Oral Cancer Foundation News Team – A – Page 231

GlaxoSmithKline to acquire the leading dry mouth brand, Biotene

Source: www.marketwatch.com Author: press release GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare announced today that it has reached an agreement with Laclede, a privately held company, to purchase the leading Dry Mouth brand Biotene(R) for $170 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory review by competition authorities in the United States and Europe, and is expected to complete by early 2009. "The acquisition of Biotene extends our portfolio in therapeutic oral healthcare to include a proven treatment for Dry Mouth," said John Clarke, President, GSK Consumer Healthcare. "This opportunity leverages our global capability with dental and medical professionals and is a further step towards our goal in GSK of building and growing a diversified healthcare business." Biotene is the world's number one dentist and hygienist-recommended Dry Mouth product for the growing population that suffers from this condition. Biotene is a brand in strong growth, with global sales in 2007 of around $50 million up 17%. Approximately 65% of the brand's current sales are in the United States. Dry Mouth, a condition known as Xerostomia, is a significant health issue associated with chronic medical conditions that include diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome and Parkinson's disease. Additionally, cancer chemotherapy or radiation treatment, as well as any of more than 400 medications that, as a side-effect, can cause Dry Mouth. Globally, Dry Mouth is as prevalent as dental sensitivity, affecting around one-in-five adults. Biotene joins a world-class portfolio of Oral Healthcare Brands, including: - Aquafresh(R), Odol-med(R), Binaca(R), a leading range of toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes and whitening products [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-22T13:40:35-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Incidence and impact of comorbidity diagnosed after the onset of head and neck cancer

Source: Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;134(10):1045-1049 Authors: Katherine C. Yung, MD; Jay F. Piccirillo, MD Objective: To investigate the incidence and prognostic impact of comorbidities diagnosed after the onset of head and neck cancer. Design: Retrospective review of medical records. Patients: One hundred eighty-three patients diagnosed as having head and neck cancer at Washington University School of Medicine from January 1, 1997, through December 31, 1998. Main Outcome Measures: We reviewed medical records for demographic, tumor, treatment, and comorbidity data. Comorbid ailments at diagnosis and last follow-up or death were coded using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation–27. Results: Of the 183 patients, 53 (29.0%) were found to have a baseline comorbidity score of none; 58 (32.0%) of mild; 53 (29.0%) of moderate; and 19 (10.4%) of severe. At last follow-up or death, scores were none for 30 patients (16.4%), mild for 52 (28.4%), moderate for 43 (23.5%), and severe for 58 (31.7%). Comorbidity scores at baseline (P = .002) and last follow-up (P = .001) were associated with 5-year survival. The prognostic impact of comorbidity scores at baseline and last follow-up were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Individual comorbid ailments after diagnosis included myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease/angina, solid tumor, psychiatric disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and alcohol abuse. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with previous research demonstrating that comorbidity at diagnosis is strongly correlated with prognosis. This study also showed that the burden of comorbidity changes after diagnosis. There appeared to be a prognostic gradient based on [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-21T12:30:55-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Characteristics associated with swallowing changes after concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer

Source: Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;134(10):1060-1065 Authors: Joseph K. Salama, MD et al. Objective: To define factors that acutely influenced swallowing function prior to and during concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Design: A summary score from 1 to 7 (the swallowing performance status scale [SPS]) of oral and pharyngeal impairment, aspiration, and diet, was assigned to each patient study by a single senior speech and swallow pathologist, with higher scores indicating worse swallowing. Generalized linear regression models were formulated to asses the effects of patient factors (performance status, smoking intensity, amount of alcohol ingestion, and age), tumor factors (primary site, T stage, and N stage), and treatment-related factors (radiation dose, use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy, response to induction chemotherapy, post-chemoradiotherapy neck dissection, and pre-protocol surgery) on the differences between SPS score before and after treatment. Setting: University hospital tertiary care referral center. Patients: The study included 95 patients treated under a multiple institution, phase 2 protocol who underwent a videofluorographic oropharyngeal motility (OPM) study to assess swallowing function prior to and within 1 to 2 months after the completion of concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Main Outcome Measures: Factors associated with swallowing changes after chemoradiotherapy. Results: The mean pretreatment and posttreatment OPM scores were 3.09 and 3.77, respectively. Patients with T3 or T4 tumors (odds ratio [OR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15-0.95; P = .04) and a performance status of 1 or 2 (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15-0.91; P = .03) were less likely to have worsening of swallowing after [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-21T12:25:59-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Foreign docs bring home message on cancer

