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Rise of tongue cancer in young, white females

www.medscape.com Roxanne Nelson - staff journalist for Medscape Oncology. The incidence of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma has been rising in young white American women, according to a new report. For the past 3 decades, the incidence has been increasing in white men and white women 18 to 44 years of age, but the trend is most pronounced in young white women. In a report published online March 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the authors found that the incidence of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma was declining for all age groups. The incidence of oral cavity and tongue cancer also was decreasing for nonwhite individuals. However, among people 18 to 44 years of age, the incidence of oral tongue cancer climbed 28% between 1975 and 2007. Among white people in this age group, the incidence increased 67%. The rising rates were most dramatic for white women, with a jump of 111%. "Lately, we have been seeing more oral tongue cancer in young white women in our clinic. So we looked at the literature, which reported an increase in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma in young white individuals, but couldn't find any information about gender-specific incidence rates, so we decided we should take a look at the SEER [Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results] data," said lead author Bhisham Chera, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill. The authors note that historically, cancer of the oral cavity was considered to be associated with older men with histories of significant tobacco and [...]

2011-03-23T11:14:20-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Oral cancer screenings: dental professionals can save lives

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Michelle Kratt I am sure that you have heard of HPV (human papillomavirus)? Did you know that some types of HPV can cause oral cancer? Recent studies in the United States indicate that HPV is now the leading cause of head and neck cancers at 64%, even rising above smoking, tobacco chewing, and drinking alcohol. Oral cancer accounts for 2% to 4% of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. The number of oral cancer cases is steadily rising, and today it is showing up in younger patients. More than 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause more than 8,000 deaths, killing roughly one person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 37,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in five years. The death rate for these types of cancer is so high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but because it is caught too late in its development, with 70% found in Stage III or IV. Aside from the usual risk factors — tobacco and alcohol, ultraviolet light, poor nutrition, immune system suppression, lichen planus, and history of cancer — the addition of HPV as a risk factor for oral cancer has made it extremely difficult to easily define high-risk individuals (25% of mouth cancers and 35% of throat cancers are caused by HPV). Another risk factor, although controversial, is ill-fitting dentures. It has been suggested that long-term [...]

2011-03-21T12:28:36-07:00March, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|
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Evaluation of human papillomavirus testing for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil in clinical practice

Source: jcp.bmj.com Authors: Selvam Thavaraj et al. Background: Oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a subtype of head-and-neck cancer with a distinct clinical and prognostic profile. While there are calls to undertake HPV testing for oropharyngeal SCCs within the diagnostic setting and for clinical trials, there are currently no internationally accepted standards. Methods: 142 tonsil SCCs were tested using p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC), high-risk HPV DNA in situ hybridisation (ISH) and HPV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR; GP5+/6+ primers). Results: There were high levels of agreement between pathologists for p16 IHC and HPV ISH scoring; however, around 10% of HPV ISH cases showed some interobserver discrepancy that was resolved by slide review. The combination of p16 IHC and HPV ISH classified 53% of the samples as HPV-positive, whereas the combination of p16 IHC and HPV PCR classified 61% of the samples as HPV-positive. By employing a three-tiered, staged algorithm (p16 IHC/HPV ISH/HPV PCR), the authors were able to classify 98% of the cases as either HPV-positive (p16 IHC+/HPV DNA+; 62%) or HPV-negative (p16 IHC−/HPV DNA−; 35%). Conclusions: The current study suggests that using a combination of p16 IHC/HPV ISH/HPV PCR, in a three-tiered, staged algorithm, in conjunction with consensus reporting of HPV ISH, leads to less equivocal molecular classification. In order to ensure consistent reporting of this emerging disease, it is increasingly important for the head-and-neck oncology community to define the minimum requirements for assigning a diagnosis of ‘HPV-related’ oropharyngeal SCC in order to inform prognosis and [...]

