Oral Cancer Foundation News Team – A – Page 70

A small revolution in cancer treatment by Belarusian and U.S. scientists

Source: http://eng.belta.by/ Author: Igor Belotserkovsky Scientists from Belarus and the United States have developed a new method for detecting residual cancer cells. This method also contributes to their destruction. This is done with the help of nanobubbles generated in some cancer cells. The method was successfully tested on laboratory mice with implanted head and neck cancer cells. Although scientists are only at the beginning of the road, they call their discovery a small revolution in the fight against cancer. The results of the research titled “Intraoperative diagnostics and elimination of residual microtumors with plasmonic nanobubbles” was published in the prestigious science journal Nature Nanotechnology on 15 February. To learn more about the successes of oncologists, BelTA talked to Igor Belotserkovsky, PhD in Medical Sciences, one of the authors of the research, the leader of the head and neck tumor research team at the Aleksandrov National Cancer Center. Mr Belotserkovsky, what is the share of head and neck tumors in the structure of other localizations? In the total structure of oncological morbidity, the share of head and neck tumors is 3-4% (excluding skin cancer). Larynx and oral cavity cancer are diagnosed most frequently. For example, in 2014 laryngeal cancer was detected in 604 Belarusians, oro-pharyngo-laryngeal cancer in 1,338 people. Men fall ill ten times more often. Despite the fact that head and neck cancers are categorized as tumors of outside localization, many patients with cancer have their disease diagnosed when it has already reached an advanced stage. This is due to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-18T14:45:09-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Immunotherapies gaining traction in head and neck cancers

Source: www.targetedonc.com Author: Greg Kennelty An explosion of immunotherapies is on the horizon for patients with metastatic head and neck cancer, specifically as phase III trials begin to report findings for PD-1 inhibitors. This upcoming wave of new therapies places importance on understanding optimal treatment settings and adverse events associated with these therapies. In late January, the phase III CheckMate-141 trial investigating the anti–PD-1 agent nivolumab was stopped early, due to a substantial improvement in the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS). The drug was put up against the investigator’s choice of cetuximab (Erbitux), methotrexate, or docetaxel following progression on a platinum-based therapy. At this time, data from the study have not yet been released but are being prepared for future presentation. Findings from the study are being discussed with the FDA and other health authorities. In addition to nivolumab, the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) demonstrated encouraging activity in patients with with advanced PD-L1–positive esophageal carcinoma during the phase Ib KEYNOTE-028 study. Additionally, the agent was effective for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the phase I KEYNOTE-012 study. In the head and neck cancer population, the objective response rate with pembrolizumab was 24.8% in 117 evaluable patients. Tumor shrinkage was experienced by 56% of patients and another 25% had stable disease. The response rate seen with pembrolizumab was similar, regardless of HPV infection status. In those with HPV-positive disease, the ORR was 20.6% compared with 27.2% in the negative group. To gain further insight, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-18T14:35:44-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer less likely in women who have more sex; but not the same for men

Source: www.parentherald.com Author: Diane Ting Having more sex partners reduces the chance of oral cancer for women. Unfortunately, men are more likely to become infected as the number of oral sex partners increases. A study suggests that women who have more vaginal sex partners appear to have a lower risk of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The information was released during the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Throat and mouth cancer are linked to HPV, which is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases. HPV is rather common, as most people are treated of the virus within two years. According to the study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), oral sex may increase the risk of head and neck cancer by 22 percent. In the last 20 years, the number of oral cancer patients has risen to 225 percent. Oral cancer is typically linked to lifestyle causes such as heavy drinking and smoking, according to Mirror. Two in three sufferers of oral cancer were men, which made experts question the imbalance. HPV is the same cancer that causes cervical cancer in women. Research states that because women are first exposed to HPV vaginally, they may develop an immune response that prevents them from getting the infection. Unfortunately, research suggests that this may not be the same for men as they are found twice more likely to develop oral cancer. As the number of oral sex partners increase, the risk of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-18T14:27:17-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Japanese team invents movable tongue prosthesis to enable speech for cancer victims

