Democrat Shelly Leonard, Former House District Candidate, Fights Cancer Again

Source: TampaBay By: Mike Brassfield, Times Staff Writer CLEARWATER — When she ran against incumbent state Rep. Ed Hooper last year, Shelly Leonard wasn't your typical candidate. She was a 37-year-old single mother — and a survivor of oral cancer. The feisty Democrat made her cancer history a part of her stump speech, talking about the need to make health insurance accessible to more people. "My tongue is scarred," she would say on the campaign trail, "but I have a strong voice." More than 16,000 people voted for her in Clearwater-based House District 50. But nearly 24,000 voted to keep Republican Hooper in office, so Leonard went back to her job as a social worker. Now she's facing some bad news. Leonard's oral cancer has returned. She's scheduled to undergo major surgery today at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. "She's having surgery to remove four malignant tumors," said her friend and campaign treasurer, Van Farber. "After they remove the tumors, there's a question of how much of her tongue will be left after surgery — will she be able to talk in her normal voice, or just a whisper?" As tough as that is, it's actually an improvement over what her prognosis had been. As recently as six weeks ago, Leonard was told that her tumors were so large, she could lose part of her chin and some of her teeth and would need significant reconstructive surgery. "The most positive thing is, her tumors have shrunk since then," Farber said. [...]

2011-09-02T10:43:31-07:00September, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

New Research Proves Cancer-Fighting Virus can Kill Tumor Cells Without Harming Healthy Tissue

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Researchers have shown for the first time that a single intravenous infusion of a genetically engineered virus can home in on cancer, killing tumor cells in patients without harming healthy tissue. Scientists have been intrigued for decades with the idea of using viruses to alert the immune system to seek and destroy cancerous cells. That interest has taken off in recent years as advances in genetic engineering allow them to customize viruses that target tumors. The field received a boost in January when biotech giant Amgen Inc agreed to pay up to $1 billion for BioVex, the developer of experimental cancer-fighting virus OncoVex. But the only "oncolytic virus" so far approved by a regulatory agency is for treatment of head and neck cancer in China. In a study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, scientists at institutions including the University of Ottawa and privately held biotech company Jennerex Inc said a small, early-stage trial of experimental viral therapy JX-954 found that it consistently infected tumors with only minimal and temporary side effects. The experimental virus will next be tested in a mid-stage trial of patients with liver cancer. "With chemotherapy you get drastic side effects," said Dr. John Bell, chief scientific officer at Jennerex and senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. "Patients on this treatment only had 24-hour flu symptoms, and nothing after that." The trial, which involved 23 patients with various types of advanced cancer, was designed to assess the safety of [...]

2011-09-01T10:59:03-07:00September, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Ear, nose and throat docs weigh in on controversial test

Source: commonhealth.wbur.org Author: Rachel Zimmerman Last week, WBUR’s Martha Bebinger wrote a story about doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who, for the first time, got access to a list of prices for common tests and procedures. The piece triggered a minor uprising among some ENT specialists, who offered impassioned comments on the story. Martha explains the controversy: One primary care doctor, David Ives, the medical director of Affiliated Physicians Group, the largest group of private doctors that admits patients to Beth Israel, reacted to the price of a nasal endoscopy and said he thinks the procedure is used too often when a physical exam would suffice. This comment angered many Ear, Nose and Throat specialists who say the development and use of this scope is one of the most important diagnostic tools in their field in recent history. Before filing the story, I searched for medical literature comparing either the cost effectiveness or the outcomes of a nasal endoscopy vs. a physical exam. I didn’t find anything. I did not call a representative of the American Academy of Otolaryngology for their views on nasal endoscopy. We offer that now. Wendy Stern is the chair elect of the Public Relations committee for the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, a former president of the Massachusetts Society of Otolaryngology. Dr. Stern says nasal endoscopy allows the physician to look for signs of bacterial infection, structural changes, polyps or tumors that would not be visible without this tool. Not using [...]

