Oral Cancer News – Page 180

Screen carotids after head and neck radiation

Source: www.oncologyreport.com Author: Neil Osterweil, Oncology Report Digital Network Head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation should be screened routinely for carotid artery stenosis, investigators recommended at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. Among 225 patients who had received radiation and were screened, an estimated 18% had significant asymptomatic stenosis (50% or greater narrowing) of one or both carotid arteries 3 years after treatment said Dr. Jennifer Dorth, a resident in radiation oncology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "We recommend screening for head and neck cancer patients given that there are high rates of stenosis as well as high rates of progression of stenosis," she said. Factors significantly associated with risk for stenosis included Framingham risk factors (smoking history, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular/peripheral vascular disease, and atrial fibrillation) and radiation dose. The investigators retrospectively reviewed outcomes of asymptomatic, disease-free head and neck cancer patients who had received radiation with curative intent to the neck. The patients were screened with carotid Doppler ultrasound at or after the 1-year follow-up visit, and this was repeated every 2-3 years. Patients with ultrasound evidence of 50% or greater stenosis were referred to vascular surgery. The study identified 225 patients, 139 of whom had received intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with the dose calculated separately for each side of the neck. Because of the separate treatment planning, the investigators analyzed the data by creating two separate models: one looking at all patients, and the other looking at [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-15T05:25:58-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancers on rise due to HPV

Source: gargoyle.flagler.edu Author: staff Many Flagler College students are reconsidering human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines due to the growing number of head and neck cancers in the United States caused by the HPV virus. According to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the number of cases of oropharyngeal cancer, which are cancers of the tonsils, throat and base of the tongue, have been rising since the mid-1980s. “I got all three shots because I was influenced by my doctor and my mom because it seemed like a good way to protect myself,” said student Courtney Fusilier. “I think people should get it if they don’t want to die from those types of cancer.” The causes of oral cancers function within two categories: cancer caused by tobacco and alcohol and cancer caused by the sexually transmitted virus, HPV, researchers said. Researchers now believe that 70 percent of oropharyngeal cancers are caused by HPV. “The HPV status of a patient’s tumor is the single greatest determinant of whether a person lives or dies after a diagnosis of local-regionally advanced oropharynx cancer,” Gillison said. According to Gillison, about 95 percent of the HPV-positive oropharynx cancers were caused by HPV16. This strain is specifically targeted by Gardasil and Cervarix, which are two vaccines on the market to prevent cervical cancer. Communication major Adair Findley believes the HPV vaccines should be taken for a good piece of mind. “HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection so I think it is important to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-15T05:19:56-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Is oral sex more dangerous than smoking?

Source: www.yourtango.com Author: TresSugar Oral sex might be the new smoking. New research has found that oral sex may cause more cases of throat cancer in men than smoking thanks to HPV transmissions. In 2004, HPV caused 2.6 cases of throat cancer per 100,000 people, compared to .8 cases per 100,000 people in 1998. At this rate, by 2020 HPV will result in more throat cancer in both men and women than cervical cancer. What's making the rate go up? A higher rate of going down. Cancer researchers told the New York Times that younger people are having more oral sex because they think it's safer than intercourse. In addition to increasing awareness about the risks associated with oral sex, there may be another solution already available. The HPV vaccines currently recommended for girls could probably help prevent throat cancer when given to boys. Vaccine companies would have to test the drugs for that purpose specifically, and then health professionals would have to convince parents to vaccinate their boys against HPV. But maybe that would be easier than it's been to vaccinate girls against a potentially deadly, yet common STD, since society doesn't have the same hang-ups with male sexuality.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-15T05:12:30-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Systems Strategies To Support Cancer Screening in U.S. Primary Care Practice

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011 Oct 5 Yabroff R, Zapka JM, Klabunde C, Yuan G, Buckman D, Haggstrom D, Clauser S, Miller JW, Taplin S. Source Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute. Abstract BACKGROUND: Although systems strategies are effective in improving health care delivery, little is known about their use for cancer screening in U.S. primary care practice. METHODS: We assessed primary care physicians' (n=2475) use of systems strategies for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in a national survey conducted in 2007. Systems strategies included patient and physician screening reminders, performance reports of screening rates, electronic medical records, implementation of in-practice guidelines, and use of nurse practitioners/physician assistants. We evaluated use of both patient and physician screening reminders with other strategies in separate models by screening type, adjusted for the effects of physician and practice characteristics with multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Fewer than 10% of physicians used a comprehensive set of systems strategies to support cancer screening; use was greater for mammography and Pap testing than for CRC screening. In adjusted analyses, performance reports of cancer screening rates, medical record type, and in-practice guidelines were associated with use of both patient and physician screening reminders for mammography, Pap testing, and CRC screening (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite evidence supporting use of systems strategies in primary care, few physicians report using a comprehensive set of strategies to support cancer screening. Impact: Current health policy initiatives underscore the importance of increased implementation of systems strategies in primary care to improve the use and quality [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-11T10:42:41-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Combo HPV Diagnostic Test for Head and Neck Cancer Outperforms Other Tests

