Oral Cancer Foundation News Team – A – Page 236

Jean faced death without surgery that would scar her forever – but a beam of light saved the day

Source: Author: Three weeks ago Jean Pringle drove 400 miles to her son Sean's wedding. What makes her journey remarkable is that just six weeks earlier she had received devastating news: the cancer in her tongue and neck had returned and the only option was a drastic operation. 'I was told I would probably lose my tongue and voice box, and I would also would need an operation on the right side of my neck,' says 64-year-old grandmother Jean. But the former supervisor in ladies' fashion for Marks & Spencer refused. 'I wanted my children and grandchildren to remember me as someone they did lovely fun things with, not as someone dribbling in a corner, who could only grunt.' Her doctors suggested she needed to sort out her will, as it was possible that she wouldn't live until her son's wedding in August. But not only did Jean make it to the wedding in Kent but, at the end of the evening, she was well enough to dance with her grandchildren. 'I felt great and I had a fantastic day,' she says. 'I'm not disfigured and both my tongue and voice box are working fine. In October, my husband and I are going on holiday to Capri and Sorrento in Italy - I never imagined I'd be making plans for the future.' Jean had a cancer treatment that has almost none of the distressing side-effects of conventional options. It is also far cheaper and has been approved by NICE (National [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-12T12:52:27-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. starts patient enrolment in U.S. phase 2 clinical trial investigating Reolysin(R) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin

Source: www.marketwatch.com Author: press release Oncolytics Biotech Inc. announced today that that it has started patient enrollment in a Phase 2 clinical trial using intravenous administration of Reolysin(R) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with advanced head and neck cancers. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Monica Mita of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "We are extremely pleased to open the second disease-directed study with Reolysin(R)," said Dr. Mita. "This study represents a promising option for patients with head and neck tumors refractory to standard chemotherapy and we are happy to have the opportunity to offer this option to our patients." This trial is a 14-patient, single arm, open-label, dose-targeted, non-randomized trial of Reolysin(R) 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 standard therapy exists. The primary objective of the Phase 2 trial is to measure tumour responses and duration of response, and to describe any evidence of antitumour activity. The secondary objective is to determine the safety and tolerability of Reolysin(R) when administered in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin to patients with advanced or metastatic head and neck cancers. About Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Oncolytics is a Calgary-based biotechnology company focused on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics. Oncolytics' clinical program includes a variety of Phase [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-12T12:44:22-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab in head and neck cancer

Source: New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 359:1116-1127, September 11, 2008, Number 11 Authors: Jan B. Vermorken, M.D., Ph.D. et al. Background: Cetuximab is effective in platinum-resistant recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. We investigated the efficacy of cetuximab plus platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Methods: We randomly assigned 220 of 442 eligible patients with untreated recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck to receive cisplatin (at a dose of 100 mg per square meter of body-surface area on day 1) or carboplatin (at an area under the curve of 5 mg per milliliter per minute, as a 1-hour intravenous infusion on day 1) plus fluorouracil (at a dose of 1000 mg per square meter per day for 4 days) every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 cycles and 222 patients to receive the same chemotherapy plus cetuximab (at a dose of 400 mg per square meter initially, as a 2-hour intravenous infusion, then 250 mg per square meter, as a 1-hour intravenous infusion per week) for a maximum of 6 cycles. Patients with stable disease who received chemotherapy plus cetuximab continued to receive cetuximab until disease progression or unacceptable toxic effects, whichever occurred first. Results: Adding cetuximab to platinum-based chemotherapy with fluorouracil (platinum–fluorouracil) significantly prolonged the median overall survival from 7.4 months in the chemotherapy-alone group to 10.1 months in the group that received chemotherapy plus cetuximab (hazard [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-11T08:55:37-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