2011-03-19T12:32:28-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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FDA panel finds ban on menthol cigarettes would ‘benefit the public health’

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Author: Lyndsey Layton An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration that has been studying whether the government ought to ban menthol cigarettes said Friday that the “removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit the public health.” The panel, made up of scientists, doctors and public health experts, stopped short of recommending a ban on menthol cigarettes, which make up about 30 percent of the $80 billion U.S. cigarette market. The committee, which spent a year analyzing menthol cigarettes before releasing its draft recommendations, said that compared to standard cigarettes, the mint-flavored products do not pose greater individual risk to smokers in terms of lung cancer, stroke and other tobacco-related diseases. But menthol cigarettes are especially enticing to teenagers and to blacks and are more likely to turn them into lifetime smokers, the panel found. Smokers of menthol cigarettes also find it harder to quit, the panel said. Lawrence R. Deyton, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said the agency will review the panel’s recommendations. The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its advisory panels but often does. “Now it’s up to us to do our job,” Deyton told the panel. The menthol question will be the first real test of how aggressively the FDA intends to regulate tobacco. Congress passed landmark legislation in 2009 that put tobacco under the authority of the FDA for the first time. The law prohibits the agency from outlawing tobacco or nicotine but gives [...]

2011-03-19T09:29:53-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Dissolvable tobacco products may increase mouth disease in smokers, children

Source: onlinejournal.com Author: staff When they were originally released, it looked as though dissolvable tobacco might become a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes. After all, there is no smoke to breath in and no juice to spit out. But a recent study suggests that these tobacco lozenges have the potential to cause increased mouth diseases as well as possible harm to children. The study is based on findings from John V. Goodpaster of the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and colleagues. After analyzing the complex ingredients in the products, researchers found that they contained nicotine, along with finely-ground tobacco and a variety of flavoring ingredients, sweeteners and binders. When these substances are dissolved near the lips and gums, the effects can be just as harmful for the mouth as more traditional tobacco products. When the first dissolvable tobacco products in pellet, stick and strip forms went on sale to test markets in Indianapolis, Ind., Columbus, Ohio, and Portland, Ore., they were billed as a safer way to get your tobacco fix. But the study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, asserts that nicotine is still a harmful substance and prolonged exposure on the lips and gums is still harmful, no matter the delivery mechanism. The study also expressed concerns over other ingredients in the products, including coumarin, which has been banned as a flavoring agent in food because of its link to a risk of liver damage. 'The results presented here are the first to reveal the [...]

2011-03-19T09:25:03-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Jury finds no negligence by orthodontist in Annadale woman’s tongue-cancer death

Source: Silive.com Tragic teen: Stephanie Hare's cancer was too far advanced, and aspiring teacher died in November 2004. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Annadale resident Stephanie Hare was only 19 years old when a cancerous lesion was detected on her tongue in April 2004. By that time, it was too late. Despite undergoing surgery to remove most of her tongue and submitting to painful radiation and chemotherapy treatments, the vivacious young woman who aspired to be a teacher died seven months later at the age of 20. Ms. Hare’s family contends her orthodontist, Dr. Michael J. Donato of Richmond, was responsible for her death by failing to detect the lesion during a December 2003 visit. However, a jury in state Supreme Court, St. George, disagreed. The panel on Wednesday found Dr. Donato was not negligent and had followed standard dental practices and care when he examined Ms. Hare on Dec. 19, 2003. "Stephanie’s death was not anybody’s fault," Dr. Donato’s lawyer, Douglas J. Fitzmorris, told jurors in his summation. "Stephanie died of cancer. Dr. Donato’s not to blame. The whole specter of this lesion being missed by Dr. Donato is not what happened. There was no deviation from accepted practice." Jason C. Molesso, the lawyer for Ms. Hare’s family, had asked jurors to consider a $2.3 million award for her pain and suffering if they found Dr. Donato liable. "This case is about choices," Molesso told jurors in his closing argument as Ms. Hare’s family wept and hugged each other in the [...]

2011-03-18T09:45:15-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Head and neck cancer guidelines ‘streamlined’

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Fran Lowry Modest changes in the 2011 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Head and Neck Cancers Guidelines will refine and improve the treatment of these complex, challenging, and relatively rare cancers, according to the panel chief reporting here at the NCCN 16th Annual Conference. One of the main changes is a new "suggestion" that the workup for cancer of the oropharynx include testing of the tumor for human papillomavirus (HPV). "Immunohistochemical testing for HPV p16 is recommended," said David G. Pfister, MD, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and chair of the NCCN Head and Neck Cancers Guidelines Committee. "Although not used to guide treatment, HPV testing is valuable prognostically. The results should not change management decisions," he emphasized. HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer appears to be a new and distinct disease entity, and is associated with better survival than non-HPV head and neck cancers, Dr. Pfister noted. HPV Has a Clear Impact on Prognosis "Our understanding of the human papillomavirus as a risk factor for head and neck cancer has evolved. Now we see that it has a clear impact on prognosis," Dr. Pfister said in an interview with Medscape Medical News. Because of their improved prognosis, these patients might require different treatment, he said. "There is a great interest in better understanding HPV-related cancers and how we treat the disease down the road. Right now we have insufficient data to change how we treat these patients, but clinical trials are being designed to assess the optimal treatment [...]

