About Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A has created 2444 blog entries.

Facing the facts: HPV-associated head and neck cancers get a second look

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: Charlotte Huff Kevin Pruyne knew he didn’t fit the stereotype of a hard drinker or heavy smoker who one day develops an oral cancer. The 52-year-old mechanic had been working a three-week stint in a remote section of northern Alaska, repairing trucks on an oil field, when he noticed a hard lump beneath his jaw while shaving. For nearly three months, as Pruyne was prescribed antibiotics for a possible infection and then later shuttled between physician specialists, he kept hearing the same thing: the lump could not be cancer. Pruyne only occasionally consumed alcohol and had never smoked. His wife, Kathy, began researching her husband’s symptoms, which included repetitive throat clearing, a nagging sensation that something was lodged in his throat and ringing in his ears. And the lump, which looked like the top half of an egg, felt solid to the touch. This wasn’t some inflamed lymph node from a lingering head cold, Kathy Pruyne says. “He had every symptom [of cancer], but nobody would listen to me.” Pruyne received a diagnosis of stage 4 oral cancer, which started with a tumor at the base of his tongue. He had already begun chemotherapy when he learned that researchers had discovered an association between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and increasing rates of oropharyngeal cancers. He asked that his tissue be tested; the results came back positive. Pruyne says he wanted to know whether his cancer was caused by HPV because “the prognosis is considerably better with HPV-positive cancer.” [...]

2012-07-03T17:34:09-07:00July, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Study links gum disease, HPV-status of head and neck cancer

Source: www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter Author: Sara R. Saldi Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), once almost exclusively associated with cancer of the cervix, is now linked to head and neck cancer. Furthermore, according to a new UB study just published in the Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, a JAMA publication, gum disease is associated with increased odds of tumors being HPV-positive. Primary investigator Mine Tezal, assistant professor of oral biology in the School of Dental Medicine, and a team of scientists from UB evaluated data from 124 patients diagnosed with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) between 1999 and 2007. “The aim of the study was to test the presence of periodontitis, a persistent inflammatory process and HPV-status of HNSCC,” Tezal says. Of the 124 tumor samples Tezal and her team studied, 50 were positive for HPV-16 DNA and that subjects with HPV-positive tumors had a significantly higher severity of periodontitis when compared to subjects with HPV-negative tumors. According to the National Cancer Institute, there has been a steady increase in the prevalence of oropharyngeal cancers in the U.S. since 1973. This is despite the significant decline in tobacco use since 1965, a year after the U.S. Surgeon General issued the landmark Report on Smoking and Health. Tezal notes that this increase has mainly been attributed to oral HPV infection. Understanding the natural history of the oral HPV infection and targeting factors associated not only with its acquisition but also with its persistence, says Tezal, will lead to more effective strategies, [...]

2012-06-22T21:24:45-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Gruesome images on cigarette packs seem to be working

Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ Sometimes it takes a good swift kick to open a person's eyes. That's the federal government's strategy in its "scared straight" campaign urging Canadians to butt out by forcing tobacco companies to adorn their addictive products with gruesome images showing the consequences of smoking. The graphic pictures include that of a human tongue rotting in the mouth of a person inflicted with mouth cancer. Other images portray cancer victims, literally human skeletons, at various stages of cancer with the Grim Reaper knocking at their back door. Another shows a man with a hole in his neck -- a victim of throat cancer -- through which he now breathes. His message on the smoke pack: "I wish I had never started smoking." It's a frank message that had to be brought home, and it's apparently working. Statistics Canada reported this week smoking rates have dropped dramatically in the last 10 years, with steep declines in the number of teen smokers. Ottawa credits, in part, its mandatory, graphic anti-smoking packaging for tobacco products. The new rules became official Tuesday. Tobacco companies must now label three-quarters of a cigarette package with grisly pictures showing the horrific consequences of smoking. The image of an emaciated, cancer-stricken Barb Tarbox, curled up in a fetal position in a hospital bed not long before her death, takes up three-quarters of some of the packages. Tarbox became well-known as a powerful anti-smoking activist who, while inflicted with brain and lung cancers, gave numerous public [...]

