Oral Cancer Foundation News Team – A – Page 228

Searching for molecular markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) by statistical and bioinformatic analysis of larynx-derived SAGE libraries

Source: BMC Medical Genomics 2008, 1:56 (11 November 2008) Authors: Nelson JF Silveira et al. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignancies in humans. The average 5-year survival rate is one of the lowest among aggressive cancers, showing no significant improvement in recent years. When detected early, HNSCC has a good prognosis, but most patients present metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, which significantly reduces survival rate. Despite extensive research, no molecular markers are currently available for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. Methods: Aiming to identify differentially-expressed genes involved in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) development and progression, we generated individual Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) libraries from a metastatic and non-metastatic larynx carcinoma, as well as from a normal larynx mucosa sample. Approximately 54,000 unique tags were sequenced in three libraries. Results: Statistical data analysis identified a subset of 1,216 differentially expressed tags between tumor and normal libraries, and 894 differentially expressed tags between metastatic and non-metastatic carcinomas. Three genes displaying differential regulation, one down-regulated (KRT31) and two up-regulated (BST2, MFAP2), as well as one with a non-significant differential expression pattern (GNA15) in our SAGE data were selected for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a set of HNSCC samples. Consistent with our statistical analysis, quantitative PCR confirmed the upregulation of BST2 and MFAP2 and the downregulation of KRT31 when samples of HNSCC were compared to tumor-free surgical margins. As expected, GNA15 presented a non-significant differential expression pattern when tumor samples [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-12T08:10:45-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer hope after cell discovery

Source: The Press Association (ukpress.google.com) Author: staff Scientists have announced they had identified a "new route" for messages to cells in fruit flies which could lead to the growth of breast, ovarian, head and neck cancer in people. The team at the University of Liverpool found signals from a molecule called Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) on the surface of a cell are fed through a protein called pico in flies, which has a similar protein in humans called Lamellipodin. This process controls and regulates cell growth and division and its discovery has been described as "important basic research" by the charity Cancer Research UK. The EGFR molecule sends signals that drive the growth of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and cancers of the head and neck in people. Lead author of the study and Cancer Research UK scientist Dr Ekaterina Lyulcheva, who is based at the University of Liverpool, said: "Before now, scientists knew about the presence of these molecules and their possible link to cancer, but no-one knew how they talked to each other, to ultimately control tissue growth. "We know EGFR is linked to cancer but we have not shown that Lamellipodin is used to drive the growth of cancer in humans. Lamellipodin is a similar protein to pico in fruit flies that has similar functions." Dr Lyulcheva said that although Lamellipodin and pico had similar functions more research in humans would need to be undertaken to discover if Lamellipodin was used to drive the growth of the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-12T08:03:20-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Smokeless tobacco becomes a target

Source: Winston-Salem Journal (www2.journalnow.com) Author: Richard Craver In bars and restaurants, theaters and stadiums, malls and offices, tobacco manufacturers are trying to reassert their presence in the market with innovative smokeless products such as snus and dissolvable products. "We're meeting the adult tobacco consumer where they are in society today," said Maura Payne, a spokeswoman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. But health-advocacy groups, having won the day with bans on smoking in most public venues after a 16-year fight, are gearing up their efforts and rhetoric to try to prevent those products from taking root. "These smokeless products are likely to discourage smokers from quitting by sustaining their nicotine addiction in the growing number of places where smoking is not allowed," said Matthew Myers, the executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The evolution of the health-advocacy groups from anti-smoking to anti-tobacco is ratcheting up the moralistic aspect of buying and consuming a legal product. It also is pitting more health-care and anti-smoking officials on both sides of the smokeless debate since it's unclear whether smokeless tobacco equals reduced risk, particularly involving cancer. There have been mixed findings from the few studies that have been conducted on snus. What is clear is that the major U.S. tobacco manufacturers are putting more emphasis on smokeless products, such as snuff and snus, to gain market share and sales as the smoking rate among adults declines. Government figures show that fewer than 44 million Americans smoke, down from a peak of 53.5 million [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-11T13:49:31-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

