Oral Cancer Foundation News Team – A – Page 45

UB center helps bring local dental products to market

Source: www.buffalo.edu Author: Marcene Robinson Stocked on the shelves of Western New York pharmacies is a bottle of dry mouth spray Lubricity, a product developed and manufactured locally by You First Services, Inc. with the support of the University at Buffalo Center for Dental Studies. Through the partnership, the UB Center for Dental Studies verified the effectiveness of Lubricity through clinical trials, helping bring the product to market and contribute to the growth of You First Services as a budding employer in the region. Since its establishment in 1988, the UB Center for Dental Studies has built an extensive history of performing scientific and clinical studies for new products by major companies around the world, including Johnson & Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive. However, the center also works with local manufacturers, providing access to cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art facilities and guidance from experienced researchers. Since its inception, the center has completed more than $15 million in research projects with contracts ranging from $10,000 to $450,000. “Ease of accessibility to university scholars is one of the major benefits of having a research university like UB in our community, said Sebastian Ciancio, DDS, director of the Center for Dental Studies and Distinguished Service Professor in the UB School of Dental Medicine. “Our Center for Dental Studies has helped manufacturers bring a number of useful products to the marketplace to improve oral health of consumers.” Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2018, Lubricity, works as a saliva substitute for those who suffer from [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-07-21T07:52:32-07:00July, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Examining the potential of preoperative CT lymphography with ICG in oral cancer

Source: www.cancernetwork.com Author: Leah Lawrence The majority of patients with localized squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue had at least one sentinel lymph node (SLN) successfully identified and removed using preoperative computed tomography (CT) lymphography and intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence, according to a small study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. According to Kohei Honda, MD, of Hiigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, in Akita, Japan, and colleagues, this combined method “has the potential to provide clear visualization with high sensitivity, even if the SLN is located close to the primary injection site”. Traditionally, SLN detection is performed using preoperative lymphoscintigraphy with radioisotopes and intraoperative γ-probe detection with or without blue dye mapping. However, the use of radioisotopes has its disadvantages, including exposure to radiation, high cost, and masking of SLN because of shine-through radioactivity when close to the injection site. Honda and colleagues tested the usefulness of SLN biopsy with preoperative CT lymphography and intraoperative ICG. The study included 18 patients with previously untreated cN0 tongue cancer. All patients underwent CT lymphography prior to SLN biopsy. During biopsy, a minimum skin incision was made according to a predetermined location of SLN and SLN were excised under ICG guidance. Of the 18 patients, SLN could be mapped using preoperative CT lymphography in 16 patients (89%), in whom at least one SLN was identified and removed using intraoperative ICG. Metastases to SLN were found in 5 of the 16 patients (31%). There were two patients with [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-07-19T04:22:19-07:00July, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

New guidelines for patients suffering from mucositis or oral ulcerations from head and neck cancer treatment

Source: business.financialpost.com Author: press release MedX Health Corp. announces it will initiate a targeted marketing campaign following an announcement by a worldwide coalition of researchers and clinicians who have agreed that light therapy is among the most effective interventions for the prevention of oral mucositis and painful ulcers in the mouth and throat resulting from cancer therapy. The Company said this represents a significant sales opportunity in Canada and the United States for MedX’s photobiomodulation therapy devices. The new guidelines from the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (“MASCC”) and International Society of Oral Oncology (“ISOO”), recently published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer, present a significant upgrade in care guidelines for adult cancer patients worldwide (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31286228). More than 70,000 head and neck cancers are diagnosed annually in Canada and the United States, and it is documented that 100% of patients undergoing radiation therapy for these cancers will develop mucositis, which patients report as the worst side effect of their cancer treatment. Pain from the condition can slow or delay cancer treatment, and in severe cases require hospitalization. “Cancer patients can now benefit from this non-invasive, non-pharmacological treatment for a common, debilitating side effect of treatment,” said Dr. Praveen Arany, DDS, PhD, the current President of the World Association for Photobiomodulation Therapy (W.A.L.T.), a co-corresponding author on the MASCC/ISOO paper and assistant professor of oral biology and biomedical engineering at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. “Recent advancements in our understanding of mechanisms of low dose [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-07-17T06:24:34-07:00July, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Updated HPV vaccine recommendations follow big HPV infection drops shown in new study

