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New immunotherapy drug shows promise for advanced head/neck cancer

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid staff A new immunotherapy treatment, MK3475, known as pembrolizumab, from Merck has proved effective in some patients with advanced head and neck, according to the early findings of a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago. The findings were presented by Tanguy Seiwert, MD, the associate director of the Head and Neck Cancer Program and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. In the phase IB study, a small number of patients with advanced head and neck cancer were treated with pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody. The drug is part of an emerging class of medications that work by blocking the PD-1 protein, which is used by cancer cells to evade the body's immune system. When PD-L1 attaches to its receptor PD-1 on immune cells, tumors are able to hide from the immune system; drugs that target either PD-L1 or PD-1 inhibit this interaction. In the study presented at the ASCO meeting, 56 patients with advanced head and neck cancer whose tumors were assessed as positive for PD-L1 expression were evaluable for treatment response with pembrolizumab; 20 of the patients tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV). The early findings showed a best overall response rate of 20%, with 29% of patients having stable disease. Similar overall response rates were observed in HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients. Tumor shrinkage was demonstrated in 51% of evaluable patients who had measurable disease with one postbaseline scan. The most common treatment-related adverse events [...]

2014-06-04T06:39:22-07:00June, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Plasmonic nanobubbles can detect and kill only cancer cells

Source: www.azonano.com Author: staff The first preclinical study of a new Rice University-developed anti-cancer technology found that a novel combination of existing clinical treatments can instantaneously detect and kill only cancer cells — often by blowing them apart — without harming surrounding normal organs. The research, which is available online this week Nature Medicine, reports that Rice’s “quadrapeutics” technology was 17 times more efficient than conventional chemoradiation therapy against aggressive, drug-resistant head and neck tumors. The work was conducted by researchers from Rice, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Northeastern University. “We address aggressive cancers that cannot be efficiently and safely treated today,” said Rice scientist Dmitri Lapotko, the study’s lead investigator. “Surgeons often cannot fully remove tumors that are intertwined with important organs. Chemotherapy and radiation are commonly used to treat the residual portions of these tumors, but some tumors become resistant to chemoradiation. Quadrapeutics steps up when standard treatments fail. At the same time, quadrapeutics complements current approaches instead of replacing them.” Lapotko said quadrapeutics differs from other developmental cancer treatments in that it radically amplifies the intracellular effect of drugs and radiation only in cancer cells. The quadrapeutic effects are achieved by mechanical events — tiny, remotely triggered nano-explosions called “plasmonic nanobubbles.” Plasmonic nanobubbles are non-stationary vapors that expand and burst inside cancer cells in nanoseconds in response to a short, low-energy laser pulse. Plasmonic nanobubbles act as a “mechanical drug” against cancer cells that cannot be surgically removed and are otherwise resistant to [...]

2014-06-03T06:07:14-07:00June, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Low-dose IMRT may be safe for patients with HPV-positive head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologypractice.com Author: Laura Nikolaides Lower-dose radiation therapy may be safe for some patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer, decreasing the risk of often long-term side effects, such as trouble swallowing, dry mouth, loss of taste, neck stiffness, and thyroid problems, investigators reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Two-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 93% and 80%, respectively, among 62 patients with operable stage III/IVA HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma who received lower-dose intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) after clinical complete response to induction chemotherapy, reported Dr. Anthony Cmelak, professor of radiation oncology at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., and medical director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Franklin. Overall, the phase II study enrolled 90 patients, median age 57 years, who all received induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab. The response to induction chemotherapy determined IMRT dose. The 62 patients who had a complete clinical response received a reduced dose (54 Gy) of IMRT, and the rest of the patients received standard dose IMRT (70 Gy). All patients received standard cetuximab along with radiation. Two-year overall survival and progression-free survival for the higher-risk patients who received the standard dose of IMRT were 87% and 65% respectively. Among those patients receiving low-dose IMRT, survival was slightly higher for those with less than 10 pack-years of smoking and earlier-stage disease; in those patients 2-year progression-free and overall survival were 92% and 97%, respectively. However, Dr. Cmelak does not yet recommend modifying regimens for patients with [...]

