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PET may artificially boost HNC survival rates

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: Donna Domino, Features Editor The use of positron emission tomography (PET) is associated with a stage migration phenomenon in locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, according to a recent report in JAMA Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery. Multiple studies have shown the increased sensitivity of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET over computed tomography (CT) for detecting primary tumors, regional nodal disease, and distant metastases. Because of potential treatment changes and prognostic information, as well as patient and physician preference, FDG-PET has been rapidly adopted for managing head and neck cancers. Because FDG-PET is more sensitive than CT, it often leads to patients being assigned a higher stage than if they were staged with CT alone, the study authors noted. In this retrospective study, the researchers sought to confirm whether the increased use of FDG-PET over time is associated with the appearance of improved stage-specific survival due to stage migration (JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, July 1, 2014, Vol. 140:7, pp. 654-661). Results In the study's model of clinically important variables, PET scan use was associated with a higher stage of disease. In addition, oropharyngeal cancers were more likely to be assigned a higher stage than oral cavity cancers. Within the PET era, no statistically significant survival difference was found between those who underwent FDG-PET and those who did not. However, a significant increase in stage-specific survival was detected for patients with locally advanced disease. No stage-specific survival differences were found in patients with local disease or metastatic [...]

2014-08-12T08:29:46-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Colgate Total ingredient linked to hormones, cancer spotlights FDA Process

Source: www.bloomberg.com Author: Tiffany Kary The chemical triclosan has been linked to cancer-cell growth and disrupted development in animals. Regulators are reviewing whether it’s safe to put in soap, cutting boards and toys. Consumer companies are phasing it out. Minnesota voted in May to ban it in many products. At the same time, millions of Americans are putting it in their mouths every day, by way of a top-selling toothpaste that uses the antibacterial chemical to head off gum disease - Colgate-Palmolive Co.’s Total. Total is safe, Colgate says, citing the rigorous Food and Drug Administration process that led to the toothpaste’s 1997 approval as an over-the-counter drug. A closer look at that application process, however, reveals that some of the scientific findings Colgate put forward to establish triclosan’s safety in toothpaste weren’t black and white -- and weren’t, until this year, available to the public. Colgate’s Total application included 35 pages summarizing toxicology studies on triclosan, which the FDA withheld from view. The agency released the pages earlier this year in response to a lawsuit over a Freedom of Information Act request. Later, following inquiries from Bloomberg News, the FDA put the pages on its website. The pages show how even with one of the U.S.’s most stringent regulatory processes -- FDA approval of a new drug -- the government relies on company-backed science to show products are safe and effective. The recently released pages, taken alongside new research on triclosan, raise questions about whether the agency did appropriate [...]

2014-08-12T08:18:03-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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New cancer classification system might boost patient outcomes

Source: health.usnews.com Author: Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter Changes to the way cancers are classified could lead to more accurate diagnoses and perhaps more effective treatments in about one in 10 cancer patients, new research suggests. Typically, cancers are categorized according to the tissue in which they originated, such as breast, bladder or kidney cancer. But tissues are composed of different types of cells. In this study, researchers who analyzed more than 3,500 tumor samples of 12 different cancer types concluded that defining tumors by their cellular and molecular features, rather than by the tissues in which they originated, would improve diagnoses in about 10 percent of cancer cases. "This genomic study not only challenges our existing system of classifying cancers based on tissue type, but also provides a massive new data resource for further exploration, as well as a comprehensive list of the molecular features distinguishing each of the newly described cancer classes," study co-senior author Dr. Christopher Benz, professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a university news release. The study, published online Aug. 7 in the journal Cell, is part of The Cancer Genome Atlas initiative, which is led by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute. The researchers report particularly significant findings in bladder and breast cancers. They identified at least three different subtypes of bladder cancer, including one that was nearly identical to a form of non-small cell lung cancer [...]