U.S. reported 25,000 cases of HPV-related cancers annually

Source: health.usnews.com Author: staff An estimated 25,000 cases of cancers associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) occurred in 38 states and the District of Columbia between 1998 and 2003, U.S. officials reported Monday. HPV is a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different types, more than 30 of which can be sexually transmitted. Most people with HPV infections don't develop symptoms or health problems, but some HPV types can cause cancer. In its report, which covers the period before the HPV vaccine was available, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the most common sites for HPV-associated cancers were the cervix, head and neck, anus, vulva, penis and vagina. HPV-associated cancers occur most often in the cervix -- about 10,800 per year. Black and Hispanic women had higher rates of cervical cancer than white and non-Hispanic women, the CDC said. There were almost 7,400 HPV-associated head and neck cancers per year. These types of cancers increased 3 percent a year during the period examined in the study. Among the other findings: There were more than 3,000 HPV-associated anal cancers per year; about 1,900 occurred in women and 1,100 in men. Whites had the highest rates among women, while blacks had the highest rates among men. There were 2,300 cases of HPV-associated vulvar cancer each year. White women had higher rates than black and Asian/Pacific Islander women. HPV-associated penile cancer was diagnosed in about 800 men a year. Hispanic men were more likely than non-Hispanic men [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-09T18:45:16-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Virus accomplice helps drugs fight cancer

Source: www.newscientist.com Author: Andy Coghlan A virus that harmlessly infects most people at some time in their lives appears to help anti-cancer drugs destroy tumours, or at least keep them in check. Known as a reovirus, it destroys tumour cells because they lack the cellular machinery that keeps the virus in check in healthy cells. Results released last week from two studies in which patients with head and neck cancer were injected with the virus alongside anti-cancer drugs reveal that cancers either stopped growing or shrank in almost all recipients. Furthermore, the patients had cancers that had become resistant to all existing therapies. "Some patients had very aggressive tumour shrinkage of as much as 95%," says Brad Thompson, CEO of Canadian company Oncolytics Biotech, which has been developing the virus as a product called Reolysin. In one trial, led by Kevin Harrington at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, 8 out of 9 patients responded positively after the virus plus two standard anti-cancer drugs, paclitaxel and carboplatin, had been infused into their bloodstream. In four, tumours stopped growing, and in another four, tumours shrank dramatically. In the other trial, also near London at the Royal Surrey Hospital, 9 out of 11 patients responded well after receiving the virus plus the anti-cancer drug docetaxel. Genetic flaw Taken together, the results suggest the virus does help in some way. "Usually, only 10% of patients respond when the cancer comes back and they're having their second course of treatment," says Thompson. The virus [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-07T14:05:54-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

FDA accepts priority review for new indication of Erbitux – update

Source: www.rttnews.com Author: staff Imclone Systems Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. announced that the supplemental biological license application seeking expanded approval of Erbitux for first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck has been accepted for priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Priority review implies that the FDA will review the application in six months. Erbitux is marketed by ImClone and Bristol-Myers Squibb in the U.S. and by German drug and chemical maker Merck KGaA outside the U.S. Bristol-Myers holds 61% of the North American sales rights to Erbitux, while Merck KGaA owns 90% of the drug's international distribution rights. Under the existing agreement with Bristol-Myers, ImClone receives a distribution fee based on a flat rate of 39% of net sales of Erbitux in North America. The companies had sought expanded approval for Erbitux based on data from the randomized Phase 3 EXTREME (ERBITUX in first-line Treatment of REcurrent or MEtastatic head and neck cancer) study1 investigating the efficacy of Erbitux in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. According to the study, which was conducted by Merck KGaA, Erbitux, in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, resulted in a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival time compared with chemotherapy alone. If approved, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma will be the third U.S. indication for Erbitux in head and neck cancer. Erbitux was initially approved to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-06T19:54:40-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

VELscope system featured on “The Doctors” television series

Source: www.dentaleconomics.com Author: staff LED Dental has announced that its VELscope Oral Cancer Screening System was featured on "The Doctors", a television program syndicated throughout the U.S. and Canada by CBS Television Distribution. The VELscope system received exposure in a segment focusing on the link between oral sex and oral cancer. The VELscope system was brought to the attention of "The Doctors" producers by Dr. Bill Dorfman, a frequent guest on the show and the cofounder of Discus Dental. Dr. Dorfman was also the featured dentist on "Extreme Makeover", a reality TV series on ABC. "The producers asked me what new oral cancer detection technologies the public needs to know about, and the first thing that came to mind was the VELscope," said Dr. Dorfman. "Now that we understand that oral cancer can be caused not just by tobacco and heavy drinking, but also by exposure to the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus, dental practices need to take the lead in giving thorough oral cancer exams to all of their adult patients at least once a year." When Dr. Dorfman first became aware of the link between HPV and oral cancer, he began using an oral cancer screening technology that required rinsing with a vinegar-based solution and the use of messy blue dies. "Neither my patients nor I liked that technology, so I started to search for an alternative that was simpler, faster and less invasive, and that's when I discovered the VELscope system," said Dr. Dorfman. "Plus, in addition to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-05T08:22:26-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Gardasil Vaccine honoured with International Galien Prize for pharmaceutical research