2014-06-03T05:55:31-07:00June, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Internal lymphedema underlies swallow dysfunction in head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologynurseadvisor.com Author: Bryant Furlow Treatment-related dysphagia symptoms are likely caused by internal lymphedema among patients with head and neck cancer, according to research presented at the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. “Internal lymphedema (correlated with subjective and objective measures of swallow dysfunction,” said lead author Leanne Kolnick Jackson, MD, at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. “Most of the time patients have silent aspiration, which is most dangerous. So if a patient ever says they have dysphagia, it warrants an exam” including imaging as well as endoscopy, Jackson said. External lymphedema is visible and recognizable, but internal lymphedema—which occurs in up to 90% of cases of external lymphedema—can go undetected, the coauthors noted. “External lymphedema is just the tip of the iceberg,” said senior author Barbara A. Murphy, MD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Only 10% of patients with lymphedema have only external lymphedema.” Secondary lymphedema and fibrosis are “ubiquitous and underreported” late effects among patients with head and neck cancers, Jackson reported. Using the Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey (VHNSS) version 1.0, the researchers collected patient-reported swallow dysfunction among study participants undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. They subsequently studied patients' swallow function and internal lymphedema, using endoscopic assessments, modified-barium videofluoroscopy, the Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS), and National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS). Endoscopy does not detect internal lymphedema well “for every site,” Jackson noted. “Some sites are not well evaluated by endoscopy.” At 18 months posttreatment, VHNSS swallow/nutrition scores [...]

2014-06-02T05:16:19-07:00June, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Doxepin rinse relieves pain in patients with radiation-related oral mucositis

Source: www.onclive.com Author: Lauren M. Green Doxepin rinse may prove to be a viable option for the relief of pain associated with oral mucositis (OM) in patients with head and neck cancers, according to findings of a phase III trial. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted under the auspices of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology cooperative group, enrolled 155 patients who were being treated at 26 cancer centers across the country between December 2010 and May 2012. To be eligible, patients were undergoing radiotherapy to a minimum planned dose of 50 Gy and experiencing OM-related pain ≥4 on a 0 to 10 scale. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive either doxepin (25 mg diluted to 5 mL with 2.5 mL of sterile or distilled water) on day 1, then crossing over to a placebo on a subsequent day (arm A), or placebo on the first day followed by the doxepin preparation (arm B). Patients in both arms were instructed to swish the solution in their mouth for 1 minute, gargle, and expectorate. The study’s primary endpoint was a reduction in pain as measured by the pain scale’s area under the curve (AUC), using assessments based on the Oral Mucositis Daily and Weekly Questionnaires–Head and Neck Cancer, administered at baseline and at 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 minutes for each treatment arm. Patients were allowed to leave after the first hour, instructed to complete the questionnaires at 2- and 4-hour intervals, and received telephone reminders. Researchers reported [...]

2014-05-24T09:06:18-07:00May, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Cannabinoids may offer hope for patients with oral cancer pain

Source: www.elements4health.com Even the strongest available pain medications are largely ineffective for many cancer patients, particularly those with oral cancers. One of the nation’s leading oral cancer treating clinicians, speaking at the American Pain Society’s annual meeting, said he believes that while prospects for major treatment advances remain bleak, a new cannabinoid-based medication may have some promise for providing meaningful pain relief. Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, professor, New York University College of Dentistry and School of Medicine, delivered the Global Year Against Pain Lecture and reported that today, more than 100 years since President Ulysses S. Grant died from oral cancer, there is only modest improvement in patient survival. Grant is the only American president to die from cancer. “Oral cancer is one of the most painful and debilitating of all malignancies,” said Schmidt, “ and opioids, the strongest pain medications we have, are an imperfect solution. They become dramatically less effective as tolerance to these drugs develops.” Now considered to be the fastest increasing cancer in the United States, oral and oropharyngeal malignancies usually begin in the tongue. Human papillomavirus transmitted through oral sex, tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption are the leading causes of this increase in oropharyngeal cancer. In the United States, some 43,000 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed every year and the disease is more widespread worldwide with 640,000 new cases a year. Schmidt said oral cancer patients often undergo multiple surgeries as tumors recur and also are treated with radiation and chemotherapy. [...]

2014-05-15T08:40:08-07:00May, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Aspirin may stop deafness caused by chemotherapy

Source:  www.bbc.com Author: staff Aspirin could save the hearing of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, scientists in Cardiff hope. A trial will be launched at the city's Velindre Hospital to see if high doses of the drug can prevent permanent loss. Conditions ranging from tinnitus to deafness are a common side effect for patients given the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. The trial, called Coast, has recruited 88 adults prescribed cisplatin in Cardiff and other UK hospitals. It is used to treat testicular cancer, germ cell cancer, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and some types of children's cancer. 'Shock it was cancer' Father-of-four Andrew Millington, 66, was given cisplatin after a tumour was found at the base of his tongue. "I had a persistent sore throat and earache, and I went to see my GP last spring," he said. "I was referred to a consultant and had an MRI scan. It was a shock to be told it was cancer but... it was generally curable, which was such a relief to hear. I was offered cisplatin and, after hearing about the possible side effects, I was more than happy to take part in the Coast trial." Around 18,500 cancer patients receive cisplatin every year and around half suffer some form of permanent hearing loss. Ahead of the trial's launch on Thursday, professor Emma King, chief investigator and Cancer Research UK surgeon at the University of Southampton, said: "Aspirin can have serious side effects, including internal bleeding, [...]

