New labels may not go far enough

Source: www.denverpost.com Author: Rhonda Hackett How far would you go to stop a killer? Smoking continues to kill more Americans every year than alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and the single greatest driver of health-care costs in Colorado. Despite concerted efforts over recent years to educate people about the dangers of tobacco use, 46.6 million American adults smoke, while kids alone are responsible for roughly $2 billion in annual cigarette sales revenues. More than 400,000 people die every year from tobacco use (4,300 in Colorado), while an additional 50,000 adults die as a result of second-hand smoke exposure. More than 8 million Americans currently suffer from tobacco- caused illnesses, resulting in an estimated $96 billion in public and private health care expenditures each year. In Colorado, the tab is about $1.3 billion per year. Simply put, tobacco is the single most lethal and costly legal commodity available in America today. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now followed the lead of other developed nations by requiring cigarette packages carry graphic warning labels. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said at a White House briefing, "We want kids to understand smoking is gross - not cool - and there's really nothing pretty about having mouth cancer." Critics of the warning labels cite the fact that smoking is a legal activity and as such products associated with it should not be subject to government mandate discouraging use. The Institute [...]

2011-07-03T09:03:04-07:00July, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Late diagnoses may have caused U.K. oral cancer deaths

Source: http://www.drbicuspid.com/ Author: DrBicuspid Staff Late diagnoses and referrals could have resulted in the deaths of several oral cancer patients at a dental hospital in Belfast, U.K., according to a story in the Belfast Telegraph. A report found the Belfast Health Trust guilty of "serious deficiencies" after 15 oral cancer patients at the Royal Dental Hospital received late diagnoses and referrals. Health Minister Edwin Poots said that four of the 15 could have died as a consequence. Poots also disclosed that five senior directors of the trust received pay increases of between 5% and 10%, which cannot now be legally retrieved, involving a total of 26,000 pounds ($41,793 U.S). Also, government officials were told there may be "potentially material shortcomings" over the procurement of a security services contract at the Belvoir Park Hospital site in south Belfast. The problems were attributed to excessive workloads, exacerbated by the lack of an adequate secretarial and administrative support system. In February, it was revealed that two years ago the trust launched a major review of 3,000 clinical records belonging to dentistry patients in Northern Ireland.

2011-07-03T08:56:36-07:00July, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Hypersensitivity Reactions to Erbitux Caused by Tick Bites.

Source: Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News Hypersensitivity reactions to cetuximab (Erbitux, ImClone Systems/Bristol-Myers Squibb), a monoclonal antibody approved for use in colorectal cancer, are not caused by the drug itself but by preexisting immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies that may result from tick bites, researchers have found. Cetuximab, like other monoclonal antibodies, is generally associated with a low rate of severe anaphylactic reactions (3%), but reports of such reactions to cetuximab have recently increased in southeastern states, including Tennessee and North Carolina. Researchers found IgE antibodies in pretreatment samples of 68% of patients allergic to cetuximab that were specific for galactose-α-1,3-galactose, an oligosaccharide present on the Fab portion of the cetuximab heavy chain. The authors noted that rates of anaphylactic reaction may be lower with other monoclonal antibodies because cetuximab is produced in the mouse cell line SP2/0, which expresses this oligosaccharide, whereas most other monoclonal antibodies are produced in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line that does not express this molecule. Theories to explain the increased hypersensitivity of patients in the Southeast initially centered on exposure to worms, such as roundworms or tapeworms. However, researchers now believe the true culprit may be ticks, whose bites have resulted in the development of this type of IgE antibody. Pretreatment samples were obtained from 76 people treated with cetuximab at centers mainly in Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina; the control group included 72 people in Tennessee, 49 patients with cancer in northern California and 341 women in Boston. Of the patients on cetuximab, 25 [...]