Source: www.forbes.com Author: Tara Haelle A vial of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Adults up to age 45 are now recommended to discuss with their doctors getting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which prevents 3% of all cancer in women and 2% of all cancer in men—an estimated 34,000 cancers a year in the U.S. Following confirmation from the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommendations also extend the age in men from age 21 to age 26, the same as in women. The decision from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) July 26 came the same day The Lancet published the largest study to date on the vaccine’s effectiveness. The meta-analysis of 65 studies found drops of 31%-83% of HPV infections and genital warts in men and women, depending on age and diagnosis. HPV is responsible for nearly all cervical cancer, over 90% of anal cancer, 70% of oral, throat and neck cancers and over 60% of penile cancer. Though HPV is primarily transmitted through sexual contact, non-sexual transmission occurs as well. Previously, the HPV vaccine had been recommended for females and males in a series of two doses up to age 14 or three doses up to age 26 in women and age 21 in men. Men ages 22-26 could also get the vaccine. ACIP’s unanimous vote to extend the recommendation to age 26 in men corresponds to evidence showing the vaccine’s substantial benefits [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-07-05T06:35:12-07:00July, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons praise HPV vaccination study

Source: www.nationalhealthexecutive.com Author: staff The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) has welcomed new study findings from the two-year Cancer Research study in Scotland that the HPV vaccination for boys may substantially reduce head and neck cancer. BAOMS had been involved in successfully lobbying for the extension to the HPV to boys last year in England and Northern Ireland. Life-threatening HPV-related cancers can develop during middle age, but boys had been excluded from the national HPV vaccination programme. Currently the cost of treating HPV-driven mouth and throat cancer to the NHS is approximately £30m a year. Since the UK-wide immunisation scheme for girls aged 12 and 13 was introduced in 2008, data shows a reduction of up to 90% of pre-cancerous cells in the smear tests among women aged 20. BAOMS Chair, Patrick Magennis, said: “Between 2010 and 2012 nearly 2,000 men had HPV-related head and neck cancer. Over half of these oropharyngeal cancers are caused by HPV, and in the last decade alone the incidence of these cancers has doubled in the UK population. “Current evidence suggests that vaccination of boys in their teenage years will prevent them from developing HPV-related cancers in middle age, so the introduction of male vaccination is timely.” He welcomed the publication of the new study, which found that, over two years, in the 235 male patients in Scotland with head and neck cancer, HPV was present in 60% of cases. The findings follow an earlier report, which suggested routine vaccination of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-06-26T08:00:50-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

How dental professionals can help patients with xerostomia

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Jennifer Pettit, CRDH Xerostomia affects up to 65% of the population, according to the American Academy of Oral Medicine.1 Many patients might experience dry mouth and accept it as a part of their life without seeking treatment or mentioning it to a health-care professional. It is important to recognize the signs of xerostomia to help reduce patients' symptoms and prevent the consequences it carries. Xerostomia is the reduction of salivary flow. The majority of saliva is produced by the parotid gland, followed by the lingual and submandibular glands. Saliva plays multiple roles in the oral cavity. It carries enzymes to help us digest food. It moistens food to create a bolus for easy passage through the esophagus. It also carries buffering agents to neutralize the pH of the oral environment, which can help prevent demineralization of tooth structure and caries lesions. It protects the oral mucosa and tongue from irritants such as bacteria and fungus. Lastly, it cleanses the teeth of small food particles.1 Hyposalivation is associated with many factors. According to the American Dental Association, more than 400 medications cause dry mouth as a side effect.2 The most well-known prescriptions to cause dry mouth are antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, bronchodilators, and certain hypertension medications.2 Other factors contributing to low saliva flow are aging, smoking, radiation therapy to the neck and head, and some diseases and conditions such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid dysfunctions, and Sjögren’s syndrome, just to mention a few.2 Oral manifestations of xerostomia include dry [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-06-26T06:15:59-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Merck’s Keytruda wins FDA approval to treat head and neck cancer