2012-06-22T21:18:49-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Electrochemical sensor spots oral cancer

Source: cen.acs.org Author: Erika Gebel Medical Diagnostics: A simple and inexpensive device detects multiple cancer biomarkers When doctors spot cancerous lesions in patients’ mouths, it’s often too late: The disease has already reached a difficult-to-treat stage. As a result, oral cancer has a high death rate. To help doctors catch the disease earlier, researchers have developed a simple, low-cost method to identify multiple oral cancer biomarkers at once (Anal. Chem., DOI: 10.1021/ac301392g). Scientists previously have shown that oral cancer patients have altered levels of several proteins, including vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), in their blood (J. Clin. Pathol., DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2007.047662). Doctors would like to use these biomarkers to diagnose the disease. But James Rusling of the University of Connecticut, Storrs, says that to improve diagnostic accuracy, it’s necessary to detect multiple proteins at once. What’s more, current technology can’t easily measure subtle changes in the low concentrations of these proteins found in patients’ blood. Such tests would require trained technicians and expensive equipment, such as spectrometers, that most clinics don’t have. Rusling and his colleagues, including J. Silvio Gutkind of the National Institutes of Health, wanted to develop a low-cost test doctors could easily use. The team built a device that can measure concentrations of multiple biomarker proteins at once through easy-to-read electrical signals. For each protein they want to detect, the scientists use two antibodies that each bind to a different part of the biomarker. One antibody decorates magnetic microbeads. The team also coats these microbeads [...]

2012-06-22T21:11:32-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Cannabis chewing gum targets oral side effects

Source: Author: staff The company Medical Marijuana has acquired a 50% stake in CanChew, a cannabinoid (CBD)-based chewing gum developed as a pharmaceutical delivery mechanism to relieve pain, xerostomia, and other side effects of disease and disease treatment. The acquisition gives Medical Marijuana worldwide exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, market, and distribute both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and non-THC hemp-derived cannabinoid-infused chewing gum to medical marijuana consumers, according to the company. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently considers non-THC based hemp products to be "food-based" and therefore legal without a medical marijuana license. Cannabinoids have had positive effects in clinical trials on neuralgic pain, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy and radiation treatment, as well as palliative treatment of various cancers and HIV/AIDS, the company stated. According to Sanammad, the company that developed CanChew, the gum can: Alleviate acute and chronic pain Diminish nausea and vomiting, as well as cachexia, which is a syndrome common in cancer patients on chemotherapy that causes appetite loss and loss of weight and muscle-mass Enhance appetite Improve muscle relaxation, coordination, and mobility Diminish xerostomia Promote fresh breath and maintain oral hygiene "Functional chewing gum is well-established as an effective way to deliver pharmaceutical active ingredients," said Michael Llamas, president of Medical Marijuana. "A great example is Nicorette. Within 10 minutes of chewing Nicorette gum, the consumer's symptoms of nicotine withdrawal begin to ease. Our formulations also have an exceedingly safer side-effect profile compared to the currently available analgesics such as [...]

2012-06-08T08:02:29-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Head and neck cancer presentation highlights

Source: www.dailyrx.com Author: Travis Giddings The field of head and neck cancer from ASCO 2012 A recent presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology expanded on several molecular breakthroughs concerning head and neck cancers, and a team of doctors gave an overview of recent conclusions from their respective fields. The newly identified molecular pathway for cancers of the head and neck that involves the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) led to developments of highly effective drugs specific for the cancerous cells, EGFR inhibitors. Soon afterwards, scientists discovered the increasingly important role that the human papillomavirus (HPV) played in the development of cancers in the head and neck. Following the explosion of research in the field of molecular pathways involved in head and neck cancers, doctors quickly found that the cancer was a lot more complicated than previous believed. Additional research continues as scientists try to make sense of the data. Approaching the treatment of head and neck cancer from their perspectives from surgery, radiology, and oncology, doctors on the panel discussed the difficulties the field currently faced. The director of Johns Hopkins' Head and Neck Cancer Research department, oncologist David Sidransky, MD, opened the meeting. “The genetic and epigenetic alterations in human tumors are becoming increasingly important for devising and implementing personalized oncology approaches,” said Dr. Sidransky. “Unlike in some other cancers, in head and neck cancer the common mutations that have been identified have not been very helpful for treatment.” The chair of the conference was held by [...]

