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Oral cancer and cultural factors in Asia

Source: findarticles.com Authors: Sherry L Priebe, Jolanta Aleksejuniene, Shafik Dharamsi, Christopher Zed Abstract: Oral cancer is on the rise worldwide, with over 200,000 cases diagnosed yearly. The predisposing social and cultural habits related to this disease acquired in resource-poor countries in Southeast Asia remain prevalent among its users following migration to other and better resourced countries. As a result, countries that once rarely experienced high levels of oral cancer will likely see an increased incidence of this disease. Therefore, oral health professionals need to be aware of the cultural risk factors and the resulting oral health effects in order to respond effectively to the increasing incidence of oral cancer. The objective of this overview is to inform what is known about populations from resource poor countries in Asia in regards to oral cancer and its related cultural factors. Introduction: The social and cultural habits that may predispose people to oral cancer are common in resource-poor countries in Southeast Asia, and remain prevalent among its users following migration to other and better resourced countries. As a result, countries that once rarely experienced high levels of oral cancer will likely see a considerable increase of this disease. It has been suggested that following migration from these countries to North America, the habit has remained prevalent among this ethnic group. (1) Increasing the level of awareness among oral health professionals about oral cancer and its related cultural risk factors, as well as developing better early diagnosis are of key importance in addressing morbidity [...]

2012-04-17T05:33:42-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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Cancer medicine is stuck in the past

Source: www.technologyreview.com Author: Susan Young Pathologists and doctors are using a 19th century definition of cancer to diagnose the disease, which leads to unnecessary treatment in some cases, according to Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society. Speaking on Thursday at the 2012 TEDMED conference, Brawley called for a 21st century approach to cancer diagnosis; and a modern, genomics-based appreciation of cancer so that patients don't undergo surgeries and chemotherapy for tumors that pose little threat. Pathologists still use drawings made in 1840 to determine whether the cells in a biopsy are cancerous or not, said Brawley. When a lump is deemed to be cancerous, surgery often follows. But as many as 25% of breast cancers and, by some estimates, 60% of prostate cancers could be left untreated and merely monitored, he said. Brawley said the medical community needs to use genomic sequencing to identify the genetic signals of those cancers that doctors need to watch and those that need to be treated. This could be achieved by sequencing tumors from different cancer patients and looking for a genetic "profile" that is associated with dangerous, stable, or benign cancers.

2012-04-17T05:13:15-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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Emergence of nanobiotechnology

Source: www.thedailystar.net Author: Md. Riajul Hossain Think of the tiny robots swimming through your blood vessels all over your body and fighting your enemies. Fascinating! Isn't it? The picture you are having in your mind right at this moment could be possible only because of the blessings of nanotechnology. When you apply genetic engineering in microorganisms, say bacteria, to attain your goal of curing various types of problems that living organisms might have, can be termed as nanobiotechnology. To define nanotechnology, it is stated that nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Nanoparticles are actually much too small to see with your eyes, or even with a typical light microscope. At the nanoscale, materials can behave in different and unexpected ways. For example, gold is yellow in color, but at the microscale of 25 nm size, they appear red. The target of the researchers in this field is to harness these different and unexpected behaviors of the nanoparticles to make new technologies, namely nanotechnology. Today, we will see how nanotechnology can involve biotechnology and what nanobiotechnology has to offer for us. You need not necessarily engineer microbes for nanobiotechnology every time. Even small nanoparticles could be used to deliver drugs in human bodies, to clear environmental pollutants etc. all of which could be taken under the umbrella of nanobiotechnology. This technology is being heralded as the key to new cancer treatments, energy independence, [...]

