by Cara Williams on February 20, 2022 Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com The palatine tonsils sit in the back of the throat and are made up of lymphatic tissue. Along with the pharyngeal, tubal, and the lingual tonsils, they act as a defence against possible infections. The palatine tonsils are oval-shaped lymphatic tissue located at both sides of the back of the throat. People can see their palatine tonsils by opening their mouths and looking in the mirror. When a person refers to tonsils, they usually refer to the palatine tonsils. While they protect the body, complications such as infection and swelling can cause health problems. Overview The palatine tonsils serve as a component of Waldeyer’s ring. It also consists of the pharyngeal (adenoids), tubal tonsil, and lingual tonsil. The role of the palatine tonsils is to act as the firstTrusted Source defense against pathogens and help stimulate an immune response to fight off infection. Small crypts cover the surface of the palatine tonsils. These crypts give them a large surface area to catch incoming pathogens that may cause infection. The tonsil tissue also aidsTrusted Source in developing B cells and T cells, white blood cells that help fight off infection. Complications associated with palatine tonsils The palatine tonsils play an important role in trapping bacteria and viruses as they enter the body. However, this can make them prone to infection. Doctors refer to an infection in the tonsils as tonsillitis which is fairly common. This infection accounts for 1.3%Trusted Source of outpatient [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-02-24T13:41:44-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

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