2014-05-11T11:18:15-07:00May, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Recurrent head and neck tumors have gene mutations that could be vulnerable to cancer drug

Source: medicalxpress.com Author: staff An examination of the genetic landscape of head and neck cancers indicates that while metastatic and primary tumor cells share similar mutations, recurrent disease is associated with gene alterations that could be exquisitely sensitive to an existing cancer drug. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and Yale University School of Medicine will share their findings during a mini-symposium Sunday at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2014. About 50 percent of patients diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell cancers already have disease that has spread, or metastasized, to the lymph nodes, explained Jennifer Grandis, M.D., distinguished professor and vice chair of research, Department of Otolaryngology, Pitt School of Medicine, and director of the Head and Neck Program at UPCI, partner with UPMC CancerCenter. About 20 to 30 percent of patients thought to be cured of the disease go on to develop recurrent cancer, which typically doesn't respond to standard treatments. "We decided to compare the genetic signatures of tumor cells from primary tumors with those from disease that had spread and cancers that were thought cured but then came back in the hopes of getting some clues about how best to guide therapy in these different settings," Dr. Grandis said. "We found that recurrent cancers might have an Achilles' heel we can exploit to kill them." The team conducted the first whole-exome genetic sequencing study on what Dr. Grandis called its "treasure trove" of frozen patient samples and found similar [...]

2014-04-06T06:28:03-07:00April, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Prognosis of tumors positive for human papilloma virus in head and neck cancers varies according to the site

Source: www.sciencecodex.com Author: staff Patients with cancer of the throat and who are positive for the Human Papilloma virus (HPV+) have a good prognosis, but until now the effect of being HPV+ on the prognosis of tumours located elsewhere in the head and neck was unknown. Danish researchers have now shown that HPV status appears to have no prognostic effect on the outcome of primary radiotherapy in head and neck cancer outside the oropharynx (the part of the throat located behind the mouth, and which contains the soft palate and the base of the tongue), the ESTRO 33 congress will hear today (Sunday). Presenting her results to the congress, Dr Pernille Lassen, MD, PhD, from the Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark, will say that head and neck cancers located outside the oropharynx should probably not be treated with the less intensive treatment strategies that are currently being investigated in clinical trials for HPV+ oropharyngeal tumours. "HPV status has a very potent prognostic impact in radiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer, and DNA from HPV has been found in all types of head and neck cancer, although it is far more common in oropharyngeal tumours. We decided to investigate the impact of HPV status in non-oropharyngeal cancers in the DAHANCA database, which includes all Danish head and neck cancer patients," Dr Lassen will say. The researchers searched the database to identify patients with locally advanced cancers who had been treated primarily with radiotherapy, and identified 1606 patients with larynx and pharynx carcinomas. Overall, [...]

2014-04-06T06:23:34-07:00April, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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Jim Kelly’s toughest game: Fighting oral cancer

Source: www.foxnews.com Author: Dr. Manny Alvarez Jim Kelly, the Hall of Fame quarterback who played for the Buffalo Bills until 1996, is one of the greatest football players that I have ever seen. During his football career, I followed him closely and was always in awe of his athletic abilities, his leadership qualities and his love of family. Unfortunately, Jim Kelly is currently battling a second recurrence of oral cancer and has been scheduled to undergo surgery in an attempt to control the disease. His wife, Jill, told the Associated Press that her 54-year-old husband’s cancer is aggressive and beginning to spread. I’ve been following Jim Kelly’s health struggles and have been thinking about him, praying that he gets better. It is easy to think of some humans as immortal – especially when you’re looking at an individual as physically fit as Jim Kelly. But we tend to forget that sometimes nature has a unique plan for all of us. However, Jim Kelly’s struggles can serve as a reminder for us all to be vigilant about our health. Jim Kelly is suffering from oral cancer, which doesn’t get the attention that it deserves, despite the fact that 42,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2014, according to the National Cancer Institute. Oral cancers are any cancers occurring in the oral cavity, which starts in your throat and extends all the way to your lips. The sad part about this disease is that oral cancers are typically not identified early, which [...]

2014-03-30T10:22:43-07:00March, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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