Oral Cancer Foundation News Team – A – Page 240

Study: Feelings Don’t Alter Cancer Survival

Source: Gather (www.gather.com) Author: Harvard Health Publications Many people believe that a positive outlook can improve your chances of beating disease. But is it true? It's hard to know for sure. Clearly, people respond in a variety of ways after being told that they have a serious illness. But no one has proven that an optimistic outlook can help you overcome a serious illness. It's also possible that outlook or psychological makeup could have very different effects on people with different diseases. A study published last fall took a look at how people's emotional state affects their disease outcome. The study, which was published in medical journal Cancer, included more than 1,000 people with head and neck cancer. During their treatment, each person answered a detailed survey. It contained questions on emotional well-being. These assessed what people thought about their quality of life and whether they had a positive or negative outlook. Researchers also took account of other important factors (such as tumor location and size). They found that emotions had no effect on survival. This follows other recent research about the effects of attitude, outlook, or emotional state on cancer survival. Together, these studies challenge the notion that attitudes help (or hurt) the chance of surviving a serious illness. So, does this mean that it's worthless to try to keep a positive attitude during serious illness? Probably not. A positive outlook can be helpful whether it's part of trying to stay healthy or dealing with an illness. For example, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-06T03:49:59-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Spit Sensor Spots Oral Cancer

Source: MIT Review (www.technologyreview.com) Author: Brittany Sauser An ultrasensitive optical protein sensor analyzes saliva. For the first time, an optical sensor, developed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), can measure proteins in saliva that are linked to oral cancer. The device is highly sensitive, allowing doctors and dentists to detect the disease early, when patient survival rates are high. The researchers are currently working with the National Institute of Health (NIH) to push the technology to clinical tests so that it can be developed into a device that can be used in dentists' offices. Chih-Ming Ho, a scientist at UCLA and principal investigator for the sensor, says that it is a versatile instrument and can be used to detect other disease-specific biomarkers. When oral cancer is identified in its early stages, patient survival rate is almost 90 percent, compared with 50 percent when the disease is advanced, says Carter Van Waes, chief of head and neck surgery at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 35,310 new cases of oral cancer in the United States in 2008. Early forms are hard to detect just by visual examination of the mouth, says Van Waes, so physicians either have to perform a biopsy--remove tissue for testing--or analyze proteins in blood. Detecting cancer biomarkers in saliva would be a much easier test to perform, but it is also technically more challenging: protein markers are harder to spot [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-06T03:41:01-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Bold cancer therapy begins crucial trials

Source: Houston Chronicle (Chron.com) Author: Eric Berger The buzz surrounding gold nanoshells, a radical new approach to treating cancer, began shortly after their creation in Houston a decade ago. The work by Rice University scientists prompted U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a nanotechnology enthusiast whose district includes Rice, to declare that cancer was "cured." And when the National Institute of Cancer announced a massive influx of funding into nanotechnology -- the control of matter on the atomic and molecular scale -- nanoshells became its poster child. But cancer hasn't been cured, and drugs touted as magic bullets litter the history of cancer research. So what of nanoshells? Are they all sizzle, no substance? It's a question that's not yet answerable but may be soon. Without fanfare, the Houston company formed to develop nanoshells, Nanospectra Biosciences, has just begun its first human clinical trial, treating a patient with head and neck cancer. The company hopes to heat nanoshells in the tumor with near-infrared light, burning the cancerous growth away. For the company and for Houston, the trial marks a big step. Nanoshells -- tiny spheres of glass coated with gold -- are the first engineered nanomaterial to enter into human trials. And discoveries made in Houston labs are typically developed by biotechnology firms elsewhere, such as Boston or San Diego. "I'm thrilled," said Naomi Halas, the Rice chemist who created nanoshells in 1997 and realized a few years later their potential to treat cancer. "There's no question it's been a long road, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-04T17:26:57-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Scientists Develop Sensitive Salivary Sensor