2012-04-09T18:41:44-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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RNA molecules may help treat head/neck cancer

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid Staff A nanoparticle drug delivery vehicle for small interfering RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecules (siRNA) shows promise for the treatment of head and neck cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of Controlled Release. Dong Shin, MD, of Emory University and Mark Davis, PhD, of the Nanosystems Biology Cancer Center at the California Institute of Technology had previously developed a nanoparticle that encapsulates a siRNA agent aimed at a protein known as RRM2. For this study they again collaborated to evaluate the effectiveness of these particles in head and neck cancer (JCR February 8, 2012). RRM2, when overexpressed in these tumor types, plays an active role in tumor progression and in the development of drug resistance, the researchers noted. Initial tests on head and neck tumor cells growing in culture showed that this construct was taken up by the tumor cells, and as a result growth of the cells was inhibited substantially. Based on these findings, the researchers tested a siRNA-loaded nanoparticle in a mouse model of human head and neck cancer. One intravenous injection of the drug shut down production of RRM2 for at least 10 days, with the nanoparticle being present in the tumor for three days, they reported. Four injections given over 10 days triggered a substantial amount of tumor cell death and significantly reduced tumor progression. The researchers did not observe any adverse effects or changes in body weight during therapy. In addition, the drug had no effect on RRM2 production [...]

2012-04-09T18:25:12-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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High purity zirconia improves speech valves

Source: www.onlinetmd.com Author: Elizabeth Engler Modic Morgan Technical Ceramics (MTC) worked with the UK-based University of Hull to develop a new valve used to restore vocal function for patients with throat cancer. The new tracheo-oesophageal fistula speech valve uses Zyranox biocompatible Yttria partially-stabilized Zirconia, specifically developed for surgical implant devices. The iterative design process for this innovative valve included a close collaboration, featuring consultation on materials, prototyping to test the design, and precision manufacturing to meet the extremely tight tolerances required. The patented new ceramic valve lasts at least eight times longer than traditionally used silicone valves, improving patient quality of life and decreasing overall healthcare costs. The device is to go to market via the spinout company Avoco Medical Ltd. Project Goals Avoco Medical was seeking to improve upon a commonly used speech restoration system for throat cancer patients, which uses a small silicone valve connecting the windpipe (trachea) and the throat (oesophagus). Air, powered by the lungs, diverts into the throat, which vibrates and results in fluent speech. Traditionally the valve is from silicone rubber, but the material exposure to hostile and non-sterile environments results in development of a biofilm on the surface. This biofilm causes valve performance to deteriorate, necessitating an uncomfortable and costly valve replacement procedure about every three months.[1] Precision Manufacturing The company was seeking a way to replace the silicone with ceramic, a more attractive material because of its stability, biocompatibility, and compliance. With its hard, impervious surface, ceramic is more resistant [...]

2012-04-03T09:21:12-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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Researchers identify a gene that predicts recurrence in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/ Author: press release Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck—which typically arises from thin, flat cells that line moist surfaces inside the mouth, nose and throat—is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide, and it has a relatively low five-year survival rate and a high recurrence rate. Recently, the disease has become even more prevalent among adults 40 years of age or younger. These statistics underscore the need for a greater understanding of the molecular underpinnings of this form of cancer. Toward this goal, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have identified a gene that predicts disease recurrence in individuals with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The new findings, which will be presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on Monday, April 2, show that patients with one common variant of a gene which encodes the cytochrome P450 (CYP1B1) protein are likely to have a longer time-to-recurrence than those with the more typical form of the gene. "This is the first study to look at the association between CYP1B1 variants and time-to-recurrence in head and neck cancer, and the findings could lead to personalized treatment strategies for patients with this type of cancer," says Fox Chase study author Ekaterina Shatalova, Ph.D., research associate in the lab of Margie L. Clapper, Ph.D., also senior investigator on the study. Shatalova, Clapper and their colleagues focused on CYP1B1 because this enzyme is known to produce carcinogens by metabolizing tobacco smoke and alcohol—substances that increase the risk of [...]

