Oral Cancer News

“Lab on a chip” technique may be able to detect oral cancer

Source: http://www.dental-tribune.com/ Author: Dental Tribune International staff Researchers from British University of Sheffield, and Rice University in Houston, Texas, are conducting a clinical trial on a revolutionary technique for diagnosing oral cancer more quickly and effectively. The “lab on a chip” device could be used by a dentist to determine whether a patient has oral cancer or other abnormalities in less than 20 minutes. Over the past 18 months, 275 patients have taken part in a trial of the device in order to detect oral cancer in suspicious lesions. The traditional procedure involves using a scalpel to perform a biopsy and off-site laboratory tests that can be time-consuming. The new procedure involves removing cells with a brush, placing them on a chip and inserting the chip into an analyser, which yields a result in a matter of minutes. This offers a number of benefits, including reduced waiting times and patient visits. Patients are currently being tested with the new device, which is being compared to the standard biopsy procedure to test its accuracy and reliability. Martin Thornhill, Professor of Oral Medicine at the University of Sheffield and Honorary Consultant in Oral Medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This new technology is an exciting development in the search for quicker and more effective diagnosis of oral cancer. The current procedure we have for making a diagnosis—taking a biopsy—can take a week or more to produce results and can involve extra visits from patients. With our new [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-18T20:14:30-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

When life hands you cancer, make cancer-ade: via lemonade stand, 6yo boy raises $10K for dad’s chemo

Source: Boingboing.net A story making the rounds this week: Drew Cox, a 6 year old boy in Texas, "decided to sell lemonade to help his father with medical bills." His dad, Randy Cox, has a rare form of metastatic cancer, diagnosed a few months ago. The family says Drew's lemonade stand earned more than $10,000. They have an online fundraising site here, where they're trying to raise more. I am currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, diagnosed about four months ago. When I saw various versions of this story popping up on news sites, several thoughts came to mind. First, hooray for this child. I hope his dad gets the treatment he needs, that the treatment is successful, and that the family doesn't go into debt or have to forego treatment for lack of funds. But second: this is a disgrace. I hate it when stories like this are flogged in media as "feel-good" stories. This story should make America feel ashamed, not feel good. Seriously? A working father gets cancer, and the family has to rely on charity, and a lemonade stand manned by their 6 year old son, to obtain life-sustaining medical treatment? It's not the first such lemonade/chemo-money story to make the rounds in the media, wrapped up in feel-good. When life hands you cancer, the news narrative seems to be, just make cancer-ade! Well, I have cancer. I have insurance. I still pay what is for me a huge out-of-pocket sum, even after my insurance, for [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-18T14:54:16-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Prognostic Significance of HPV Status in Oropharyngeal Cancer

OncologySTAT Editorial Team Dr. Maura Gillison is Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Otolaryngology at Ohio State University in Columbus. OncologySTAT: The results of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0129 trial showed that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an independent prognostic factor in oropharyngeal cancer. Could you tell us about the rationale for this study? Dr. Gillison: Over the last 10 years, our research has shown that cancers of the oropharynx are actually 2 completely different diseases that can look quite similar. One subset is caused HPV infection, and the other is more closely associated with long-term use of alcohol and tobacco. Initial studies suggested that the presence of HPV in a patient’s tumor had prognostic significance, but study limitations made that conclusion dubious. We set out to determine whether or not HPV was indeed an independent prognostic factor in head and neck cancer. To show whether there was a direct relationship between HPV infection and head and neck cancer, we needed to prospectively study a uniformly treated and uniformly staged patient population. Thus, we used the study population from the trial conducted by the RTOG. We divided the patients into 2 groups—those whose tumors were caused by HPV and those whose tumors were not—and we compared survival outcomes for the 2 groups. The results showed that HPV status was the single most important predictor of patient outcome, even more so than disease stage and other well-known prognostic factors such as performance status and presence of anemia. In fact, after [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-18T10:16:03-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Vaccine Recommendation for Boys Viewed as Necessary

