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New evidence that smokeless tobacco damages DNA And key enzymes

Source: news.biocompare.com Author: staff Far from having adverse effects limited to the mouth, smokeless tobacco affects the normal function of a key family of enzymes found in almost every organ in the body, according to the first report on the topic in ACS' monthly journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. The enzymes play important roles in production of hormones, including the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone; production of cholesterol and vitamin D; and help the body breakdown prescription drugs and potentially toxic substances. Smokeless tobacco also damages genetic material in the liver, kidney and lungs. Krishan Khanduja and colleagues note widespread recognition of smokeless tobacco's harmful effects on the mouth, which include an increased risk of gum disease and oral cancer. The potential carcinogens and other chemicals in chewing tobacco and other smokeless products are absorbed into the blood and travel throughout the body. However, scientists have little information on smokeless tobacco's effects on other parts of the body. To fill that knowledge gap, the scientists evaluated changes in enzymes and genetic material in laboratory rats using extracts of smokeless tobacco. In addition to damage to the genetic material DNA, they found that smokeless tobacco extracts alter the function of the so-called CYP-450 family of enzymes. "These products are used around the world but are most common in Northern Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean region," the report says. "Most of the users seem to be unaware of the harmful health effects and, therefore, use smokeless tobacco to 'treat' toothaches, headaches, [...]

2010-06-27T10:35:40-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Experts: CT scans pose risks, need more regulation

Source: news.yahoo.com Author: Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer From long-term cancer risks to radiation overdose mistakes, CT scans pose a growing danger to the American public and need more regulation to improve their safety, imaging experts write in a leading medical journal. The articles in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine come a week after a story by The Associated Press detailed the overuse of imaging tests and how much the average American's radiation dose has grown in recent years. CT scans are super-sharp X-rays that have transformed medicine by helping doctors quickly diagnose or rule out injuries and diseases. But they use far more radiation than ordinary X-rays, and too much radiation raises the risk of cancer over time. The federal Food and Drug Administration and Congress are considering new measures to help prevent medical mistakes — relatively rare cases where some people are accidentally given radiation overdoses. However, far more people face potential long-term harm from ordinary scans that are done correctly but that are overused, repeated or simply unnecessary. Each year, 10 percent of the U.S. population gets a CT scan, and use of this imaging is growing more than 10 percent per year. "That's really the area we should focus on," said the author of one of the articles, Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman. She is a radiologist at the University of California at San Francisco on temporary leave to do radiation research at the National Cancer Institute. The FDA regulates scanning equipment, but lacks authority to say [...]

2010-06-27T10:30:46-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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HPV is changing the face of head and neck cancers

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author:  Christen Cona In February, at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz., Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, professor and Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University in Columbus, presented data that showed that the proportion of all head and neck squamous cell cancers that were of the oropharynx — which are most commonly HPV-positive cancers — increased from 18% in 1973 to 32% in 2005. In addition, studies from the United States, Europe, Denmark and Australia indicate that HPV-positive patients have a more than twofold increased cancer survival than HPV-negative patients, according to Gillison. With the rising incidence of HPV-related oropharynx cancers, it will soon be the predominant type of cancer in the oral or head and neck region, according to Andy Trotti, MD, director of radiation oncology clinical research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, in Tampa, Fla. “We should be focusing on HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer because it will dominate the field of head and neck cancers for many years,” he said during an interview with HemOnc Today . “It is certainly an important population for which to continue to conduct research.” Because HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer is emerging as a distinct biological entity, the recent rise in incidence will significantly affect treatment, and prevention and screening techniques, essentially reshaping current clinical practice. Social change driving incidence In the analysis performed by Gillison and colleagues, trends demonstrated that change in the rates of head and neck cancers [...]

2010-06-27T10:24:39-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Distinguishing cancer cells with off the shelf digital camera

 Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: staff Researchers can easily distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells in photos of tissue samples taken with a $400 Olympus E-330 camera. The images are captured with a fiber-optic cable. The tip of the cable, which is about as wide as a pencil lead, can be applied directly to the inside of the cheek. Credit: D. Shin/Rice University

2010-06-25T05:23:13-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Professor: Oral cancer deadlier than most

Source: enterprise-journal.com Author: Charles Dunagin Americans are dying of self-inflicted diseases that, for many, are “preventible,” says a professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Dental School. Dr. Karen Moak Crews, a 1975 graduate of McComb High School, is oral oncology and bio behavioral medicine director at UMC as well as a professor. Speaking to the McComb Rotary Club Wednesday, she warned against tobacco use of any type, including smokeless tobacco. Tobacco is the No. 1 cause of diseases and death in America, she said. Her main topic was oral cancer, which she said doesn’t get the publicity of some of the other cancers but is deadlier than most. The five-year survival rate for cancers in the mouth is 50 percent, she said, adding a big problem is late diagnosis. She urged regular screening by dentists for the disease. Risk factors, she said, include age, genetic mutation, nutrition, a sexually spread virus, alcohol and tobacco use. Citing statistics that alcohol in moderation — two ounces daily for a male and one ounce for a female — is considered safe by medical professionals, Crews said “there is no safe level for tobacco.”