2011-07-01T12:42:28-07:00July, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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The Value of Vaccines

Source: Medscape.com Vaccines Decrease Rate of Bacterial Meningitis A recent, retrospective study revealed that the incidence of bacterial meningitis decreased by 31% over 10 years, likely the result of vaccinations (Thigpen et al. 2011). In addition, the median age of those infected increased from 30.3 to 41.9 years, evidence that vaccinating the young has protected them from infections while leaving older, unvaccinated people more vulnerable. The authors analyzed data on bacterial meningitis from 1998-1999 to 2006-2007 in 8 surveillance areas of the Emerging Infections Programs Network, which includes 17.4 million people. The 5 most common pathogens for bacterial meningitis were Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), Streptococcus pneumonia, group B streptococcus (GBS), Listeria monocytogenes, and Neisseria meningitides. Cerebrospinal confirmation of the clinical diagnosis was required. The beneficial effect of vaccines during the surveillance period is striking. The incidence of bacterial meningitis from Haemophilus influenza decreased by 35%. For strains of bacterial meningitis from Streptococcus pneumonia included in the PCV7 vaccine, infections decreased by 92%. Conversely, rates of meningitis from group B streptococcus, for which there is no vaccine, did not change. Deadly Choices In a recent Medscape One-on-One video interview, Eli Adashi, MD, discussed the dangers of the anti-vaccine movement with Paul Offit, MD, Chief of Infectious Disease at Children's Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Offit is a pediatrician and author of Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All, Basic Books, 2011. It's a Conspiracy... According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Unfounded claims can cause harm [...]

2011-06-29T09:50:20-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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What Really Killed Farrah Fawcett?

Source: Empowher.com In a recent interview between CNN’s Piers Morgan and Ryan O’Neal, O’Neal claimed that the stress resulting from his family turmoil may have contributed to Farrah Fawcett’s death. He stated,“…we really don’t know what causes cancer…” When it comes to anal cancer, the disease that took Fawcett’s life in June of 2009, we certainly do know the cause. More than 90 percent of anal cancers are the result of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). This is the same virus responsible for cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile and oral cancers. The list of cancers resulting from HPV continues to grow, with oral cancer (mainly affecting men) as the latest on the ongoing list. It has been known for quite some time, however, that HPV is responsible for anal cancer. Over the past three decades, anal cancer has risen among women by 78 percent, and it has risen among men by 160 percent. Those figures were taken from a study done in 2004 by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. It has been another seven years, and still, little is done to inform the public of this rapidly growing trend and the vaccine that can prevent the two most aggressive strains of HPV known to cause anal cancer. When Fawcett’s documentary regarding her diagnosis and treatment for anal cancer aired in 2009, anal cancer survivors and others with HPV watched intently. They wanted to see if there would be a public service announcement at the end of the documentary to [...]

2011-06-28T11:29:19-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Philip Morris sues Australia over cigarette packaging

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/ Author: Bloomberg News Philip Morris International said it had started legal action against the Australian government over the nation’s plans to allow the sale of cigarettes only in plain packages. The company filed a notice of claim against the government saying that the proposals violate terms of Australia’s Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hong Kong, according to an e-mailed statement on Monday from Philip Morris’s Asian unit. A copy of the court document was not immediately available. Australia, which has already banned the public display of tobacco products in retail outlets, wants to outlaw logos on cigarette packs and force them to be sold in plain dark-olive packaging, carrying health warnings instead of company logos. Cigarette brand names will appear on the packages in the same size and style of printing. The legislation, if passed by Parliament, would come into force in 2012. “The forced removal of trade marks and other valuable intellectual property is a clear violation of the terms of the bilateral investment treaty between Australia and Hong Kong,” Anne Edwards, a spokeswoman for Philip Morris Asia, said in the statement. “We believe we have a very strong legal case and will be seeking significant financial compensation for the damage to our business.” The government raised tobacco taxes by 25 percent last year as it sought to curb smoking, which is the nation’s largest single preventable cause of death, according to the nation’s health minister, Nicola Roxon. “We don’t believe that taking that action is in breach [...]

2011-06-27T06:06:24-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Can HPV vaccine stop throat cancer?

