12/20/2007 Baltimore, MD Suhail K. Mithani et al. Clinical Cancer Research 13, 7335-7340, December 15, 2007 Purpose: Alterations of the mitochondrial genome have been identified in multiple solid tumors and in many head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Identification of mitochondrial mutations in the salivary rinses of patients with HNSCC has potential application in disease detection. In this study, we used the MitoChip v2.0 mitochondrial genome resequencing array to detect minor populations of mitochondrial DNA in salivary rinses of patients with HNSCC. Experimental Design: Salivary rinses from 13 patients with HNSCC, whose tumors carried mitochondrial mutations, were collected before surgical resection. DNA isolated from salivary rinses and serial dilutions of DNA derived from HNSCC-derived cell lines with known mitochondrial mutations were sequenced using the MitoChip, and analyzed using a quantitative algorithm which we developed to detect minor populations of mitochondrial DNA from MitoChip probe intensity data. Results: We detected heteroplasmic populations of mitochondrial DNA up to a 1:200 dilution using MitoChip v2.0 and our analysis algorithm. A logarithmic relationship between the magnitude of assay intensity and concentration of minor mitochondrial populations was shown. This technique was able to identify tumor-specific mitochondrial mutations in salivary rinses from 10 of 13 (76.9%) patients with head and neck cancer. Conclusions: Minor populations of mitochondrial DNA and disease-specific mitochondrial mutations in salivary rinses of patients with HNSCC can be successfully identified using the MitoChip resequencing array and the algorithm which we have developed. This technique has potential application in the surveillance of patients [...]

12/18/2007 staff Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com) A new doctoral thesis from the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet demonstrates that consumers of Swedish moist snuff a smokeless tobacco called 'snus' run a higher risk of dying from cardiac arrest and stroke. Snus also increases the risk of high blood pressure, a known factor of cardiovascular disease. The use of snus has increased markedly in Sweden in the past few decades, so much so that it now accounts for half of all tobacco consumption in the country. Over 20 per cent of men between the ages of 18 and 79 are daily users. Consumers of snus absorb as much nicotine as smokers but are spared many of the toxic chemicals that are formed on smoking. Although snus does not seem to increase the risk of myocardial infarction, one of the studies reported on in this doctoral thesis shows that its consumers run a 30 per cent (approximately) higher risk of fatal heart attack than people who have never used the product. This greater risk is even higher for those who take more than 50 grams of snus a day. Amongst those who suffer non-fatal heart attacks, users of snus have a higher fatality rate in general than non-users, and from cardiovascular diseases in particular. The studies reveal no greater risk of stroke amongst users of snus; however, users were more likely to suffer a fatal stroke. Users also ran a higher risk of developing high blood [...]

12/18/2007 web-based article Hedwig Kresse www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com The FDA has requested further information for GSK's cervical cancer vaccine. With Merck & Co's blockbuster Gardasil currently the only approved HPV vaccine in the US, the FDA approval of Cervarix would represent a significant commercial milestone for GSK. However, the market delay now facing Cervarix is likely to restrict its impact and will enable Gardasil to retain a monopoly position in the crucial US market until the agency's unspecified issues are resolved. Cervical cancer, killing over 280,000 women worldwide each year, is causatively linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is spread by sexual contact. Recently, both Merck and GSK have launched vaccines which could protect against infections with HPV if administered to young girls before they become sexually active. These products have a significant commercial opportunity: Datamonitor predicts annual cohort sales of $1.4 billion for the seven major markets by 2016. In addition, there is a significant catch-up opportunity in young women aged 13-26, which could be worth over $17 billion by 2016. Comparing the two vaccines, Gardasil has numerous advantages over Cervarix: From a clinical point of view, it has a wider coverage than Cervarix, protecting against HPV subtypes 6 and 11, which cause genital warts in addition to the cervical cancer subtypes 16 and 18, which are also contained in Cervarix. Furthermore, Merck has been able to show significant cross-protection against further subtypes not included in the vaccine. In addition, data presented in November 2007 demonstrate excellent efficacy of Gardasil [...]