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com Author: staff A group of seven leading specialists who have been globe-trotting with a special message -- to spread the word on preventing head and neck cancer -- stopped by in Mumbai on Monday. The busy doctors, well-known names in the medical world, planned the stopover in the city in October as it coincides with the month in which the Centre's ban on smoking in public places comes into force. "If we can prevent people from tobacco use, it will be a bigger advance in the field of head and neck cancer than molecular biology,'' said Dr Jatin Shah of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) who is spearheading the world tour. The doctors who have taken five weeks off from work, have already visited seven cities including London, Barcelona, Rome and Moscow and will spend three days in Mumbai during which they will interact with cancer specialists, doctors and medical students. The focus was on exchanging latest treatment modalities and research in the field of head and neck cancer. "There has been significant medical and technological advances in the field. If we could successfully treat two in every four patients of head and neck cancer in the seventies, we can cure three out of four today,'' said Dr Shah. Earlier the diagnosis, better is the chance of treatment, pointed out Dr A K D'cruz of Tata Memorial Hospital. "People should look out for warning signs and consult a doctor within four weeks if [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-21T10:01:17-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Chest scans may help monitor spread of head and neck cancer in high-risk patients

Source: www.sciencedaily.com Author: staff Among high-risk patients with head and neck cancer, chest computed tomography (CT) may help detect disease progression involving the lungs, according to a new report. Developing a second, distant cancer (a metastasis or a new primary cancer) is an important factor affecting survival of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, which accounts for most head and neck cancers, according to background information in the article. The most common site at which such patients develop new metastases is the lungs, with an incidence of 8 percent to 15 percent. Chest X-rays are the most commonly used screening tool for detecting these malignancies but do not always identify early abnormalities. Yen-Bin Hsu, M.D., of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, and colleagues evaluated 270 screening chest CT scans performed over 42 months in 192 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The scans were categorized as new cases, follow-up cases or recurrent cases, and results classified as normal or abnormal. Of the 270 scans, 79 (29.3 percent) were considered abnormal, including 54 (20 percent) that identified a malignant neoplasm of the lung and 25 (9.3 percent) showing indeterminate abnormalities. "The rate of an abnormal scan was significantly higher in the follow-up case group (44.2 percent) than in the new case group (14.2 percent)," the authors write. Patients whose cancer was classified as stage N2 or N3 (indicating some degree of lymph node involvement), who had stage IV disease (in which the cancer has spread to another [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-21T07:57:51-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

The benefits of exercise for cancer patients

Source: www.latimes.com Author: Jeannine Stein Strength-training programs and cardiovascular workouts may lessen fatigue, improve muscle function and quality of life for current or former cancer patients, studies show. * A regular weight-training program can improve quality of life among breast cancer survivors. In a study published in the journal Cancer in 2006, 86 breast cancer survivors were put into a weight-training program or a control group; at the end of the program, those women with increased upper body strength and lean mass were generally found to have higher quality-of-life scores. * Aerobic training can boost physical performance in cancer patients who have just finished a high-dose chemotherapy program. In a study published in the journal Cancer in 1997, 16 patients completed a seven-week treadmill rehab program and 16 served as a control group. By the end of the study, the exercise group showed improvements in maximum physical performance and hemoglobin concentration. Also, none of them reported fatigue or limitations in their daily activities due to low physical performance; one quarter of the patients in the control group did. * Men with prostate cancer appear to have less fatigue after participating in a resistance training program. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2003, 155 men who were scheduled to receive androgen deprivation therapy for at least three months were assigned to a thrice-weekly, 12-week exercise program or a control group. Those in the exercise group suffered less fatigue during daily activities and had a higher quality [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-20T07:27:46-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Piramal Life Sciences begins Phase II trial of P276 for head and neck cancer

Source: www.equitybulls.com Author: press release Piramal Life Sciences Ltd has announced that a Phase II study for its lead cancer molecule P276 for the treatment of head and neck cancer has been initiated in India. This Phase II study will evaluate the efficacy of P276 in the treatment of head and neck cancer and will enroll approximately 40 patients in about five centres across India. Approximately 200,000 new cases of head and neck cancer in India and 600,000 cases worldwide have been projected for 2008. P276 is an inhibitor of CDKs, the key enzymes involved in the uncontrolled division and multiplication of cancer cells. The molecule has completed two Phase I studies and is being tested in another Phase I/Il trial for Multiple Myeloma in India. Another trial for Multiple Myeloma will start in the US in the near future. Dr. Swati Piramal, Director, Piramal Group, said, "Piramal Life Sciences aims to reduce the burden of disease by finding new and affordable cures for unmet medical needs. Committed to the Group's values - knowledge, action and care, we nurture breakthrough thinking and follow it up with dynamic, nimble-footed delivery to impact lives of millions of people. We are pleased that our clinical trial application for Phase II of P276 has been accepted by the Indian regulatory authorities." Dr. Somesh Sharma, Managing Director, Piramal Life Sciences, stated, "The unique property of the P276 is that it is a small molecule while current targeted therapy for head and neck cancer is a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-17T07:15:22-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Mouth tumors increase; same virus causes cervical cancer