Source: OncLive.com As the incidence of head and neck cancers linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV) continues to rise, a federal advisory panel has recommended that all 11- and 12-year-old boys be vaccinated against the virus, igniting further controversy in an area where acceptance of a public health policy has been slow. The recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would expand the use of the vaccine beyond the original target population of 11- and 12-year-old girls for whom it is recommended as protection against cervical cancer. Ezra E. W. Cohen, MD, firmly supports the latest recommendation. “It’s the right move by the CDC,” he said in an interview. “I think it’s a long time coming.” Cohen said that the fact that the original recommendations targeted cervical cancer created a cultural perception that the vaccine was only intended for girls. Yet the HPV virus affects men as well. According to the CDC, HPV is associated with about 18,000 cancers in women and 7000 cancers in men each year. Overall, the incidence of HPV-positive oropharynx cancers increased by 225% between 1988 and 2004, according to National Cancer Institute research. There were an estimated 6700 cases of HPV-positive oropharynx cancers in 2010, up from 4000 to 4500 in 2004. Cohen said he believes such numbers are going to continue to rise. Even by taking proactive steps in 2011, the vaccine is only intended for children and young adults. HPV that is already [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-18T10:05:13-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

HPV DNA, E6?I-mRNA expression and p16(INK4A) immunohistochemistry in head and neck cancer – how valid is p16(INK4A) as surrogate marker?

Source: HighWire- Stanford University It has been proposed that p16(INK4A) qualifies as a surrogate marker for viral oncogene activity in head and neck cancer (HNSCC). By analyzing 78 HNSCC we sought to validate the accuracy of p16(INK4A) as a reliable marker of active HPV infections in HNSCC. To this end we determined HPV DNA (HPVD) and E6?I mRNA (HPVR) expression status and correlated these results with p16(INK4A) staining. In tonsillar SCC 12/20 were HPVD+ and 12/12 of these showed active HPV infections whereas in non-tonsillar SCC 10/58 were HPVD+ and 5/10 showed active HPV infections. Thus, we prove about 8% of non-tonsillar SCC to be also correlated with HPV-associated carcinogenesis. Strikingly, 3/14 (21.4%) of tonsillar and non-tonsillar HPVD+/HPVR+ cases did not show p16(INK4A) overexpression and these cases would have been missed when applying initial p16(INK4A) staining only. However, in 13 cases negative for HPV, DNA p16(INK4A) was overexpressed. In conclusion, our data confirm tonsillar SCC to be predominantly but not only associated with active HPV infections. Furthermore, our data show that p16(INK4A) overexpression is not evident in a subgroup of HNSCC with active HPV infection. Definitive HPV data should therefore be utilised in diagnostics and treatment modalities of HPV positive and HPV negative HNSCC patients, resulting in a paradigm shift regarding these obviously different tumour entities. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2012-04-17T12:58:24-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Vaccine May Prevent Recurrence of Precancerous Conditions

Source: abcnews.com The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been touted as a way to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts, but a new study suggests the vaccine may also prevent women diagnosed with precancers from developing recurrences. Researchers randomly assigned more than 1,350 women diagnosed with genital warts or certain precancerous conditions to receive either three injections of the HPV vaccine or a placebo. The women were followed for about four years. Women who received the vaccine had 46.2 percent lower risk of developing another HPV-related disease after treatment for their genital warts or their precancerous condition. Typically, women treated for these types of conditions are at risk for subsequent disease later, but the study offers evidence that "vaccination offered substantial benefit" in terms of lowering that risk, wrote the international team of authors, led by Elmar Joura, an associate professor at the University of Vienna in Austria. Experts not involved with the research told ABC News that the research is significant because it suggests for the first time that the HPV vaccine may offer benefits beyond prevention. "We always thought about the vaccine from the prevention, and this suggests it can lower the risk of developing a second episode of disease," said Dr. Anna Giuliano, director of the Center for Infection Research in Cancer at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Giuliano cited another study published online in January that found the HPV vaccine reduces the recurrence of abnormal anal cell growths in men. "We're now seeing a pattern [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-17T10:16:45-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer and cultural factors in Asia