12/11/2007 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Paul Turenne WinnipegSun.com A St. Malo man who had his case championed by a Manitoba MLA got a call for a medical appointment the day his situation was brought up during question period. Earlier this week, Tory MLA Mavis Taillieu asked the health minister why a St. Malo man who has lived the past year without teeth has to wait for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority to hire a new orthodontic surgeon. The man lost his teeth as a result of oral cancer and needs to be sized for dentures, but has been denied treatment in Edmonton even though the position of Winnipeg's only public orthodontic surgeon remains vacant. Health Minister Theresa Oswald said she would look into the case. "Interestingly enough he got a call that day to say his (treatment) would be on," said Taillieu. "He thanked me for raising it in the house. I don't believe his call was a coincidence. I think (the man) would still be waiting if I hadn't raised it." Taillieu said that is not right. "To me this is health care by crisis one case at a time," she said. "All of a sudden (Oswald) had to take some action because this came out in public." "I don't think we should have to address this in the house for people to get some service," said Taillieu.

12/7/2007 Creve Coeur, IL Jen Christensen HOI19 (www.hoinews.com) Mucositis is an inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract. The condition is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer. Although it can occur anywhere between the mouth and the anus, it’s most commonly seen in the mouth and throat. The organization, Cancer Supportive Care Programs, estimates oral mucositis affects up to 40 percent of chemotherapy patients and up to 50 percent of those receiving radiation and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy target rapidly-producing cells. While cancer cells rapidly reproduce, so do those lining the digestive tract. Since cancer treatments can’t differentiate between malignant and healthy cells, both types are affected. As the digestive tract cells are destroyed, the lining breaks down, causing inflammation, irritation and swelling. Initially, the tissues inside the mouth become pale and dry. Painful red sores develop on the inside of the cheeks, gums and throat. The tongue may swell, causing problems with eating, swallowing and talking. Accompanying side effects of cancer treatment, like nausea and vomiting, may aggravate the ability to eat, leading to nutritional deficiencies, dehydration, weight loss, loss of muscle mass and increased susceptibility to infection. In addition, cancer treatments may slow the ability of the mucosal tissue to heal, compounding the problem. In some cases, the symptoms become so severe, cancer treatment may need to be stopped. Shedding Light on a New Treatment Currently, there are few adequate treatments for mucositis. Health care workers try to reduce the risk [...]

12/7/2007 web-based article staff ScienceDaily (www.sciencedaily.com) The next cancer-fighting therapeutic could be growing in your garden. For example, a black raspberry-based gel might offer a means of stopping oral lesions from turning into a particularly dangerous and disfiguring form of cancer. And new studies show that cancer prevention might come in drinkable form: green tea extract, a powerful antioxidant, shows efficacy against colorectal cancer; and a new berry-rich beverage, made from a combination of known plant-based antioxidants, could prevent or slow the growth of prostate cancer. That is, according to research presented December 6, at the American Association for Cancer Research's Sixth Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Topically applied black raspberry gel applied on oral premalignant tumors Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a deadly cancer that, even when treated successfully, often leaves patients permanently disfigured. Other than radical surgery, there are few known treatments. Researchers at Ohio State University, however, report a Phase I/II trial demonstrating that a gel made from black raspberries shows promise in preventing or slowing the malignant transformation of precancerous oral lesions. "Black raspberries are full of anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that give the berries their rich, dark color, and our findings show these compounds have a role in silencing cancerous cells," said Susan Mallery, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology at Ohio State University's College of Dentistry. "This gel appears to be a valid means of delivering anthocyanins and other cancer-preventing [...]

12/4/2007 Birmingham, AL X Meng et al. J Am Acad Nurse Pract, December 1, 2007; 19(12): 668-75 Purpose: To examine Florida nurse practitioners' (NPs') attitudes and practices regarding oral cancer prevention and early detection. Data source: A statewide mail survey was conducted among Florida NPs who provided primary care. The questionnaire was adapted from an existing survey instrument used to measure NPs' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about oral cancer prevention and early detection. A total of 448 Florida NPs (33% response rate) completed the survey. Conclusions: Florida NPs reportedly were not well prepared for oral cancer prevention and early detection. Although most NPs realized the importance of annual oral cancer screening for high-risk populations and held positive attitudes toward the benefit of early detection, only 39.3% of respondents thought his or her knowledge about oral cancer was current and more than half had never provided oral cancer examinations. Implications for practice: Florida has among the nation's highest oral cancer rates, but persons at highest risk are among those least likely to see a dentist. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach involving all relevant healthcare providers, including NPs, may be more effective than relying only on dentists' efforts in improving survival rates for oral cancer. Strategies are needed to increase the involvement of Florida's NPs in oral cancer detection. Authors: X Meng, RP Duncan, CK Porter, Q Li, and SL Tomar Authors' affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

