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Machine learning improves the diagnosis of patients with head and neck cancers

Source: www.sciencedaily.com Author: materials from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Researchers from Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) have successfully solved a longstanding problem in the diagnosis of head and neck cancers. Working alongside colleagues from Technische Universität (TU) Berlin, the researchers used artificial intelligence to develop a new classification method which identifies the primary origins of cancerous tissue based on chemical DNA changes. The potential for introduction into routine medical practice is currently being tested. Results from this research have been published in Science Translational Medicine. Every year, more than 17,000 people in Germany are diagnosed with head and neck cancers. These include cancers of the oral cavity, larynx and nose, but can also affect other areas of the head and neck. Some head and neck cancer patients will also develop lung cancer. "In the large majority of cases, it is impossible to determine whether these represent pulmonary metastases of the patient's head and neck cancer or a second primary cancer, i.e. primary lung cancer," explains Prof. Dr. Frederick Klauschen of Charité's Institute of Pathology, who co-led the study alongside Prof. Dr. David Capper of Charité's Department of Neuropathology. "This distinction is hugely important in the treatment of people affected by these cancers," emphasizes Prof. Klauschen, adding: "While surgery may provide a cure in patients with localized lung cancers, patients with metastatic head and neck cancers fare significantly worse in terms of survival and will require treatments such as chemoradiotherapy." When trying to distinguish between metastases [...]

2019-09-13T05:44:12-07:00September, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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HPV ‘Herd Immunity’ Is on the Rise Among Adults

Source: www.webmd.com Author: Dennis Thompson, HealthDay Reporter The United States could be approaching a state of herd immunity against human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus linked to several cancers. Oral HPV infections declined by 37% among unvaccinated 18- to 59-year-old men between 2009 and 2016, according to a Sept. 10 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That included a decline in infections of HPV16, the strain found in more than 9 out of 10 cases of head and neck cancer related to the virus, said senior researcher Dr. Maura Gillison, a professor of medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Researchers say men are benefitting from increased HPV vaccination rates among American women, who receive the vaccine to prevent virus-caused cervical cancer. "In contrast to cervical cancers, we have no means by which to screen for HPV-positive head and neck cancers," Gillison said. "The vaccine is our best hope for prevention." HPV vaccination has been recommended for girls since 2006 and for boys since 2011. The virus has been linked to cancers of the cervix, penis, anus, mouth and throat. Vaccination rates among boys and girls are steadily rising, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About half of teens were up to date on the HPV vaccine in 2017, and two-thirds of 13- to 17-year-olds had received the first dose to start the series. On average, the percentage of teens who started the HPV vaccine series rose by 5 percentage points each year [...]

2019-09-11T06:55:23-07:00September, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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Say No to Glow: Reducing the Carcinogenic Effects of ALDH2 Deficiency

Source: blogs.plos.org Author: Catherine Chang et al. Turning red after consuming alcohol may seem like a mere social inconvenience. Yet, behind this red complexion lies a far more serious problem. ALDH2 deficiency, more commonly known as Alcohol Flushing Syndrome or Asian Glow, is a genetic condition that interferes with the metabolism of alcohol. As a result, people with ALDH2 deficiency have increased risks of developing esophageal and head and neck cancers . Globally, this deficiency affects 540 million people — 8% of the world population. In East Asia (which includes Japan, China, and Korea), this is a much bigger problem, where 36% of the population is affected [1]. In our home, Taiwan, approximately 47% of the population carries this genetic mutation — the highest percentage in the world [2]! Normally, ethanol is first converted to acetaldehyde (a toxic intermediate) by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). A second enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), then converts toxic acetaldehyde into acetate, a compound which can be safely metabolized in the body. For people who carry wild type ALDH2*1, acetaldehyde can be broken down quickly. People with ALDH2 deficiency, however, have a point mutation which leads to the less efficient mutant ALDH2*2 [3], [4]. Enzymatic activity in ALDH2-deficient individuals can be as low as 4% compared to wild type [4], [5], [6], [7]. As a result, acetaldehyde accumulates and induces an inflammatory response that causes the skin to flush after drinking alcohol [8]. Turning red is the most obvious result of ALDH2 deficiency, but [...]