2014-08-10T10:10:17-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Quick, low-cost blood test detects early signs of oral cancer

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid Staff Australian researchers have developed a quick, low-cost blood test to detect the early signs of oral cancer. The diagnostic test examines the profile of small molecules called microRNA in the blood and can be done at the same time as other routine checks, such as for cholesterol. At present, no routine screening tests for oral cancer are on the market. The researchers hope that a simple blood test could change that and, in doing so, help stem the global increase of various oral cancers. About 300,000 new cases of oral cancer were reported globally in 2012, according to the researchers. The main barriers to treatment remain late detection and low disease awareness. Warning symptoms include pain, swelling, a hoarse voice, and difficulty swallowing -- symptoms that are often dismissed or misdiagnosed as a common cold. The test, called miLIFE, was developed by researchers Nham Tran, PhD, and doctoral candidate Samantha Khoury from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) Centre for Health Technologies. The blood-based test can be administered by healthcare providers to screen microRNA to reveal the oral cancer's early warning signs. The turnaround time for the test is about 48 hours at present. The levels of five specific microRNA molecules are detected with miLIFE and compared with those of healthy, noncancerous individuals. An overabundance or expression of these specific microRNAs would designate people at high risk for oral cancer. These patients would then be referred to a specialist for further examination. "You don't need [...]

2014-08-02T11:12:24-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Blood test could predict oral cancer recurrence

Source: www.livescience.com Author: Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer A new blood and saliva test that looks for traces of the human papillomavirus (HPV) can predict whether some people with oral cancers will have their cancer come back, early research suggests. It helps to know as soon as possible that cancer has returned, because tumors that are caught early are easier to treat. In the study, the researchers analyzed blood and saliva samples from 93 people with head and neck cancers; about 80 percent of these patients had cancers that tested positive for HPV. All of their cancers had previously been treated with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. The researchers looked for fragments of DNA from HPV-16, a strain of the virus that is strongly linked with head and neck cancer. The virus may be found in cancer cells that linger in the body after treatment, the researchers said. Among people with HPV-positive tumors, the new test identified 70 percent of those whose cancer returned within three years, the researchers said. "Until now, there has been no reliable biological way to identify which patients are at higher risk for recurrence, so these tests should greatly help [to] do so," study researcher Dr. Joseph Califano, professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said in a statement. Patients with head and neck cancer typically visit the doctor every one to three months during the first year after their diagnoses to check for cancer recurrence. But new tumors in the tonsils, throat and base [...]

2014-08-02T11:03:13-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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University of Michigan researchers find protein that fuels repair of treatment-resistant cancer cells

Source: http://www.dentistryiq.com/ Author: DentistryIQ Editors Imagine that you're fighting for your life, but no matter how hard you hit, your opponent won't go down. The same can be said of highly treatment-resistant cancers, such as head and neck cancer. During radiation and chemotherapy, some cancer cells repair themselves to survive and thrive. Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, but the late detection and treatment resistance result in a high mortality rate. Now, University of Michigan researchers have found that a particular protein – TRIP13 – encourages those cancer cells to repair themselves, and they have identified an existing chemical that blocks this mechanism for cell repair. Left: Untreated head and neck cancer cells are tagged fluorescent green. Right: Shows cells treated with the chemical inhibitor that blocks TRIP13, which results in a dramatically smaller tumor. "This is a very significant advance because identifying the function of the protein that fuels the repair of cancer cells and having an existing chemical that blocks the process could speed the process of moving to clinical trials," said principal investigator Nisha D'Silva, University of Michigan professor of dentistry and associate professor of pathology. Typically, if scientists discover a promising drug therapy target, it takes years to develop drug compounds from scratch and move these into clinical trials. Top: Cancer cells with TRIP13, the protein that encourages cancer cells to repair themselves. Bottom: Cancer cells in which researchers have removed or decreased TRIP13, which results [...]

2014-08-02T10:57:10-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Hard-to-watch commercials to make quitting smoking easier

Source: www.nytimes.com Author: Andrew Adam Newman Telling smokers that their habit shortens life expectancy by at least 10 years might seem like an effective way to get them to quit. But it turns out there is something even scarier: living with disfiguring disease. Dr. Tim McAfee, the director of the Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was overseeing focus groups of smokers to help shape a smoking-cessation advertising campaign in 2011 when this became clear. “Telling smokers that you’re going to lose 11 to 12 years of your life expectancy if you continue to smoke, and that if you quit in your 30s you can gain 10 of those back, seemed pretty powerfully motivating to us,” said Dr. McAfee. But smokers’ response to such messages was that it would not happen to them, Dr. McAfee said. What they feared more than an untimely death, it turned out, was chronic illness. “They were less motivated by the fear of dying than the fear of suffering, of disability, of disfigurement, and of being a burden to those around them,” Dr. McAfee said. Introduced in 2012, the C.D.C. campaign, “Tips From Former Smokers,” by Arnold Worldwide in Boston, features people who did not quit until smoking had taken a grave toll. The ads ostensibly offer practical advice about how to function with smoking-related ailments, but the real message is to avoid such predicaments by kicking the habit. A new series of commercials includes one featuring Shawn [...]