12/4/2007 Philadelphia, PA I Astsaturov, RB Cohen, and P Harari Curr Cancer Drug Targets, November 1, 2007; 7(7): 650-65 The epidermal growth factor (EGFR) and its receptor were discovered nearly 40 years ago. Over the past decade interruption of this pathway has been exploited in the treatment of various solid tumors. Antibodies that interfere with ligand binding to and dimerization of the EGFR (and small molecules that inhibit the EGFR tyrosine kinase) are anti-proliferative, profoundly radiosensitizing, and synergistic with DNA-damaging cytotoxic agents. Proposed mechanisms of radio- and chemosensitization include enhanced apoptosis, interference with DNA repair and angiogenesis, receptor depletion from the cell surface and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. This article provides a reader with a comprehensive review of EGFR-targeting antibodies under development for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) and also summarizes relevant clinical data in this disease with small molecule EGFR inhibitors. One of the monoclonal antibodies, cetuximab, recently received full FDA approval for the treatment of patients with locally advanced (with radiation) or metastatic HNSCC (as a single agent). Regulatory approval followed reporting of a large international study in which the addition of cetuximab to definitive radiation therapy in HNSCC resulted in statistically significant improvements in locoregional control and overall survival. Results of the pivotal trial, other clinical data supporting the regulatory approval, and a preview of the next generation of clinical trials are presented. Considerable work remains to be done, particularly to enhance our understanding of factors that may predict for favorable response to [...]

12/4/2007 web-based article Cristina Bosetti et al. American Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/aje/kwm318 Upper aerodigestive tract cancers are strongly related to smoking, and their incidence is substantially lower in former smokers than in continuing smokers. To estimate the effect of smoking cessation on the cumulative incidence of these cancers by age 75 years (in the absence of competing causes of death), the authors combined odds ratios for males from a network of Italian hospital-based case-control studies (1984–2000) with 1993–1997 incidence data for Italian men. The studies included 961 cases with oral/pharyngeal cancer, 618 cases with esophageal cancer, and 613 cases with laryngeal cancer, plus 3,781 controls. For all upper aerodigestive tract cancers, the cumulative risks by 75 years of age were 6.3% for men who continued to smoke any type of tobacco, 3.1% and 1.2% for men who stopped smoking at around 50 and 30 years of age, respectively, and 0.8% among lifelong nonsmokers. Corresponding figures were 3.3%, 1.4%, 0.5%, and 0.2% for oral/pharyngeal cancer; 1.0%, 0.5%, 0.4%, and 0.2% for esophageal cancer; and 2.1%, 1.1%, 0.2%, and 0.2% for laryngeal cancer. In this Italian population, men who stopped smoking before age 50 years avoided more than half of the excess risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancer as men who did not, and men who stopped smoking before age 30 years avoided more than 90% of the risk. Authors: Cristina Bosetti1, Silvano Gallus1, Richard Peto2, Eva Negri1, Renato Talamini3, Alessandra Tavani1, Silvia Franceschi4 and Carlo La Vecchia1,5 Authors' affiliations: 1 Istituto [...]

12/4/2007 Houston, TX DI Rosenthal J Support Oncol, October 1, 2007; 5(9 Suppl 4): 23-31 Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) receiving radiation therapy (RT) alone or with concurrent chemotherapy (CRT) often develop mucositis that may lead to unplanned treatment interruptions and/or chemotherapy dose reductions. Some RT schedules have included planned treatment breaks to allow normal tissues to recover from these toxicities. These decreases in treatment intensity, however, may reduce rates of locoregional tumor control and survival. Any treatment gaps allow for tumor repopulation, which may also promote regrowth of chemotherapy-resistant populations. Therefore, any potential benefits of high-intensity therapy may be lost due to interruptions in RT or reduced chemotherapy dose intensity, unless the treatment intensity is sufficient to offset interval tumor repopulation. Most patients undergoing RT alone and virtually all undergoing CRT--particularly those with HNC--will develop mucositis, which doubles the risk of reduction in treatment intensity and can increase the rate of hospitalization and the use of feeding tubes or total parenteral nutrition. Many of these patients with severe mucositis will require a break in treatment or change in administration schedule to alleviate symptoms. Effective prophylaxis or treatment could reduce the probability of treatment breaks and dose reductions and thus improve outcomes. Author's affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Box 0097, Houston, TX 77030, USA