As head and neck cancer risks evolve, more treatment options emerge

Source: Eurakalert (www.eurakalert.org) Author: staff Advances in understanding head and neck cancer over the last decade have led to more treatment options and improved quality of life for patients, according to a review published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The authors are Dong M. Shin, MD, Frances Kelly Blomeyer Distinguished Professor and associate director of Emory University School of Medicine¹s Winship Cancer Institute, and Robert Haddad, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical director of its Head and Neck Oncology Program. At Winship, Shin is leading a head and neck cancer drug discovery program and conducting clinical trials aimed at preventing head and neck cancers from progressing or recurring. He and his co-workers recently showed that a compound from green tea enhances the effects of a FDA-approved drug (erlotinib) against head and neck cancer cells in animals, suggesting that it could work similarly in humans. The results are published in the September issue of International Journal of Cancer. The majority of head and neck cancers arise from the soft tissues of the mouth, throat, and voice box. Symptoms can include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and a changing voice. Even successful treatment can result in changes in the appearance of the patient's face. However, over the last decade, techniques have been developed that allow doctors to better preserve organ function in cases of larynx or tongue cancers, Shin says. Because smoking and alcohol consumption are risk factors, most patients are middle-aged males [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-11T06:05:11-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Seven patients affected by Royal Adelaide Hospital mistake

Source: The Independent Weekly (www.independentweekly.com.au) Author: staff Seven cancer patients may have suffered due to errors with their treatment at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, a review has found. Tabling the details in the South Australian parliament today, Health Minister John Hill said the impact on the individuals concerned was considered small but real. "The consulting oncologist will be contacting these patients to ensure they continue to have ongoing checks on their future health, though the patients will not require additional treatment," Mr Hill said. Earlier this year it was revealed more than 800 patients received incorrect radiation treatments at the RAH after one of its four linear accelerators was found to be delivering a dose five per cent below the recommended level between 2004 and 2006. The government ordered a review of all treatments on the machine during that period, bringing in a cancer expert from interstate. That review found most of the patients concerned had not been affected by the error. But it found there was the possibility of a reduced survival rate for five patients suffering from high-grade brain tumours. It also revealed a head and neck cancer patient had their care compromised by two per cent and required future monitoring and ordered future monitoring for a prostate cancer patient who received radiotherapy as the only treatment for the condition. SA Health chief executive Tony Sherbon said that while the review found the majority of patients did not have their treatments compromised, some would suffer psychological distress. "Some [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-10T07:11:56-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Sentinel node concept in clinically N0 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer

Source: Annals of Surgical Oncology 15:2568-2575 (2008) Authors: Masayuki Tomifuji, MD et al. Background: Sentinel nodes (SNs) are the lymph nodes that directly receive lymphatic flow from a primary cancer lesion. The SN concept implies that lymphatic metastasis initially occurs at SNs. SN navigation surgery can be introduced for cancers in which the SN concept is established. In SN navigation surgery, lymph node dissection beyond SNs can be omitted if SNs are metastasis free. Although the SN concept has been investigated frequently for oral and oropharyngeal cancer, it has so far been investigated less for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. In this study, we investigated whether the SN concept is applicable for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. Methods: Twenty patients with T2–T4 and clinically N0 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer were recruited. 99mTc-phytate was injected into several sites surrounding the tumor on the day before surgery. Lymphoscintigrams were acquired from at least two different viewpoints. SNs were surveyed intraoperatively, and neck dissections including at least levels II, III, and IV were performed. Results: SNs had occult metastases in five cases. In the remaining 15 cases, neither SNs nor other lymph nodes contained metastases, consistent with the SN concept. There was one false-negative case showing delayed nodal metastasis 2 years after initial surgery. The overall accuracy of the SN concept was 95%. Conclusion: Our study shows that SN biopsy is a reliable strategy to determine correct lymph node status in N0 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. SN detection was valuable in evaluating the need for [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-10T07:06:32-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Azaya Therapeutics licenses promising treatment for head and neck cancers

Source: Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com) Author: press release Azaya Therapeutics, Inc., announced that it has signed a licensing agreement to further develop a breakthrough technology that uses liposomes to deliver radiation through direct injection into head and neck tumors, shrinking the tumor, delaying recurrence and avoiding the collateral tissue damage that often accompanies all other forms of radiation therapy. The company plans to begin a phase I clinical trial in early 2010. Azaya is licensing the technology, now known as Azaya Liposomal Encapsulated Radiation Therapy (ALERT), from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). "This is a very synergistic opportunity for the university and for Azaya," said Azaya Therapeutics President and CEO Michael T. Dwyer. "They have more than 15 years of expertise working with liposomes and a patent-pending method of using them to deliver radiation to a very specific tumor location. And Azaya has a patented system for producing liposomes quickly and efficiently. Licensing this technology from UTHSCSA adds a very promising new asset to Azaya's product portfolio. This treatment potentially has broad applicability to many different cancers including those of the prostate, breast and brain. It could become quite disruptive to the current cancer treatment paradigm." Liposomes - essentially extremely small bubble-like particles made of the same material as cell membranes - were engineered decades ago for use in the pharmaceutical industry but have always been difficult to size, load and produce on a large, commercially viable scale. Azaya Therapeutics' Protein Stabilized Nanoparticle (PSNTM) [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-08T14:16:33-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Dentist who told mouth cancer victim to gargle with Listerine allowed to carry on practising