Source: The Oregonian (www.oregonlive.com) Author: Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian St. Louis Ten years ago, most of Dr. Brian Nussenbaum's oral cancer patients were men over 60 who used tobacco and drank heavily. Today, his patients with oral cancer look different. And so does the risky behavior that seems to be leading to their cancer. Nussenbaum, an ear, nose and throat doctor at Washington University, estimates that 70 percent of his cancer patients have tumors on the back of their tongues and tonsils caused by human papillomavirus-16. Most patients are between ages 45 and 55. About half are women. And experts suspect that all got the HPV from oral sex. "We know now that 98 percent of cervical cancer is caused by HPV, and mostly HPV-16," says Nussenbaum. "But no one talks about how you can also get mouth cancer from it." Last week, Dr. Harald zur Hausen, a German doctor and scientist, was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for finding human papilloma viruses that cause cervical cancer, the second-most-common cancer among women. In awarding zur Hausen the prize, the Nobel assembly said he "went against current dogma" in the 1970s when he discovered that certain types of HPV caused the cancer and that the DNA of HPV could be found in tumors. More than 20 years passed before researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center reported a link between HPV and these specific throat cancers in 2000. They and other medical experts suspect the increase in HPV oral cancer stems [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-15T14:06:48-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Laser treatment for oral cancer

Source: abclocal.go.com Author: Leslie Toldo A quick zap from a painless laser could stop a deadly form of cancer. HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo tells us about this oral cancer breakthrough. Oral cancer has a high death rate compared to some other cancers, and the survival rate isn't improving. But this new treatment could stop it before it starts. They're often detected in a routine dental or doctor's exam -- red or white lesions called leukoplakia that can turn into serious, even deadly oral cancers. "I do happen to know people that have died of this kind of cancer, and so we watch it very closely," said oral cancer survivor Mike Hagerman. Hagerman, a former smoker, is a two-time oral cancer survivor. His leukoplakia is back. This time, he's part of a study testing a new photodynamic laser treatment designed to eliminate precancerous cells. Dr. Stuart Wong is a medical oncologist. "When the laser fires onto the lesion, it emits light at a very specific frequency that causes free oxygen radicals that destroy the lesion." Tested on the hand or used in the mouth on actual lesions, researchers say the laser doesn't hurt. it's a preventive measure that doctor say could save lives. "There is some emerging data that the better we can kill off these early precancerous lesions, that that might translate later down the road many, many years to a decreasing in the development of cancers and that's the goal," Wong noted. Oral cancer has a five-year survival rate [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-15T14:00:40-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Merck Serono’s Erbitux nominated for International Prix Galien Award – transforming head and neck cancer treatment

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff Merck Serono's Erbitux® is one of the finalists for the prestigious International Prix Galien Award for excellence in pharmaceutical development and innovation due to its role in transforming the treatment of head and neck cancer. Erbitux is the first and only targeted therapy approved for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) and works in a completely different way to conventional chemotherapies. Through its targeted mode of action, Erbitux blocks the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is expressed in more than 90% of SCCHN tumors1 and is directly related to a poor prognosis for patients. The efficacy and tolerability of this novel drug have been shown in clinical trials2 - the latest of which, EXTREMEa, demonstrated the first significant advance in 30 years for the treatment of recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN. 3 "We are very pleased that Erbitux has been short-listed for arguably the most prestigious award in our industry," said Dr Wolfgang Wein, Executive Vice President, Oncology, Merck Serono. "This recognizes not only the outstanding clinical excellence of Erbitux but also the significant breakthrough that the drug offers patients with head and neck cancer, which is so difficult to treat. Merck Serono is passionate about advancing research across a range of oncology indications and improving the treatments available to cancer patients." Erbitux is licensed in locally-advanced SCCHN on the basis of data demonstrating that in combination with radiotherapy it achieved locoregional control for more than two years, almost 20 [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-15T06:32:49-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer News
Compiled by The Oral Cancer Foundation

About Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A