2011-08-30T22:01:28-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Blood filter to be tested on cancer patients

Source: www.signonsandiego.com Author: Keith Darcé A Santa Monica research center will test an experimental therapeutic filtering device being developed by Aethlon Medical on blood taken from cancer patients, the San Diego company said Wednesday. The study will target exosomes, bubbles of protein and RNA molecules excreted by cancerous cells that can block immune system cells from fighting the illness. By removing exosomes from circulating blood, Aethlon officials hope their device will improve the body's ability to fight cancer and the effectiveness of treatments such as chemotherapy. Blood taken from 25 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, and head and neck cancer will be circulated through the Hemopurifier device. In clinical use, blood would be filltered directly from the patient and returned to the body in a similar way to kidney dialysis. However, in the newly announced pre-clinical trial blood will not be returned to patients, Aethlon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James Joyce said. "if we validate that our Hemopurifier is efficient in capturing exosomes, its possible that we could transition towards a human treatment study to evaluate exosome clearance from the entire circulatory system," he said. The test will be conducted by the Sarcoma Oncology Center, a nonprofit independent research institute focused on cancer therapy development. "This clinical histological study is a critical validation step in Aethlon's Hemopurifier strategy for cancer," said Dr. Sant Chawla, the trial's chief investigator. "The concept of 'subtractive therapy', eliminating a major mechanism of tumor progression and resistance to drugs, [...]

2011-08-27T18:04:11-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Students can’t commit to quitting

Source: www.gcsunade.com Author: Lindsay Peterson A Georgia College student steps outside, pauses and inhales, filling his lungs with acetone, ammonia, arsenic, benzene, butane, formaldehyde, lead and turpentine – just 8 of the more than 50 carcinogens found in the average cigarette. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 46 million smokers in the U.S., college students are among the highest percentage of smokers. Almost 22 percent of adults ages 18-24 smoke, according to 2009 CDC data. Their professors are not far behind them in their smoking addiction. According to the CDC data, almost 22 percent of people ages 45-64 are smokers. In 2009, the CDC found that adults in the Southeast were among the most prevalent smokers in the United States. While there are no hard statistics for the percentage of students and staff that smoke at GC, it is not uncommon to see a familiar gathering of smokers sitting outside any of the dorms. Lauren Luker, junior mass communication major, started smoking in order to get a break at her job as a server. “You couldn’t have a break unless it was a smoke break,” Luker said. Now, eight years later, Luker is worried about the health of her lungs and is planning on quitting after several previous failed attempts. However, quitting such an addictive habit is not always easy, as Luker knows. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Fortunately for GC students and staff [...]

2011-08-27T18:04:50-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

George Karl takes cancer message to fundraiser in Spokane

Source: www.nba.com Author: Aaron J. Lopez, Nuggets.com Nuggets coach George Karl will be the first person to admit that his fashion sense is more faux pas than je ne sais quoi. He prefers shorts and golf shirts over dress shoes and designer ties, and he often jokes that his clothing choice for the day is determined by what’s on top of the hamper. When it comes to assisting in the fight against cancer, Karl will meet even the strictest of dress codes. Karl, who has survived head and neck cancer and prostate cancer in the past six years, will don a tuxedo this weekend when he serves as the guest speaker at a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser in Spokane, Wash. It is the 10th year of the event founded by Gonzaga men’s basketball coach Mark Few and his wife Marcy. “I enjoy speaking about cancer,” Karl said. “It’s become my hobby/ambassadorship, whatever word you want to use. I play amateur sociologist and try to help people become more aware about what is going on.” Karl, 60, has become extremely educated about cancer treatments, research and funding options since recovering from his latest battle over the past 20 months. He is a spokesman for the Cancer Care Initiative at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood and St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He also is active with the Cancer League of Colorado and the American Cancer Society. “With all the information and knowledge we have our hands on now, it seems [...]

2011-08-27T12:38:02-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Rate of HPV Vaccination in Teens Lagging

Source: The Associated Press Author: Staff   Only about half of the teenage girls in the U.S. have rolled up their sleeves for a controversial vaccine against cervical cancer — a rate well below those for two other vaccinations aimed at adolescents. The vaccine hit the market in 2006. By last year, just 49 percent of girls had gotten at least the first of the recommended three shots for human papilloma virus, or HPV, a sexually-transmitted bug that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Only a third had gotten all three doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. In contrast, the CDC said about two-thirds of teens had gotten the recommended shot for one type of bacterial meningitis and a shot for meningitis and tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. Granted, it can take many years for a new vaccine to catch on and reach the 90 percent and above range for many longstanding childhood vaccines. But use of HPV vaccine has been "very disappointing" compared to other newer vaccines, said the CDC's Dr. Melinda Wharton. "If we don't do a much better job, we're leaving another generation vulnerable to cervical cancer later in life," said Wharton. Why aren't more girls getting HPV shots? The vaccine can be very expensive, and it can be a bit of a hassle. It takes three visits to the doctor over six months. But sex no doubt has something to do with it, experts said. Girls are supposed to start the [...]