2014-07-26T08:50:29-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Scar-free surgery for cancer patients

Source: www.todayonline.com Author: staff Singapore — When Mdm Tan Chwee Huay told her friends that she had undergone surgery to remove a cancerous lump in her throat, they thought that she was pulling their leg. “Nobody could tell that I had gone for such a complex surgery because they could not see any scars. “They only learnt about my cancer diagnosis after the surgery, and they were shocked,” said the 75-year-old housewife, who was diagnosed with advanced-stage throat cancer in late 2010. Shortly after her diagnosis, Mdm Tan underwent a surgical procedure known as transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to remove a 2cm lump from the base of her tongue. Traditionally, conventional surgery for head and neck cancer involving the base of the tongue and throat required making large incisions in the neck, or sawing through the jaw to remove the growth, said Adjunct Assistant Professor Tay Hin Ngan, director of HN Tay ENT, Head and Neck, Thyroid, Sleep and Robotic Surgery at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital. Incisions from a typical open-neck surgery can extend beyond 20cm, said ENT/head and neck surgeon Dr Jeeve Kanagalingam, a visiting consultant at Johns Hopkins Singapore. While a skilled surgeon can conceal the incisions within creases or folds of the skin, Dr Kanagalingam said, patients who are predisposed to keloids could risk developing thick, raised scars. However, advancements in robot-assisted surgical systems have made it possible for surgeons to perform such surgeries without making a visible incision in the neck or face. Prof Tay, who [...]

2014-07-19T07:20:28-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Docetaxel regimen tops cisplatin in head and neck cancer

Source: www.cancernetwork.com Author: Anna Azvolinsky, PhD A phase II study has demonstrated that combining docetaxel-based chemoradiotherapy and the antibody cetuximab postoperatively in patients with high-risk squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck led to improved disease-free and overall survival, with no unexpected toxicities. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Two-hundred and thirty-eight stage III and IV patients were randomized to receive radiation therapy (60 Gy) plus cetuximab and either cisplatin (30 mg/m2) or docetaxel (15 mg/m2) once per week as part of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0234 clinical trial. The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 69% in the cisplatin treatment arm and 79% in the docetaxel treatment arm. The 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 57% and 66% in the cisplatin and docetaxel arms, respectively. Previously, two large phase III trials, the RTOG 9501 and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 22931 trials, both showed a small but significant survival benefit for postoperative head and neck cancer patients who received adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy concurrently, resulting in the incorporation of cisplatin in an adjuvant regimen for high-risk patients. The drawback was that adding cisplatin to radiation therapy increased toxicity. Many of these patients are not candidates for the combination therapy due to poor performance status, older age, and renal insufficiency. The purpose of the current trial was to test whether combining a molecular therapy such as cetuximab with chemotherapy would improve survival with a better toxicity profile, [...]

2014-07-19T07:13:12-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Oral Cancer Foundation, Cody Kiser partner for Idaho rodeo

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid Staff The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) is partnering with Cody Kiser, a rodeo cowboy who will serve as a spokesman for the group, at the Snake River Stampede Rodeo, held July 15-19 in Nampa, ID. Kiser hopes to serve as a positive role model for children and teens that look up to cowboys as their heroes in the rodeo world. Research shows that as many as 15% of high school boys use smokeless tobacco in the U.S. With the nicotine content in a can of dip equaling approximately that of 80 cigarettes, this addiction can be one of the hardest to break, which is why the OCF hopes to educate parents and youth about the dangers before they get started. "My dad was a cowboy, so I know what it's like looking up to cowboys as heroes for my whole life," Kiser stated in a press release. "My dad was a positive role model in my life growing up in that regard, and the idea of using spit tobacco never appealed to me. Right now, I'm pursuing rodeo as a passion of mine, and if at the same time I can do some good in the world and set the right example for young kids who might look up to me, then I'm honored and eager to do so." "Every kid has a hero they look up to, and whether it's a cowboy, baseball player, or other strong figure in their lives; even heroes can still [...]

2014-07-19T06:59:46-07:00July, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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