2010-06-25T05:17:03-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Asian communities warned of tobacco risks

Source: www.rochdaleonline.co.uk Author: staff Local health experts are warning the Asian community that an after-dinner treat offered to family and friends could have deadly consequences. Chewing tobacco is a hidden killer say experts, because people do not know it can cause cancer. Dr Amjad Hussain from the NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Oral Health Promotion Department said: “Chewing tobacco has many disguises, such as paan masala, gutkha and bidis, and is often offered to guests at family events and on social occasions. “Its bright, professional packaging hides its deadly potential. People may not even realise it’s tobacco, it’s addictive and, like cigarette tobacco, contains many cancer-causing carcinogens. As it is chewed, people keep it in the mouth for a long time increasing the risk of mouth cancer. “Mouth cancer is also one of the more difficult cancers to treat effectively. So people need to know the risks and be visiting their dentists regularly so any signs can be spotted early.” To highlight the risks, and reduce the harm chewing tobacco can do, council and NHS health experts recently joined forces to host an event at Rochdale’s Bangladesh Association Community Project. At the event, Centre Manager Mr Habibul Ahad said: “I have chewed paan masala for a good many years. After dinner, I’ll often sit on the settee with a jar of paan masala beside me. It’s something I do while I relax and talk - a social pastime. “I was shocked at how harmful chewing tobacco can be. My mother-in-law [...]

2010-06-21T19:40:08-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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A year later, the tobacco war still isn’t won

Source: www.mercurynews.com Author: Patty Fisher A year ago this week, I was celebrating with health advocates across the country when they won their 20-year battle to get the federal government to regulate dumb and deadly cigarettes. I can't believe it took that long to convince Congress that nicotine, the powerful addictive drug in tobacco, should be treated like any other drug sold to the public. After years of marketing cancer sticks to kids and denying that they manipulated the amount of nicotine in their products to hook smokers, shameless tobacco companies at last had to answer to the Food and Drug Administration. They were given a year to stop their clever tricks such as making candy-flavored smokes and using labels like "light" and "low-tar" to make cigarettes sound less harmful. On Tuesday, the new rules will take effect. But those devoted to the anti-smoking cause know the toxic battles are far from over. With a $12.8 billion marketing budget, tobacco companies will find subtle new ways to attract new smokers. "They are always just one step ahead of us," said Margo Sidener of Breathe California. "The tobacco companies have the best advertising people in the world, unfortunately." Smoking on the screen It doesn't help that cigarette makers get lots of free advertising in movies and on TV. When Sigourney Weaver infamously puffed on a cigarette in "Avatar," it wasn't just a ridiculous endorsement of smoking for the most massive worldwide audience of children and adults ever. Worse, it made no [...]

2010-06-21T19:31:00-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Coffee might guard against head, neck cancers

Source: www.businessweek.com Author: Robert Preidt Coffee may help protect against head and neck cancers, a new review finds. Researchers analyzed nine studies collected by the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium. They found that regular coffee drinkers (four or more cups a day) were 39 percent less likely to develop oral and pharynx cancers than people who didn't drink coffee. "Since coffee is so widely used and there is a relatively high incidence and low survival rate of these forms of cancers, our results have important public health implications that need to be further addressed," lead researcher Mia Hashibe, an assistant professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utah, said in an American Association for Cancer Research news release. "What makes our results so unique is that we had a very large sample size, and since we combined data across many studies, we had more statistical power to detect associations between cancer and coffee," she added. The study appears in the current issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. A number of recent studies have suggested that coffee may help prevent cancers, including prostate cancer and brain tumors.

2010-06-20T08:53:43-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Varian Medical Systems: Head & neck cancer patient in Switzerland becomes world’s first UNIQUE radiotherapy patient

Source: www.tradingmarkets.com Author: press release A 55-year-old female head & neck cancer patient has become the first person in the world to be treated clinically using a new, advanced radiotherapy delivery device from Varian Medical Systems. Clinicians in Switzerland carried out the treatment this week using a UNIQUE(tm) single energy medical linear accelerator to deliver fast and precise RapidArc(r) radiotherapy, the leading solution for arc-based treatments. The treatment took place at the Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana (IOSI) radiation oncology unit here in Bellinzona, a public comprehensive cancer center serving 330,000 inhabitants in southern Switzerland, and part of Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale at San Giovanni Hospital. Varian's new UNIQUE treatment unit, a cost effective single energy (6 MV) system with the ability to deliver advanced treatments such as RapidArc, has been introduced by Varian to help bring advanced cancer care to more patients. "The UNIQUE system is an important asset in the clinical portfolio of the center in order to offer the best level of cancer care to all patients in the region," says Dr. Michele Morisoli, Director of San Giovanni hospital. "UNIQUE is a very capable machine that will enable us to treat most of our patients with a very advanced technique," says Dr. Antonella Fogliata, head medical physicist at IOSI. "RapidArc offers our patients a high standard of treatment delivery and less time spent on the treatment couch, which helps to keep discomfort t to a minimum. On the technical side we are really pleased with the performance and [...]

2010-06-20T08:50:11-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Researchers: B6 may cut cancer risk for smokers by 50%

Source: allyoucanreadbusiness.com Author: staff People who smoke and have a high level of vitamin B6 and other essential proteins and vitamins in their body will cut their chance of contracting lung cancer by fifty percent. According to a study by scientist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, cigarette smoking causes many kinds of diseases like heart attack, throat cancer and so on. However, the major disease caused by smoking is lung cancer.This disease is very common and is seen in non-smokers. Deficiency in vitamin B6 and methionine is the major cause for lung cancer. Over 1.2 million people fatally fall victim to lung cancer every year. Vitamin B6 is very prevalent in vegetables, meat, nuts, and other high protein nutrient foods. Thus, taking in more vitamins and proteins daily will lessen the chance for smokers to develop lung cancer. Eighty percent of all lung cancer diagnoses are related to smoking cigarettes.

2010-06-19T12:30:56-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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