SOURCE: American Association for Cancer Research PHILADELPHIA -- October 3, 2011 -- Researchers have determined that a combination of P16 immunohistochemistry and DNA qPCR to test for viral E6 can accurately determine the oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas which derive from human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16, according to a study published in Clinical Cancer Research. "This has immediate clinical applications as we consider recruitment to clinical trials designed to de-escalate the intensity of therapy based on HPV status" said lead researcher Andrew Schache, MD, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom. Dr. Schache said that the attention surrounding HPV, particularly in the last several years, has given rise to a number of diagnostic tests, but the evaluation of these tests has lagged behind. For the current study, researchers evaluated 8 possible combinations of known diagnostic tests on 108 cases of HPV16 derived oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. They used viral gene expression as the standard marker. "Viral gene expression has 100% specificity and sensitivity, but it requires very high quality tissue that is often not available," said Dr. Schache. After evaluating the tests, they found that a combination of DNA qPCR and P16 immunohistochemistry had 97% sensitivity and 94% specificity. Both of these assays are commercially available in proprietary and generic forms, so the combination test could be administered. "Getting the diagnosis right is extremely important because cases like this may receive less aggressive therapy based on a positive test," added Dr. Schache. "You do not want to withhold treatment from a more [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-15T07:37:14-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

New Jersey Dentist Involved in Lawsuit After Patient Dies of Metastatic Tongue Cancer

Source: MyCentralJersey.com The dentist of a local firefighter who last year died of cancer at the age of 33 is being sued by the man’s estate, which accuses him of failing to warn his patient quickly enough that an tongue abnormality could have been a troubling sign of a bigger problem. Steven M. Runyon, who grew up in Manville before moving to Somerville, died of metastatic tongue cancer on Aug. 13, 2010, just eight days after his wife of four years, Colleen, gave birth to the couple’s fourth child. But the lawsuit alleges that Runyon’s dentist, Francis Barbieri Jr., first noticed a “raised area” on his patient’s tongue in December 2008 — nine months before he first was diagnosed with cancer — and failed to advise him to look into it further. Runyon returned to Barbieri for another appointment in June 2009, when the dentist noted visible changes to Runyon’s tongue, and he went back for follow-up sessions three times that summer, the lawsuit indicates. But it was only during the final visit, in August, that Barbieri finally referred him to Somerset Oral Surgery for an evaluation and biopsy, according to the allegations. Runyon subsequently underwent “extensive” treatment by various physicians in various locations — suffering “severe pain, physical disfigurement, mental anguish and suffering,” the suit states — but died less than a year later. Barbieri did not return a phone call placed to his office last week. The dentist has an office on East Main Street in Somerville and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-04T15:16:39-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Evaluation of Human Papilloma Virus Diagnostic Testing in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Sensitivity, Specificity, and Prognostic Discrimination

Source: Clinical Cancer Research Abstract Purpose: Human papillomavirus-16 (HPV16) is the causative agent in a biologically distinct subset of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) with highly favorable prognosis. In clinical trials, HPV16 status is an essential inclusion or stratification parameter, highlighting the importance of accurate testing. Experimental Design: Fixed and fresh-frozen tissue from 108 OPSCC cases were subject to eight possible assay/assay combinations: p16 immunohistochemistry (p16 IHC); in situ hybridization for high-risk HPV (HR HPV ISH); quantitative PCR (qPCR) for both viral E6 RNA (RNA qPCR) and DNA (DNA qPCR); and combinations of the above. Results: HPV16-positive OPSCC presented in younger patients (mean 7.5 years younger, P = 0.003) who smoked less than HPV-negative patients (P = 0.007). The proportion of HPV16-positive cases increased from 15% to 57% (P = 0.001) between 1988 and 2009. A combination of p16 IHC/DNA qPCR showed acceptable sensitivity (97%) and specificity (94%) compared with the RNA qPCR “gold standard”, as well as being the best discriminator of favorable outcome (overall survival P = 0.002). p16 IHC/HR HPV ISH also had acceptable specificity (90%) but the substantial reduction in its sensitivity (88%) impacted upon its prognostic value (P = 0.02). p16 IHC, HR HPV ISH, or DNA qPCR was not sufficiently specific to recommend in clinical trials when used in isolation. Conclusions: Caution must be exercised in applying HPV16 diagnostic tests because of significant disparities in accuracy and prognostic value in previously published techniques. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-04T11:21:58-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