Source: www.japantimes.co.jp Author: Tomoko Otake Dentistry researchers at Okayama University have come up with what could be the world’s first movable tongue prosthesis to help oral cancer patients who have partially lost the ability to speak. The invention, the product of a team led by Shogo Minagi, a professor of dentistry at the university, is good news for scores of oral cancer victims in Japan with speech problems. The number of oral cancer patients in the nation has surged to 7,800 in 2015, up from around 2,100 in 1975, according to estimates by the Japan Society of Oral Oncology. The figure does not include those with damaged tongues from traffic accidents and other physical injuries. Minagi’s work was inspired by Kenichi Kozaki, also a dentistry professor at Okayama University and an expert on dental pharmacology. Kozaki was diagnosed with tongue cancer in May 2014 and has had most of his tongue surgically removed. Kozaki asked Minagi to create a tongue prosthesis that he could use to speak. Minagi said he looked into tongue prostheses developed in the past but found just one paper in Japan, in which the artificial tongue was part of a denture and could not be moved. “Developing an oral prosthesis is a painstaking process for patients,” Minagi said by phone Monday. “This time, we could create a really good prosthesis quickly thanks to Kozaki, who is a dentist himself. He tried many different versions of the prosthesis and offered us detailed feedback.” When a person speaks, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-02-01T13:11:30-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

HPV debate reframed to focus on cancer

January 27, 2016 By Dr. Rachel Tompa / Fred Hutch News Science U.S. cancer centers unanimously call for increase in vaccine use for cancer prevention. Amid recent talk of “moonshot” cancer cures and new treatments in development, it can be easy to forget that we already have an effective, simple way to prevent at least six types of cancer. It’s called the HPV vaccine and it protects people from infection with the strains of human papillomavirus responsible for causing nearly all cervical and anal cancers, as well as many other genital cancers and certain head and neck cancers. And it’s not getting used. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adolescent boys and girls receive the three-dose vaccine series at age 11 or 12. But in 2014, only about 40 percent of eligible teenage girls and just over 21 percent of boys had received the full course, according to the CDC’s latest data. Now, all 69 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers are joining together to voice their frustration at the low uptake of the HPV vaccine — with the hope of refocusing the lens of the vaccination discussion on cancer prevention. Public debate about the vaccine — and, possibly, the low levels of vaccine use among adolescents — likely stems from the virus’ sexual transmission, said Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center virologist Dr. Denise Galloway. Galloway made critical discoveries linking HPV to cervical and other cancers and her laboratory helped lay the groundwork that made the vaccine’s [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-01-28T12:27:53-07:00January, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer Centers urge increase in HPV vaccinations

Source: www.wsj.com Author: Ron Winslow The top cancer centers in the U.S. jointly called for an increase in vaccination against the human papilloma virus, or HPV, saying low uptake of the three-shot regimens amounts to a “public health threat” and a major missed opportunity to prevent a variety of potentially lethal malignancies. In a statement issued Wednesday, all 69 of the nation’s National Cancer Institute-designated centers urged parents and health-care providers to “protect the health of our children” by taking steps to have all boys and girls complete the three-dose vaccination by their 13th birthdays, as recommended by federal guidelines, or as soon as possible in children between 13 and 17 years old. Currently, just 40% of girls and 21% of boys in the U.S. have received the vaccine, according to a report last year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020 initiative has set the goal for HPV vaccination for both boys and girls at 80%. The first HPV vaccine, Merck & Co.’s Gardasil, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006. A second version of Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Cervarix are now on the market. Neither company was involved in development of the cancer centers’ statement, those involved in the effort said. The CDC estimates that 79 million Americans are infected with HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that causes 14 million new infections each year. While the body’s immune system fights off [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-01-27T09:29:37-07:00January, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccines: Research on safety, racial disparities in vaccination rates and male participation

Source: journalistsresource.us1.list-manage.com Author: staff Since it became available in the United States in 2006, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been a source of debate, with proponents lauding it as a substantial gain in the fight against cancer, and opponents concerned with its implications for sexual activity among youth. With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of Gardasil-9 — a vaccine that protects against nine of the most common strains of HPV that account for approximately 90 percent of cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers — there is both a renewed interest and concern that calls for a nuanced and comprehensive review of the science. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, with nearly all sexually active men and women believed to contract at least one form of it during their lifetime. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 79 million Americans have HPV, and about 14 million become newly infected annually. While most infections clear the body within two years, some can persist and result in genital warts, cervical cancer or other types of cancers in men and women. Of the many HPV strains that exist, HPV types 16 and 18 have been identified as high risk, accounting for about 70 percent of all cervical cancer, as well as a large proportion of other HPV-related cancers. While cervical cancer was previously a leading cause of death among women in the U.S., death rates declined substantially after [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-01-26T15:17:35-07:00January, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