2019-09-10T04:23:56-07:00September, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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Light therapy could prevent cancer treatment-related oral mucositis

Source: www.healio.com Author: Jennifer Southall Light therapy appeared to be an effective intervention for the prevention of painful oral mucositis associated with cancer treatment, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis. “Many patients [with cancer] can now benefit from this treatment,” Praveen R. Arany, DDS, PhD, assistant professor of oral biology and biomedical engineering at University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, said in a press release. “The staggering breadth of clinical application for photobiomodulation therapy, or light therapy, has been both a boon and a bane for the field. Several anecdotal clinical reports have been plagued with questionable rationales and inconsistent outcomes, often relegating this treatment to a pseudoscience.” Arany and colleagues systematically reviewed published literature in an effort to update the evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on the use of photobiomodulation — including laser and other light therapies — for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis among patients with cancer. Patients underwent treatment with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, head and neck radiotherapy, or head and neck radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. Study findings supported the use of photobiomodulation therapy for the prevention of oral mucositis among certain patients with cancer. HemOnc Today spoke with Arany about the research and the clinical implications of the findings. Question: What prompted this research? Answer: The current forms of cancer treatment are all essential to reduce cancer burden. Unfortunately, complications from these treatments include oral mucositis pain. This not only has a significant impact on quality of life, but also often requires [...]

2019-09-07T07:38:49-07:00September, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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Minority, low-income individuals less likely to receive oral cancer screening

Source: medicalxpress.com Author: staff Despite a recent dental visit, more individuals of a minority race/ethnicity and low socioeconomic status report not receiving an oral cancer screening exam, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Avni Gupta, B.D.S., M.P.H., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from individuals aged 30 years or older who received a dental visit in the previous two years. The likelihood of intraoral and extraoral cancer screening exams was assessed, while adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, poverty income ratio, health insurance, tobacco smoking, and alcohol consumption. Overall, 37.6 and 31.3 percent of individuals reported receiving an intraoral and extraoral cancer screening exam, respectively. The researchers found that the likelihood of having received intraoral or extraoral cancer screening exams was lower for minority racial/ethnic groups versus white, non-Hispanics; those with less education versus more education; those who were uninsured and Medicaid-insured versus privately insured; and low-income versus high-income participants. The likelihood of being screened did not differ based on smoking status, while the likelihood was increased for alcohol consumers. Less-educated and low-income subgroups were less likely to be screened. "Efforts to both educate patients about requesting oral cancer screening in dental offices and adequately train dental professionals on culturally sensitive communications might be an effective means to increase oral cancer screening exams among minority high-risk populations," the authors write

2019-08-21T17:32:29-07:00August, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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Palbociclib plus cetuximab shows antitumor activity among head and neck cancer subset

Source: www.healio.com Author: Adkins D, et al. A combination of palbociclib and cetuximab demonstrated substantial antitumor activity among patients with platinum- or cetuximab-resistant HPV-unrelated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to results of a multigroup phase 2 trial published in The Lancet Oncology. “Currently, effective therapeutic options for patients with cetuximab-resistant HNSCC are few. Traditional chemotherapy has marginal activity, with 6% of patients or fewer achieving a tumor response,” Douglas R. Adkins, MD, professor in the oncology division of the department of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues wrote. “The most effective therapy for these patients might be pembrolizumab [Keytruda, Merck] or nivolumab [Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb], which have resulted in responses in 11% to 16% of patients and median OS of 6.9 months to 8 months. Novel treatment strategies are needed for patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC.” The combination of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib (Ibrance, Pfizer) and epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor cetuximab (Erbitux, Eli Lilly) appeared safe and tolerable in the phase 1 portion of the multicenter trial, conducted across eight U.S. university sites. For phase 2, Adkins and colleagues divided 62 patients with HPV-unrelated HNSCC (median age, 66 years; interquartile range [IQR], 58-70; 71% men) into two groups: those who were platinum-resistant (group 1; n = 30) and those who were resistant to cetuximab (group 2; n = 32). Primary tumor sites included the oral cavity (42%) and larynx (29%), and 81% of patients had received one [...]

2019-08-21T17:26:46-07:00August, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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Israeli researchers find new way to eliminate drug-resistant cancerous tumors

Source: www.xinhuanet.com Author: Wu Qin Israeli researchers have found a way to deal with cancerous tumors that have developed drug resistance, Israel's Ben-Gurion University (BGU) reported on Tuesday. The study was conducted by researchers from BGU and the Soroka Medical Center - both located in the southern city of Beer Sheva - and published in the journal JCI Insight. The researchers were able to suppress a drug-resistant protein found on the wall of head and neck cancer cells, resulting in shrinkage and even disappearance of the tumors. Head and neck cancer is considered deadly, with low survival rates, while the efficacy of existing treatments is inadequate. One of the new treatments currently being given to patients is a drug called BYL719, which inhibits a signal transmission pathway in the cells. This pathway, called phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), is increased in head and neck cancer patients and leads to the rapid progression of the disease. The first clinical study using the drug indicated an improvement in patients' condition; however, many of the cancer cells developed drug resistance. Previous research has shown that resistance to the treatment is caused by the rise of the AXL protein, which is located on the cancer cell's wall and causes the growth and survival of the cancer cells. The new study found that suppressing AXL expression through genetic engineering or drug inhibition restored the cancer cells' susceptibility to the drug and significantly stopped the disease, to the extent of tumor shrinkage and disappearance. This suppression was also [...]