2011-03-18T12:17:56-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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US cancer survivors grows to nearly 12 million

Source: www.cancer.gov Author: staff The number of cancer survivors in the United States increased to 11.7 million in 2007, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. There were 3 million cancer survivors in 1971 and 9.8 million in 2001. The study, “Cancer Survivors in the United States, 2007,” is published today in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A cancer survivor is defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis through the balance of his or her life. "It's good news that so many are surviving cancer and leading long, productive, and healthy lives," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Preventing cancer and detecting it early remain critically important as some cancers can be prevented or detected early enough to be effectively treated. Not smoking, getting regular physical activity, eating healthy foods, and limiting alcohol use can reduce the risk of many cancers." To determine the number of survivors, the authors analyzed the number of new cases and follow-up data from NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program between 1971 and 2007. Population data from the 2006 and 2007 United States Census were also included. The researchers estimated the number of persons ever diagnosed with cancer who were alive on Jan. 1, 2007 (except non-melanoma skin cancers, which are fairly common and rarely fatal). Study findings indicate: Of the 11.7 million people [...]

2011-03-17T04:27:56-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Assessment of human papillomavirus in lung tumor tissue

Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute Abstract Background Lung cancer kills more than 1 million people worldwide each year. Whereas several human papillomavirus (HPV)–associated cancers have been identified, the role of HPV in lung carcinogenesis remains controversial. Methods We selected 450 lung cancer patients from an Italian population–based case–control study, the Environment and Genetics in Lung Cancer Etiology. These patients were selected from those with an adequate number of unstained tissue sections and included all those who had never smoked and a random sample of the remaining patients. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test specimens from these patients for HPV DNA, specifically for E6 gene sequences from HPV16 and E7 gene sequences from HPV18. We also tested a subset of 92 specimens from all never-smokers and a random selection of smokers for additional HPV types by a PCR-based test for at least 54 mucosal HPV genotypes. DNA was extracted from ethanol- or formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue under strict PCR clean conditions. The prevalence of HPV in tumor tissue was investigated. Results Specimens from 399 of 450 patients had adequate DNA for analysis. Most patients were current (220 patients or 48.9%) smokers, and 92 patients (20.4%) were women. When HPV16 and HPV18 type–specific primers were used, two specimens were positive for HPV16 at low copy number but were negative on additional type-specific HPV16 testing. Neither these specimens nor the others examined for a broad range of HPV types were positive for any HPV type. Conclusions When DNA [...]

2011-03-17T04:21:34-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Woman awarded $15 million for misdiagnosed lesion

Source: DrBicuspid.com September 11, 2011 -- A Michigan jury awarded a 61-year-old woman $15 million after her oral surgeon failed to diagnose an oral lesion that eventually progressed into stage IV cancer, according to a story in the Detroit News. Because of a state law capping malpractice awards, however, the woman will receive only about $600,000, the story noted. Herta Hopton first complained of pain in her lower right jaw in 2005. Her dentist, R. Peter Maly, D.D.S., referred her to a periodontist, John Sivertson, D.D.S., who detected a white lesion in the bottom of her mouth but diagnosed it as "aspirin burn." She was referred to Warren Vallerand, D.D.S., an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, in May 2006 and saw him four times about the lesion, but he never called for a biopsy. Hopton was finally diagnosed with stage IV skin cancer in November 2006. She has since had more than 20 surgeries to remove part of her jaw and reconstruct it with other bone tissue, according to the Detroit News. Hopton sued all three doctors and the case went to trial, but ended with a hung jury. She settled out of court with Dr. Maly for an undisclosed amount. In a second trial, Dr. Sivertson was exonerated, while the jury found against Dr. Vallerand.

2011-03-14T12:05:02-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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