New pen-sized microscope could ID cancer cells in doctor’s offices and operating rooms

Source: www.sciencecodex.com Author: staff Surgeons removing a malignant brain tumor don't want to leave cancerous material behind. But they're also trying to protect healthy brain matter and minimize neurological harm. Once they open up a patient's skull, there's no time to send tissue samples to a pathology lab -- where they are typically frozen, sliced, stained, mounted on slides and investigated under a bulky microscope -- to definitively distinguish between cancerous and normal brain cells. But a handheld, miniature microscope being developed by University of Washington mechanical engineers could allow surgeons to "see" at a cellular level in the operating room and determine where to stop cutting. The new technology, developed in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Stanford University and the Barrow Neurological Institute, is outlined in a paper published in January in the journal Biomedical Optics Express. "Surgeons don't have a very good way of knowing when they're done cutting out a tumor," said senior author Jonathan Liu, UW assistant professor of mechanical engineering. "They're using their sense of sight, their sense of touch, pre-operative images of the brain -- and oftentimes it's pretty subjective." "Being able to zoom and see at the cellular level during the surgery would really help them to accurately differentiate between tumor and normal tissues and improve patient outcomes," said Liu. The handheld microscope, roughly the size of a pen, combines technologies in a novel way to deliver high-quality images at faster speeds than existing devices. Researchers expect to begin testing it [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-01-26T15:10:41-07:00January, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

Celine Dion’s husband René Angélil dies following long battle with throat cancer

Source: www.mirror.co.uk Author: Zoe Shenton Celine Dion’s husband René Angélil has died at the age of 73. René, who acted as a mentor and manager to Celine, had been battling throat cancer since 2013 but lost the fight on Thursday morning. “Rene Angelil, 73, passed away this morning as his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer. The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time," his representative told People in a statement. René had been undergoing treatment for the disease, but his struggle was very difficult on Celine as well as the pair’s three children - 14-year-old son, Rene, and five-year-old fraternal twins Eddy and Nelson. RIP: René Angélil had been battling cancer since 2013 He also has three grown up children from a previous relationship - Anne-Marie, Patrick and Jean-Pierre. Celine took a break from her residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino last year when René’s illness worsened, but returned to the stage in August. She previously revealed it was her spirituality that has helped her to cope during her spouse’s health struggles. Speaking to Taste of Life magazine, Celine - who was raised a Roman Catholic - revealed: "Life is not always perfect. You have to deal with it. Whatever life imposes - sickness, or whatever, you don't have a choice. This is life, this is nature. "But you do have the choice [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2016-01-15T14:11:11-07:00January, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

E-cigarettes may be ‘no better’ than smoking regular cigarettes, warn scientists

Source: www.independent.ie Author: staff According to a new study, the vapour from the electronic devices was shown to damage or even kill human cells during lab tests. The research comes as UK public health officials and Prime Minister David Cameron backed the use of e-cigarettes to help people quit smoking. An estimated 2.6 million people in the UK use e-cigarettes. They are to be licensed and regulated as an aid to quit smoking from 2016. Dr Jessica Wang-Rodriguez, co-author of the latest study, said: "Based on the evidence to date I believe they are no better than smoking regular cigarettes." The scientists treated cells in Petri dishes with vapour from a nicotine-based e-cigarette and a nicotine-free variety and found that the cells which had been exposed to the vapour were more likely to become damaged or die than those that had not. Those containing nicotine were also said to be more harmful than those that did not, although the authors said it may not be as a result of the addictive substance. Dr Wang-Rodriguez, chief of pathology at the San Diego branch of the US Department of Veteran Affairs, added: "There have been many studies showing that nicotine can damage cells. But we found that other variables can do damage as well. It's not that the nicotine is completely innocent in the mix, but it looks like the amount of nicotine that the cells are exposed to by e-cigarettes is not sufficient by itself to cause these changes. "There must [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-12-30T08:51:54-07:00December, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

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