Source: findarticles.com Authors: Sherry L Priebe, Jolanta Aleksejuniene, Shafik Dharamsi, Christopher Zed Abstract: Oral cancer is on the rise worldwide, with over 200,000 cases diagnosed yearly. The predisposing social and cultural habits related to this disease acquired in resource-poor countries in Southeast Asia remain prevalent among its users following migration to other and better resourced countries. As a result, countries that once rarely experienced high levels of oral cancer will likely see an increased incidence of this disease. Therefore, oral health professionals need to be aware of the cultural risk factors and the resulting oral health effects in order to respond effectively to the increasing incidence of oral cancer. The objective of this overview is to inform what is known about populations from resource poor countries in Asia in regards to oral cancer and its related cultural factors. Introduction: The social and cultural habits that may predispose people to oral cancer are common in resource-poor countries in Southeast Asia, and remain prevalent among its users following migration to other and better resourced countries. As a result, countries that once rarely experienced high levels of oral cancer will likely see a considerable increase of this disease. It has been suggested that following migration from these countries to North America, the habit has remained prevalent among this ethnic group. (1) Increasing the level of awareness among oral health professionals about oral cancer and its related cultural risk factors, as well as developing better early diagnosis are of key importance in addressing morbidity [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-17T05:33:42-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer medicine is stuck in the past

Source: www.technologyreview.com Author: Susan Young Pathologists and doctors are using a 19th century definition of cancer to diagnose the disease, which leads to unnecessary treatment in some cases, according to Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society. Speaking on Thursday at the 2012 TEDMED conference, Brawley called for a 21st century approach to cancer diagnosis; and a modern, genomics-based appreciation of cancer so that patients don't undergo surgeries and chemotherapy for tumors that pose little threat. Pathologists still use drawings made in 1840 to determine whether the cells in a biopsy are cancerous or not, said Brawley. When a lump is deemed to be cancerous, surgery often follows. But as many as 25% of breast cancers and, by some estimates, 60% of prostate cancers could be left untreated and merely monitored, he said. Brawley said the medical community needs to use genomic sequencing to identify the genetic signals of those cancers that doctors need to watch and those that need to be treated. This could be achieved by sequencing tumors from different cancer patients and looking for a genetic "profile" that is associated with dangerous, stable, or benign cancers.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-17T05:13:15-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Young Girls More Likely to Report Side Effects after HPV Vaccine

Source: Therapeutics Daily PORTLAND, Ore., April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Younger girls are more likely than adult women to report side effects after receiving Gardasil, the human papillomavirus vaccine. The side effects are non-serious and similar to those associated with other vaccines, according to a new study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the Journal of Women's Health. As part of an ongoing study and evaluation of this relatively new vaccine, researchers surveyed 899 girls and young women (ages 11-26) within two weeks after they received the Gardasil vaccine injection in the upper arm. The survey, which took place in 2008, also found that while most girls and young women did know that the vaccine can prevent cervical cancer, and that three doses are recommended, many didn't know that the vaccine can also prevent genital warts and abnormal pap smears. "Gardasil is an important cancer-prevention vaccine, but too few girls are getting it. Our study found that young girls do have some knowledge about the vaccine, but they need to know more. If these girls and their parents know what to expect, they will likely be less afraid of getting the vaccine," said study lead author Allison Naleway, PhD, a senior investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. Since 2006, the CDC has recommended Gardasil for girls ages 11-12, and for older girls and women (ages 13-26) who did not receive the vaccine when they were younger. The CDC [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-11T09:43:23-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Emergence of nanobiotechnology

Source: www.thedailystar.net Author: Md. Riajul Hossain Think of the tiny robots swimming through your blood vessels all over your body and fighting your enemies. Fascinating! Isn't it? The picture you are having in your mind right at this moment could be possible only because of the blessings of nanotechnology. When you apply genetic engineering in microorganisms, say bacteria, to attain your goal of curing various types of problems that living organisms might have, can be termed as nanobiotechnology. To define nanotechnology, it is stated that nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Nanoparticles are actually much too small to see with your eyes, or even with a typical light microscope. At the nanoscale, materials can behave in different and unexpected ways. For example, gold is yellow in color, but at the microscale of 25 nm size, they appear red. The target of the researchers in this field is to harness these different and unexpected behaviors of the nanoparticles to make new technologies, namely nanotechnology. Today, we will see how nanotechnology can involve biotechnology and what nanobiotechnology has to offer for us. You need not necessarily engineer microbes for nanobiotechnology every time. Even small nanoparticles could be used to deliver drugs in human bodies, to clear environmental pollutants etc. all of which could be taken under the umbrella of nanobiotechnology. This technology is being heralded as the key to new cancer treatments, energy independence, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-09T18:41:44-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|