2011-08-26T12:24:52-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

New Study for Cancer Patients to Help Improve the Body’s Ability to Fight Illness

Source: Sign On San Diego A Santa Monica research center will test an experimental therapeutic filtering device being developed by Aethlon Medical on blood taken from cancer patients, the San Diego company said Wednesday. The study will target exosomes, bubbles of protein and RNA molecules excreted by cancerous cells that can block immune system cells from fighting the illness. By removing exosomes from circulating blood, Aethlon officials hope their device will improve the body's ability to fight cancer and the effectiveness of treatments such as chemotherapy. Blood taken from 25 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, and head and neck cancer will be circulated through the Hemopurifier device. In clinical use, blood would be filltered directly from the patient and returned to the body in a similar way to kidney dialysis. However, in the newly announced pre-clinical trial blood will not be returned to patients, Aethlon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James Joyce said. "If we validate that our Hemopurifier is efficient in capturing exosomes, its possible that we could transition towards a human treatment study to evaluate exosome clearance from the entire circulatory system," he said. The test will be conducted by the Sarcoma Oncology Center, a nonprofit independent research institute focused on cancer therapy development. "This clinical histological study is a critical validation step in Aethlon's Hemopurifier strategy for cancer," said Dr. Sant Chawla, the trial's chief investigator. "The concept of 'subtractive therapy', eliminating a major mechanism of tumor progression and resistance to drugs, [...]

2011-08-25T09:51:41-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Songwriter Nick Ashford Dies; Had Throat Cancer

Source: The New York Times Nick Ashford, who with Valerie Simpson, his songwriting partner and later wife, wrote some of Motown’s biggest hits, like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough“ and “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” and later recorded their own hits and toured as a duo, died Monday at a hospital in New York City. He was 70 and lived in Manhattan. Mr. Ashford had throat cancer and was undergoing treatment, but the cause of his death was not immediately known. His death was announced by Liz Rosenberg, a friend who is a longtime music publicist. One of the primary songwriting and producing teams of Motown, Ashford & Simpson specialized in romantic duets of the most dramatic kind, professing the power of true love and the comforts of sweet talk. In “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” from 1967, their first of several hits for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, lovers in close harmony proclaim their determination that “no wind, no rain, no winter’s cold, can stop me, baby,” but also make cuter promises: “If you’re ever in trouble, I’ll be there on the double.” Gaye and Terrell also sang the duo’s songs “Your Precious Love,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Diana Ross sang their “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand,” and when she rerecorded “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough“ in 1970, it became the former Supreme’s first No. 1 hit as a solo artist. “They had magic, and that’s what [...]

2011-08-24T09:58:06-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More

Using mouthwash can increase cancer risk for smokers

Source: www.independent.ie Author: Eilish O’Regan, health correspondent Smokers have been warned to stay away from mouthwash – as it might increase their risk of developing mouth cancer. The combination of smoking and drinking alcohol has been established as increasing the risk of the disease. Now researchers have warned that may apply even to the alcohol contained in mouthwash. They pointed out that, while the link between the use of mouthwash containing alcohol and the cancer is not firmly established, it is best avoided or limited in use by smokers. The risk was examined by researchers led by dentist Dr John Reidy and colleagues in the Royal College of Surgeons and St James’s Hospital in Dublin. Around 400 new cases of oral cancer are diagnosed each year in Ireland with two people a week dying from the disease. Symptoms include red and white patches on the lining of the mouth or tongue, a mouth ulcer that does not heal or a swelling that lasts for more than three weeks. The most effective way of preventing mouth cancer is to quit smoking and limit consumption of alcohol, say experts. The researchers said they were concerned about the effects the alcohol in the mouthwash had and it was therefore “prudent” to restrict its use by smokers who are considered “high-risk” for mouth cancer. Around three-quarters of mouth cancers arise due to a patient both smoking and drinking, according to the study in the Journal of the Irish Dental Association. -

2011-08-24T08:50:11-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Read More
© - The Oral Cancer Foundation - Head & Neck Cancer IRS 501(c)3 Charity - 3419 Via Lido #205, Newport Beach, CA 92663 | Disclaimer / Privacy Policy
Go to Top