2012-06-08T07:56:18-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Cancer immunotherapy firm raises $1.5M, eyes strategic partners

Source: medcitynews.com A company developing products to restore the immune system of cancer patients has raised $1.5 million and is now looking for strategic partners. IRX Therapeutics’ lead product, IRX-2, aims to correct dendritic cell and T-cell defects in cancer patients in order to overcome cancer-induced immune suppression and restore antitumor response, according to the company’s website. The cell-based drug has completed a phase 2a trial in which it was well tolerated by patients with head and neck cancer, and showed a good safety profile, which suggests it could be combined with a number of cancer treatment regimens to improve their effectiveness. “This last $1.5 million round will primarily fund the company’s efforts to align with strategic partners for the development of IRX-2,” chief financial officer Jeffrey Hwang said in an email. At least 40 additional unique cancer immunotherapies are currently being tested, according to a report from MD Becker Partners LLC, including ones developed by Bavarian Nordic, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oncothyreo/Merck and Transgene/Novartis. IRX has raised more than $80 million so far and has received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

2012-06-06T14:46:40-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

The FDA’s power over cigars

Source: www.latimes.com/health Author: editorial The 2009 federal law that required the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationto begin regulating cigarettes also gave it the option of regulating cigars. Now two bills, one in each chamber of Congress, would remove the agency's authority over "traditional" cigars — the regular size that you're used to, not the ones the size of cigarettes. It's true that cigarettes are the far bigger health scourge in the United States, accounting for nearly one in five deaths each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traditionally, cigars have not been popular among young people, which is significant because preventing smoking among youth is one of the key reasons for regulating tobacco. But there's nothing good to be said about the health effects of cigar smoking levitra de 20 mg xifaxan médicament. Even though cigar lovers don't typically inhale the smoke, their lung cancer rates are higher than those of nonsmoking Americans — though lower than those of cigarette smokers. According to the National Cancer Institute, cigars have higher levels of tar, toxins and carcinogens than cigarettes and cause cancers of the mouth, lips, throat and esophagus. They also produce more secondhand smoke. The rate of cigar smoking have been increasing for the last two decades, and cigars can now be found in fruit and candy flavors, including chocolate — the same kind of flavor tweaking that got many teenagers hooked on cigarettes. That was why the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco [...]

2012-06-07T18:59:24-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Throat cancer survivors sing to give thanks, encourage others

Source: www.wfaa.com Author: Jim Douglas Five cancer survivors stepped up to the microphones Tuesday at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth. About 300 people waited to hear the North Texas Laryngectomy Choir. Video available here. It takes courage for anyone to sing in front of a crowd. Imagine doing it without vocal cords. Howard Defibaugh found his courage by first singing to his wife, Diana. He sang her the song she sang to him to soothe his recovery from throat surgery a couple of years ago: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. It came out low and raspy... almost mechanical. Doctors removed Defibaugh's larynx to save his life. Same with John Robinson. They now have plastic implants. Both hold their hands over the valves in their necks as they talk... and sing. "I don't know how I'm going to do with a big crowd today," Robinson said with a smile. Defibaugh gave him a reassuring pat on the back. This is how the North Texas Laryngectomy Choir started: As a support group. They joke they couldn't carry a tune in bucket (even when they had their real voices). But this concert is about what they carry in their hearts. The five singers stepped to the mics, and sang, "What a Wonderful World." The occasion was the first annual banquet for cancer survivors and caregivers at Baylor All Saints. The crowd gave them a standing ovation.

2012-06-06T14:37:24-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Tobacco use and baseball

Source: www.quitsmokingforyou.com Like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco (snuff and chewing tobacco), cause mouth cancer, gum disease, and heart disease. Yet many think that chewing tobacco is safe or less so than smoking. This is not true! In 1986, the Surgeon normal closed that the use of smokeless tobacco “is not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes. It can cause cancer and a whole of noncancerous conditions and can lead to nicotine addiction and dependence.” Since 1991, the National Cancer institute (Nci) has officially recommended that the group avoid and desist the use of all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco. Nci also recognizes that nitrosamines, found in tobacco products, are not safe at any level. Chewing tobacco and baseball have a long tight affiliation, rooted in the cultural confidence among players and fans that baseball players chew tobacco and it is just part of the grand old game. This mystique is slowing changing with campaigns by ballplayers who have had or have seen friends with mouth cancer caused by chewing tobacco use. Jeff Bagwell Jeff Bagwell, retired first baseman with the Houston Astros and Joe Garagiola, a previous baseball player and commentator, campaign against tobacco use among children and addicted adults. In 1993, when Bagwell was 25-years-old, his dentist discovered leukoplakia, a whitish pre-cancerous sore in his mouth where he continually located chewing tobacco. About 5% of leukoplakias institute into cancer. Fortunately this did not happen to Jeff Bagwell due to the early detection by his dentist. Rick Bender, The Man Without [...]

2012-06-04T20:47:24-07:00June, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
Read More
© - The Oral Cancer Foundation - Head & Neck Cancer IRS 501(c)3 Charity - 3419 Via Lido #205, Newport Beach, CA 92663 | Disclaimer / Privacy Policy
Go to Top