2019-08-07T04:23:29-07:00August, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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Which HPV vaccination schedule is best: 1, 2 or 3 doses?

Source: www.precisionvaccinations.com Author: Don Ward Hackett A new cervical cancer prevention study of women first offered Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine found that 1-dose of quadrivalent HPV vaccine was as effective as 3-doses at preventing histologically confirmed, high–grade cervical lesions. This Australian study’s finding published online on July 15, 2019, supports the hypothesis that the 1-dose HPV vaccination schedule may be a viable strategy when working towards the global elimination of cervical cancer. These researchers said ‘If one dose could prevent precancerous cervical lesions, then global cervical cancer prevention would be greatly facilitated.’ This is an important goal since about 90 percent of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV. This study included 250,648 women in Australia with 19.5 percent unvaccinated, 69.8 percent had received 3-doses, 7.3 percent 2-doses, and 3.4 percent just 1-dose of the HPV vaccine. This study’s limitations include some degree of under–linkage and inaccurate data linkage because Australia does not have a unique national identifier, which impacts the classifications of vaccinated women as unvaccinated. Additionally, these researchers said ‘we believe that these data support decision-makers to consider how a 1-dose HPV vaccination schedule, or a planned schedule with a 3–5 year interval between doses, could reduce vaccine demand globally, which currently exceeds vaccine supply.’ But the Gardasil 9 vaccine manufacturer appears to be resolving this supply/demand imbalance. During July 2019, Merck said it is spending $1.68 billion, opening 2 new Gardasil production plants, and adding 525 related jobs. To clarify the Gardasil 9 vaccine dosing schedule, the [...]

2019-08-05T06:21:26-07:00August, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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How clean is your toothbrush?

Source: versionweekly.com Author: rajathe Dental care has become increasingly difficult in this fast-paced era and due to the scarcity of time. Therefore, following minute steps or procedures could be highly effective to evade colossal dental problems and save time in the long run. And an effective measure towards this, is to sanitize your toothbrush. The mouth contains bacteria and so does the bathroom. So, it is impossible for the toothbrush to stay sanitized with just a water wash after cleansing the teeth. Toothbrush sanitizing ¡s not synonymous to sterilizing. Sanitation helps in getting rid of almost 99.9 percent of bacteria whereas sterilization kills living organisms. Brushing our teeth is quite vital ¡n our day-to-day life in order to keep and maintain personal oral hygiene and for the removal of plaque. And for this, certain appropriate measures need to be taken. As a result of a recent research, scientists have found that toothbrushes engulf microorganisms that can result in an oral, dental or infection of some kind. We are acquainted with the fact that an oral cavity is an umbrella to hundreds of different types of microorganisms, which in a way gets transferred to the toothbrush. There is also a probability that the microorganisms in the environment make room for itself on the toothbrush on its own. Also, toothbrushes may even have bacteria on them right out of the box since they are not required to be sold in a sterile package. Toothbrush Hygiene Our schedules are so busy that we [...]

2019-08-02T07:51:26-07:00August, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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Psychological impact of head and neck cancers

Source: pharmafield.co.uk Author: Emma Morriss Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), in partnership with patient groups The Swallows and the Mouth Cancer Foundation, have announced the results from a patient survey into the psychological impact of head and neck cancers. The research explored the long-term burden of treatment on head and neck cancer patients. After undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer, which can include surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, many patients report an ongoing impact on their day-to-day life. However, 55% of the 118 patients surveyed indicated they did not receive the right level of information in preparation for the complications encountered from treatment. There are around 11,900 new head and neck cancer cases in the UK every year and the incidence of head and neck cancer has increased by 32% since the early 1990s. Following treatment, the survey showed 56% of patients had problems with simple things like swallowing, often experiencing severe pain, while two-thirds of patients experienced changes in their voice or speech. The survey also showed self-reported change from pre- to post- treatment in vital areas including a drop in the ability to communicate (37%), memory loss (21%), and trouble sleeping (20%). As well as physical symptoms, treatment can have severe implications on mental health too. 52% of patients reported feelings of anxiety before treatment, which only reduced to 48% following treatment. However, emotional and psychological support was only offered to 46% of patients. A majority of patients did receive access to a clinical nurse specialist, however there was still [...]

2019-07-31T19:42:04-07:00July, 2019|Oral Cancer News|
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