Source: Kansas City Infozine (www.infozine.com) Author: staff For people who dislike needles, medical tests that require a drop of saliva instead of a vial of blood will one day make a trip to a doctor or dentist much easier. But as scientists now construct the first of these saliva tests for early signs of cancer and other diseases, they continue to push the technological envelope in interesting ways. As published in the August issue of the journal "Biosensors and Bioelectronics," a team of researchers supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health, report they have developed an ultra-sensitive optical protein sensor, a first for a salivary diagnostic test. The sensor can be integrated into a specially designed lab-on-a-chip, or microchip assay, and preprogrammed to bind a specific protein of interest, generating a sustained fluorescent signal as the molecules attach. A microscope then reads the intensity of the fluorescent light -- a measure of the protein's cumulative concentration in the saliva sample -- and scientists gauge whether it corresponds with levels linked to developing disease. In their initial experiments, the scientists primed the optical protein sensor to detect the IL-8 protein, which at higher than normal concentration in saliva is linked to oral cancer. Using saliva samples from 20 people -- half healthy, the others diagnosed with oral cancer -- the sensor correctly distinguished in all cases between health and disease. Importantly, the sensor achieved a limit of detection for IL-8 [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-04T17:13:40-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

New Research Results Explain How Dormant Tumor Cells Become Active in Later Years

Source: NIH News Release (www.nci.nih.gov) Author: news release Scientists using a three-dimensional cell culture system have identified a mechanism by which dormant, metastatic tumor cells can begin growing again after long periods of inactivity. The new findings indicate that the switch from dormancy to proliferative, metastatic growth may be regulated, in part, through signaling from the surrounding microenvironment, which leads to changes in the skeletal architecture of dormant tumor cells. Targeting this mechanism may also provide strategies for inhibiting the switch from dormancy to proliferation. The results of this study by National Cancer Institute (NCI) scientists and their collaborators, appears in the August 1, 2008, issue of "Cancer Research." NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health. The recurrence of breast cancer often follows a long latent period in which there are no signs of cancer, and metastases may not become clinically apparent until many years after removal of the primary tumor and follow-up therapy. According to NCI's Jeffrey E. Green, M.D., one of the lead researchers of this study, "Recent evidence suggests that, in many cases, tumor cells have already seeded metastatic sites even when the primary tumor is diagnosed at an early stage." Approximately 30 percent of breast cancer patients diagnosed with early-stage disease have been found to have breast cancer cells in their bone marrow. However, these cells seem to exist primarily as micrometastases that do not manifest themselves clinically in any way. Although many of these disseminated tumor cells may not survive for extended periods [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-04T17:06:58-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

How do antioxidants work?

Source: media-newswire.com Author: K. Sandeep Prabhu Blueberries, pomegranates, green tea and dark chocolate -- these are just some of the antioxidant-rich "superfoods" found in almost any supermarket today. As well as improving our general health, there is growing evidence that diets high in antioxidants may confer some protection against a long list of chronic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer and even HIV. Given their increasing popularity, the fundamental question bears asking: What exactly are antioxidants, and how do they work in our bodies? Antioxidants come in several forms, including the vitamins A, C and E; plant-derived polyphenols, found in colorful fruits and vegetables; and also the element selenium, found in nuts and broccoli. "What these compounds share," explained K. Sandeep Prabhu, Penn State assistant professor of immunology and molecular toxicology, "is the ability to neutralize harmful molecules in our cells." These harmful molecules, known as free radicals, contain unpaired electrons -- which is unusual because electrons typically come in pairs. "The unpaired electrons make free radicals highly reactive, and in this state, they can cause damage by attacking the components of our cells, and can even cause cancer," Prabhu said. So where do free radicals come from? Some are created as a natural by-product of reactions in our cells, said Prabhu. Other sources of free radicals include cigarette smoke, air pollution and exposure to UV light or radiation. Once free radicals are formed, they can make more free radicals by scavenging electrons from other molecules, "creating a domino effect," he [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-02T06:56:51-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Targeted Exercise Improves Function, Lessens Pain in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

Source: Abkhazia (www.abkhazia.com) Author: Ramaz Mitaishvili Progressive resistance exercise training following surgery helps reduce upper extremity pain and dysfunction in certain head and neck cancer survivors, according to Canadian researchers. "The trial," lead investigator Dr. Margaret L McNeely told Reuters Health, "demonstrates important improvements from progressive resistance exercise training on shoulder pain and disability, upper extremity strength and movement in post-neck-dissection head and neck cancer survivors." In the July 1st issue of Cancer, Dr. McNeely of the University of Alberta, Edmonton and colleagues observe that shoulder pain and disability are well known complications of surgery in such patients. In an earlier pilot study, the researchers found that progressive resistance exercise appeared to be beneficial, and in the current study they randomized 52 patients to the progressive approach or to a standardized therapeutic exercise protocol. At 12 weeks, intention-to-treat analysis showed that patient-rated disability and pain overall fell by 14.6 points in the progressive group compared to 4.8 in the standard group, a significant difference after adjustment. There were also significantly greater improvements in upper extremity strength and endurance in the progressive group than in the standard group. In addition, there was a trend towards reduced neck-dissection impairment and fatigue, and improved quality of life. Given these encouraging results, Dr. McNeely concluded that "the addition of progressive resistance exercise training to standard physical therapy should be considered in the rehabilitation of head and neck cancer survivors."