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff Gardasil®, the four-type (6,11,16,18) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, has been awarded the 2008 International Galien Prize, a prestigious award for recognising and promoting significant advances in pharmaceutical research which is considered the pharmaceutical industry equivalent of the Nobel Prize. "It is gratifying to be part of the transformation of scientific breakthrough into actual benefits for people's health," says Didier Hoch, President of Sanofi Pasteur MSD. "Only 30 years after the discovery that HPV can cause cervical cancer and many other diseases we hold today a vaccine in our hands that can save lives and prevent the suffering of thousands and millions of women. This is unprecedented progress in medical and pharmaceutical research." From 2006 to 2008, Gardasil® has won national Galien Prizes in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, the US and the UK (the two HPV vaccines currently licensed for use in the UK were jointly awarded the Galien prize in the palace of Westminster, in September 2008). Additionally, Gardasil® has garnered a number of other prizes, including the 2006 Scrip Award by the British pharmaceutical newsletter Scrip for "Best new biological product" and 2007 Medec Prize by the French general practitioners for "Medicine of the year." During the 1970s, Professor Harald zur Hausen, the Co-Laureate of this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, postulated the role of HPV in causing cervical cancer. He pursued this idea for more than 10 years by searching for different HPV types, which culminated in the discovery in 1983 of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-04T13:40:33-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Oncolytics reports positive results from phase I/II cancer studies

Source: www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com Author: staff Oncolytics Biotech has announced positive interim results in its Phase I and Phase II UK combination Reolysin and paclitaxel/carboplatin clinical trials for patients with advanced cancers. Four of the responding patients continue on study, while a fifth patient is too early to evaluate for response, the company said. These results appear to confirm preclinical evidence of synergy for Reolysin and platinum/taxane combinations. A US Phase II trial has now been opened in this patient population utilizing this regimen. The Phase I trial has two components. The first is an open-label, dose- escalating, non-randomized study of Reolysin given intravenously to patients with paclitaxel and carboplatin every three weeks. In this portion of the trial, standard dosages of paclitaxel and carboplatin are delivered to patients with escalating dosages of Reolysin intravenously. The second component of the trial includes the enrollment of a further nine patients at the top dose of Reolysin in combination with a standard dosage of paclitaxel and carboplatin. Eligible patients include those who have been diagnosed with advanced or metastatic solid tumors such as melanoma, lung and ovarian that are refractory (have not responded) to standard therapy or for which no curative standard therapy exists. The Phase II trial is a 14-patient, single arm, open-label, dose-targeted, non-randomized trial of Reolysin given intravenously in combination with a standard dosage of paclitaxel and carboplatin. Eligible patients include those with advanced or metastatic head and neck cancers that are refractory to standard therapy or for which no curative [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-04T13:40:52-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Patient perception of risk factors in head and neck cancer

Source: Head Neck, October 28, 2008 Author: Leeor Sommer et al. Background: A previous study at our institution noted that only 15% of newly diagnosed patients with oral cancer could identify smoking or alcohol abuse as major risk factors for the development of their cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a simple educational intervention in 189 consecutively identified patients with head and neck malignancy. Methods: Patients were interviewed prior to and immediately following reading a written educational pamphlet. The patients were then interviewed 5 weeks later to determine longer-term recall. Recall success was correlated to patient demographic parameters including level of education, occupation, sex, age, and place of residence. Results: Immediate recall success increased, on average, 27% from preintervention knowledge, with the largest increase for the risk factor of alcohol abuse. Five-week postintervention recall success decreased on average 10.5% for all risk factors with the largest decrease being seen for smokeless tobacco use (12%). The immediate and 5-week recall success increases were both statistically significant when compared to the preintervention recall success (p

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-03T09:56:33-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

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