Source: www.pharmalive.com Author: staff, Reuters Health Merck & Co Inc said on Tuesday its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat a type of head and neck cancer. The drug was approved for use as a monotherapy, as well as in combination with a common chemotherapy regimen, to treat previously untreated patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Merck said. The approval is based on results from a late-stage trial, where Keytruda showed a significant improvement in overall survival in cancer patients, Merck said. Keytruda, a type of immunotherapy called a PD-1 inhibitor, is already an approved treatment for several forms of cancer, including lung and skin cancers. Head and neck cancer includes tumors in the mouth, tongue, nose, sinuses, throat and lymph nodes in the neck. Merck estimates that there will be more than 65,000 new cases of head and neck cancer diagnosed in 2019 in the United States. Keytruda works by increasing the ability of patients’ immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. The drug has been amassing approvals as a standalone therapy and in combination with other drugs to treat several forms of cancer. It is the leading immunotherapy for treating lung cancer, ahead of rival drugs from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche and AstraZeneca. Keytruda, first approved for advanced melanoma in 2014, is Merck’s most important growth driver. It has overtaken Bristol’s Opdivo as the industry’s immuno-oncology leader with sales expected to top $10 billion this year [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-06-12T07:49:37-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Antibodies against HPV16 can develop up to 40 years before throat cancer is diagnosed

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: news release An international group of researchers has found that antibodies to the human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV16) develop in the body between six to 40 years prior to a clinical diagnosis of throat cancer, and their presence indicates a strong increased risk of the disease. The study, which is published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1] today (Wednesday), also found that having HPV16 antibodies increased the risk of throat cancer far more in white people than in black: nearly 100-fold in white people, but 17-fold in black people. Patients with HPV-associated throat cancer tend to respond better to treatment than those whose cancer is not associated with the infection; the researchers say this may partly explain the worse survival rates among black patients. The main causes of throat cancer (known as oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, OPSCC) are smoking, alcohol use and infection with HPV16. In the USA the proportion of OPSCCs attributable to HPV16 is around 70%; in some European countries a similar proportion is caused by HPV16, although this varies from country to country. [2] Dr Mattias Johansson, a cancer epidemiologist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, who led the research, said: "Importantly, the proportion of throat cancers caused by HPV16 has been increasing over the past few decades, particularly in men, and in some countries the overwhelming majority are now caused by the virus. "Investigating the range in time prior to diagnosis in which [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-06-12T07:46:27-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers training AI mobile app to detect early signs of oral cancer

Source: www.beckershospitalreview.com Author: Andrea Park Computer scientists have secured funding to develop artificial intelligence that can automatically identify signs of early-stage oral cancer using an existing screening app. The project will build upon Cancer Research Malaysia's Mobile Mouth Screening Anywhere (MeMoSA) app, which is currently used to capture images of the oral cavity for remote interpretation by oral medicine and surgical specialists. Researchers from the U.K.'s Kingston University and Malaysia's University of Malaya will train a deep learning system to distinguish between thousands of photos with and without signs of oral cancer, then integrate that system into the app. "Our challenge is to develop deep learning models that demonstrate a high accuracy and prediction of disease," said lead researcher Sarah Barman, PhD, a professor of computer vision at Kingston. "If we find this approach is reliable enough, artificial intelligence could be used for other forms of disease screening with a wide range of possible applications in the field of medical diagnostics."

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-06-06T07:18:50-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

‘Game-changing’ new treatment for cancer patients available in Canada

Source: www.ctvnews.ca Author: Jackie Vandinther, Digital Content Editor In the last three years, David Hutson has beaten both throat and skin cancer. Now he’s hoping a new form of radiation treatment will help him overcome the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with last September. Hutson is the first patient in the world to experiment with a new cancer-killing technology called MR-Linac. Radiologists from the Christie Hospital Manchester in the United Kingdom help cancer patient David Hutson out of the MR-Linac radiation machine in Manchester, U.K. in May 2019 Patient David Hutson receives radiation treatment for his prostate cancer using an MR-Linac machine at the Christie Hospital Manchester in Manchester, the United Kingdom in May 2019. (ITN) "I feel very lucky indeed that I'm having this treatment. I feel very confident in this technology,” he says from the Christie Hospital Manchester in the United Kingdom. "And from my diagnosis, it's going to help me to defeat this third bout of cancer." Normally, radiotherapy is carried out in two stages. First, a scan of the tumour is made. Then a dose of radiation is delivered. Part MRI scanner and part radiation machine, the MR-Linac allows doctors to do both tasks at once; they can visualize the tumour in real time while beaming high-energy radiation to the area. The result is on-the-spot imaging and targeted treatment in one shot. Because doctors can give more precise and intense doses of radiation, the groundbreaking technology could treat cancers with unprecedented safety [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-06-02T09:00:50-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer News
Compiled by The Oral Cancer Foundation

About Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A