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-02T06:51:14-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

FDA News Impacts Cancer Patients

Source: National Anemia Action Council (www.anemia.org) Author: staff The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered specific changes for the use of erythropoeisis-stimulating agents (ESAs) to treat anemia in patients receiving chemotherapy. The label changes will state treatment should only begin when a patient’s hemoglobin level drops to 10 g/dL and removes the mention of 12 g/dL as an upper hemoglobin level of treatment because the safety of ESA use at that level is not yet known. The labeling will also advise not to use ESAs when chemotherapy is given to cure patients, which based on a doctor’s discretion, could include treatment designed to prevent cancer from coming back. The announced label changes reflect most of the recommendations from the Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee’s meeting March 13, 2008. Not included is advice from the committee to limit use of the drug for patients with breast cancer or head and neck cancer, despite recent studies showing more rapid tumor growth or shortened survival when these patients received treatment with ESAs. The drug’s manufacturer, Amgen, announced the revised product labeling for ESAs will be released to both physicians and patients soon. The FDA and Amgen agreed on a majority of the new label, but could not reach agreement on a couple points, prompting the FDA to invoke new authority to mandate drug label changes.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-02T05:48:47-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Gene Expression Profiling Identifies Genes Predictive of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Source: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 10.1158/1055-9965 Authors: Chu Chen et al Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. To identify potential biomarkers for the early detection of invasive OSCC, we compared the gene expressions of incident primary OSCC, oral dysplasia, and clinically normal oral tissue from surgical patients without head and neck cancer or preneoplastic oral lesions (controls), using Affymetrix U133 2.0 Plus arrays. We identified 131 differentially expressed probe sets using a training set of 119 OSCC patients and 35 controls. Forward and stepwise logistic regression analyses identified 10 successive combinations of genes which expression differentiated OSCC from controls. The best model included LAMC2, encoding laminin-2 chain, and COL4A1, encoding collagen, type IV 1 chain. Subsequent modeling without these two markers showed that COL1A1, encoding collagen, type I 1 chain, and PADI1, encoding peptidyl arginine deiminase, type 1, could also distinguish OSCC from controls. We validated these two models using an internal independent testing set of 48 invasive OSCC and 10 controls and an external testing set of 42 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cases and 14 controls (GEO GSE6791), with sensitivity and specificity above 95%. These two models were also able to distinguish dysplasia (n = 17) from control (n = 35) tissue. Differential expression of these four genes was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. If confirmed in larger studies, the proposed models may hold promise for monitoring local recurrence at surgical margins and the development of second primary oral cancer [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-01T14:17:46-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Disease-Free Period Predicts Response to Salvage Therapy for Oral Cancer

Source: Abkhazia (www.abkhazia.com) Author: Ramaz Mitaishvili In patients with locally recurrent carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx, a disease-free interval of more than 1 year and tumor tissue negative for EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) expression predict a good response to salvage surgery. That's the conclusion of physicians in Brazil who studied the outcomes of 111 patients following salvage surgery for locally recurrent squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx at Hospital A. C. Camargo in Sao Paulo. Local recurrence in such patients carries a poor prognosis, and clinical factors alone are insufficient for identifying those who would benefit from further treatment, Dr. Luiz Paulo Kowalski and associates note in their paper in the July issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery. They therefore analyzed the prognostic significance of EGFR, matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9, and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. In multivariate analysis, disease-free survival and EGFR expression status were the only variables associated with an independent significantly high risk of death. Patients with a disease-free interval of less than 1 year (hazard ratio 1.97) and those with overexpression of EGFR (HR 4.20) had the worst prognosis. In their suggested treatment algorithm for patients with resectable local recurrence, Dr. Kowalski's group recommends surgery for all patients with a disease-free interval of > 1 year and for those with clinical stage I or II. They also believe that surgery is worthwhile for patients with higher stage tumors if they are EGFR-negative. They suggest other options [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-01T05:05:07-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

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