2012-04-03T09:09:51-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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Cancer-causing chemical found in smokeless tobacco

Source: www.foxnews.com Author: staff A chemical in smokeless tobacco products has been found to cause cancer, according to a new study in animals. The chemical was a strong inducer of oral tumors, the study showed.   While use of smokeless tobacco products has been strongly linked to the development of cancer, no specific chemical in the products had been identified as a strong oral-cancer causing agent until now, the researchers say. The chemical, called (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine, or (S)-NNN, "is the only chemical in smokeless tobacco known to cause oral cancer," study researcher Silvia Balbo, a cancer researcher at the University of Minnesota, said in a statement. The finding may explain how smokeless tobacco products cause cancer, Balbo said. Balbo said the findings are an affirmation that tobacco products should be avoided. Smokeless tabacco products are already required to carry warning labels saying the products can cause mouth cancer or are not a safe alternative to cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration says. The most common type of smokeless tobacco product is moist snuff placed in the mouth. Previous studies have suggested that a group of chemicals called nitrosamines, of which (S)-NNN is a member, cause various types of cancer in animals, but no study has looked at the carcinogenicity of (S)-NNNspecifically, the researchers say. Balbo and colleagues administered (S)-NNN to 24 rats. The rats were given (S)-NNN or tap water. The total dose was approximately equivalent to the amount of (S)-NNN to which a smokeless tobacco user would be exposed from [...]

2012-04-03T08:59:01-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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Oral cancer breakthrough

Source: cancertreatmentmx.com Author: staff UCLA scientists have come up with a revolutionary new way of identifying oral cancer. Funded by the National Institute of Dental and Cranial Facial Research, they developed a simple saliva test that makes detecting oral cancer easy. No longer must patients wait until they find an unusual sore in their mouth or make a routine trip to their dentist:

2012-04-03T08:50:11-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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Nanoparticles kill head/neck cancer cells in mice

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid Staff Using nanoparticles and alternating magnetic fields, University of Georgia scientists have found that head and neck cancerous tumor cells in mice can be killed in half an hour without harming healthy cells. The findings, published in Theranostics, mark the first time to the researchers' knowledge that this cancer type has been treated using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-induced hyperthermia in laboratory mice. The researchers successfully used small concentrations of nanoparticles to kill the cancer cells, noted Qun Zhao, lead author and assistant professor of physics, in a press release. They found that the treatment easily destroyed the cells of cancerous tumors that were composed entirely of epithelium (Theranostics, 2012, Vol. 2:1, pp. 113-121). Other research groups are exploring the use of heated nanoparticles as a potential cancer treatment, and previous studies have shown that high temperatures created by combining magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with strong alternating magnetic currents can create enough heat to kill tumor cells. Zhao said he is optimistic about his findings, but explained that future studies will need to include larger animals before a human clinical trial could be considered. For the experiment, researchers injected 0.5 milliliter of nanoparticle solution directly into the tumor site. With the mouse relaxed under anesthesia, they placed the animal in a plastic tube wrapped with a wire coil that generated magnetic fields that alternated directions 100,000 times each second. The magnetic fields produced by the wire coil heated only the concentrated nanoparticles within the cancerous tumor and [...]

2012-03-30T05:34:26-07:00March, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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Mouthing off against oral cancer

Source: www.marketwatch.com Author: staff April Is Oral Cancer Awareness Month According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 30,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year, and more than 8,000 deaths occur annually. The five-year survival rate for oral cancers is roughly 50 percent. In observance of Oral Cancer Awareness Month, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) recommends that patients receive a dental exam from a general dentist every six months. Dental exams not only help to decrease a patient's risk of oral diseases, such as cavities and periodontal (gum) disease, but they also may help to diagnose other, sometimes life-threatening, medical conditions, such as oral cancer. "The next time you visit your dentist, ask about an oral cancer screening," says AGD spokesperson Seung-Hee Rhee, DDS, FAGD. "Your dentist will feel for lumps or irregular tissue changes in your neck, head, cheeks, and oral cavity and thoroughly examine the soft tissues in your mouth, specifically looking for any sores or discolored tissues. Although you may have already been receiving this screening from your dentist, it's a good idea to confirm that this screening is a part, and will remain a part, of your regular exam." Although oral cancer is sometimes difficult to self-diagnose, warning signs may include bleeding sores; sores that do not heal; lumps; thick, hard spots; soreness or feeling that something is caught in the throat; difficulty chewing or swallowing; ear pain; difficulty moving the jaw or tongue; hoarseness; and numbness of [...]

2012-03-30T05:19:13-07:00March, 2012|Oral Cancer News|
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