New Improved HPV Diagnostic Test for Head and Neck Cancer

Source: EurekAlert! Philadelphia -- Researchers have determined that a combination of P16 immunohistochemistry and DNA qPCR to test for viral E6 can accurately determine the oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, a form of head and neck cancer, which derive from HPV16, according to a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "This has immediate clinical applications as we consider recruitment to clinical trials designed to de-escalate the intensity of therapy based on HPV status" said lead researcher Andrew Schache, D.D.S., M.D., research fellow and surgeon at the University of Liverpool. Schache said that the attention surrounding HPV, particularly in the last several years, has given rise to a number of diagnostic tests, but the evaluation of these tests has lagged behind. For the current study, Schache and colleagues evaluated eight possible combinations of known diagnostic tests on 108 cases of HPV16 derived oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. They used viral gene expression as the standard marker. "Viral gene expression has 100 percent specificity and sensitivity, but it requires very high quality tissue that is often not available," said Schache. After evaluating the tests, they found that a combination of DNA qPCR and P16 immunohistochemistry had 97 percent sensitivity, a measure of accurate positive tests, and 94 percent specificity, a measure of accurate negative tests. Both of these assays are commercially available in proprietary and generic forms, Schache said, so the combination test could be administered. "Getting the diagnosis right is extremely important because cases [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-04T11:07:06-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Bummer – More oral sex equals more oral cancer

The Science Blog A new study of oropharyngeal cancer suggests that dramatic increases in U.S. incidence of the cancer and survival since 1984 can be attributed to infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Using samples collected from registries in three states, researchers showed that the proportion of oropharyngeal cancers – particularly among men – that tested positive for HPV increased significantly over time, from slightly more than 16 percent of such cancers diagnosed during the 1980s to more than 70 percent diagnosed during the 2000s. Based on these trends the researchers predict that incidence of oropharyngeal cancers will exceed that of cervical cancer in the next decade. Previous studies have shown that oropharyngeal cancers can be divided into two separate diseases with distinct causes: HPV-negative cancers, which are associated with tobacco and alcohol use; and HPV-positive cancers, which are linked to certain types of HPV, a sexually transmitted virus. Patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer also tend to be younger than those who are HPV-negative. Clinically, patients with HPV-positive cancer tend to have better survival compared to those with HPV-negative disease. “We used to think of oropharyngeal cancer as one cancer, and now we know the disease is comprised of two biologically and epidemiologically distinct cancers. This new understanding will increasingly enable us to improve and better personalize care for patients with each form of the disease,” said senior author Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-04T07:51:02-07:00October, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Cancer spike, mainly in men, tied to HPV from oral sex

Sharp rise in head and neck cancers begs question of vaccine for males By Brian Alexander Men's Health, msnbc.com A huge spike in the number of head and neck cancers linked to HPV over nearly two decades is raising alarms about the risk of the sexually contracted infections in a whole new population: men. Between 1988 and 2004, head, neck and throat cancers that tested positive for the human papilloma virus rose an astounding 225 percent, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Within the next decade, the study authors argue, the incidence of such cancers — which are almost always contracted as a result of oral sex — will surpass that of cervical cancer, and the majority of those cases are going to be in men. That’s a point often missed in public talk about HPV infection — and the vaccine that can prevent it. In the recent controversy over comments made by presidential candidate Michele Bachmann about the HPV vaccine, the focus was squarely on young women and cervical cancer. But HPV, mainly a strain called HPV-16, also causes oropharyngeal and anal cancer, a fact not often publicized because medical organizations, the government, and academics would rather not step into any debates about sex practices. Story: Guys, man up and get vaccinated: HPV is your responsibility Until recently, head and neck cancers were primarily diagnosed in older people, with an average age of 60, said Dr. Gregory Masters, an expert with the American Society of Clinical Oncology. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-03T16:28:36-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|