Source: Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk) Author: staff A dentist who told a patient suffering from mouth cancer to gargle with Listerine will be allowed to continue in practice. Nalin Dhamecha told Robin Read, 44, there was 'nothing untoward' with the ulcer on his tongue but the plumber only had a year to live. Mrs Read said: 'If he had been referred to a specialist and diagnosed, Robin's chances would have been so much greater.' 'It may have been that the cancer would have come back after treatment but at least he would have had a longer life. That's why this is not fair.' The GDC panel decided to allow Dhamecha to continue to practice, subject to conditions, describing him as a 'dedicated and valuable member of the dental profession'. It was ruled that Dhamecha's failure to spot the sore did not contribute to Mr Read's death. Panel Chair Dr John Gibson told the dentist even if you had detected the lesion on the tongue, the outcome would have been no different. Mr Read, who has a teenage daughter, first consulted Dhamecha at the Aberdeen House Dental Practice in Surrey, on two occasions in May 2006. The plumber had been visiting the surgery near his home since he was a child and began seeing Dhamecha when the previous dentist retired. Dhamecha suggested he use Bonjela and Listerine mouthwash to ease the ulcer, and took no history of Mr Read's smoking. When his mouth had still not healed by October that year, he [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-08T11:51:22-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Erbitux aims for first-line head, neck cancer use

Source: www.reuters.com Author: Ransdell Pierson ImClone Systems Inc. on Wednesday said it had asked U.S. regulators for permission to market its Erbitux medicine as a first-line treatment for head and neck cancer. The company's flagship product, which it sells in partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb Corp, is already approved to treat colorectal cancer and patients with head and neck cancer who previously had failed to benefit from chemotherapy. ImClone said it had asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant its marketing application a priority review, a designation that would ensure an answer from the agency within six months instead of the customary 10-month review period. The New York-based drugmaker said its application was based on successful results of a late-stage trial involving 442 patients with previously untreated head and neck cancer. The trial showed that Erbitux, when added to current standard platinum-based chemotherapy, significantly increased the overall survival time for patients. Note: 1. Reporting by Ransdell Pierson, editing by Maureen Bavdek

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-04T16:24:01-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Azaya licenses Health Science Center technology to treat cancer

Source: San Antonio Business Journal (www.bizjournals.com) Author: staff Azaya Therapeutics Inc. has licensed a technology that could be beneficial in treating head and neck cancers, the company said Wednesday. The technology involves the use of liposomes to deliver radiation into the head and neck tumors through a direct injection. Company officials say they may be able to shrink the tumor, delay recurrence and avoid collateral tissue damage that often accompanies other forms of radiation therapy. Liposomes are small, bubble-like particles that are made of the same material as cell membranes. They were engineered decades ago by the pharmaceutical industry. The company is planning to begin a phase I clinical trial in early 2010. Azaya is licensing the technology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Scientists have been developing the radiation-infused liposome technology for the past six years. Azaya President and CEO Michael T. Dwyer says this is a good collaborative opportunity for the company and the university. “They have more than 15 years of expertise working with liposomes and a patent-pending method of using them to deliver radiation to a very specific tumor location,” Dwyer says. “And Azaya has a patented system for producing liposomes quickly and efficiently.” Dwyer adds that this treatment has the potential for addressing other forms of cancer as well, including prostate, breast and brain cancer. Azaya is a San Antonio-based pharmaceutical company with a novel drug delivery platform. Its proprietary Protein Stabilized Nanoparticles technology platform is designed to address the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-03T18:54:06-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

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