Source: children.webmd.com Author: Daniel J. DeNoon, WebMD Health News (Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD) HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines protect against the sexually transmitted strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer. The same HPV strains -- spread by kissing and by oral sex -- cause oropharyngeal (OP) cancer, the form of head and neck cancer that affects the back and sides of the throat, the base of the tongue, and the tonsils. There's strong evidence that HPV vaccines prevent cervical cancer. There's no direct proof that these vaccines prevent throat cancer, but the rapid rise in cases among young people has some experts wanting to vaccinate first and get proof later. "We don't need to wait until all these molecular events are understood," Dong Moon Shin, MD, of Emory University's Winship Cancer Center, tells WebMD. "The time is now. For the HPV vaccine, cost is the only issue as side effects are minimal. Routine HPV vaccination has to be implemented very soon, for both boys and girls." In the U.S., that recommendation is made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The ACIP now recommends routine HPV vaccination only for girls and young women in order to prevent cervical cancer. It permits vaccination of boys who want protection against HPV-caused genital warts. For two years, the ACIP has been mulling whether to recommend the HPV vaccine for boys. This would help prevent cervical cancer in unvaccinated women. It also would prevent HPV-related anal cancer and genital warts in both men [...]

2011-06-25T08:44:16-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Cancer vaccines make progress in combating disease

Source: http://www.masshightech.com/ Author: Lori Valigra, Mass High Tech correspondent Sen. Edward Kennedy’s death two years ago from the deadly form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), refocused attention on how slowly treatments have progressed since former President Richard Nixon declared the war on cancer in 1971. But a new form of treatment that goes beyond oncology drugs and surgery is now coming of age: cancer vaccines. At the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago — a major forum for cancer researchers — several companies and research groups reported progress on cancer vaccines, including a New England company with a shot for GBM. Agenus Inc. of Lexington reported its Prophage G-200 almost doubled the longevity of patients with recurring GBM to 11 months. That’s good news to patients with that particularly aggressive form of cancer, which also killed composer George Gershwin and music synthesizer legend Robert Moog. Vaccines represent a relatively new approach to fighting the spread of cancer, having appeared in the last decade. The basic concept is similar to a vaccine for a disease like measles: an injection in the arm induces an immune response that helps the body fight a particular pathogen, in this case, a cancer. An effective immune response would then shrink tumors and extend lives. Research and Markets estimates that the relatively new market for cancer vaccines could rise sharply to top $7 billion by 2015. The research company looked at six main categories of cancer vaccines: antigen/adjuvant, DNA, vector-based, tumor [...]

2011-06-25T08:36:46-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Cigarette ads, packages must include oral cancer warnings, says FDA

Source: http://www.healthcanal.com/ Author: Craig Palmer, ADA News staff The Food and Drug Administration will require use of a “cancerous lesion on lip” image in cigarette advertising and packaging for its potential to motivate positive behavioral change, influence youth and young adults in particular and inform the public that cigarettes cause oral cancer. Flexing its regulatory muscle on the second anniversary of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law June 22, 2009, the FDA unveiled nine graphic health warnings to be placed on all cigarette packs, cartons and ads no later than Sept. 22, 2012. “The nine new health warning statements and the accompanying graphic images selected by FDA convey information that is factual and uncontroversial,” the agency said in the regulatory notice. The FDA simultaneously announced a public inquiry and request for comments on the public health impact of modified risk tobacco products sold or distributed for use to reduce harm or the risk of tobacco-related disease associated with commercially marketed tobacco products. The FDA scheduled a public forum Aug. 25-26 to obtain information on “the scientific issues associated with assessment and ongoing review of MRTPs.” These include smokeless and other products promoted as alternatives to cigarette smoking. The Association supported the 2009 tobacco control law, and has advised the FDA on using the law to shape public tobacco policy. “Dentists are the first line of defense in the war against oral cancer and many other tobacco-related diseases,” the Association told the FDA in [...]

2011-06-25T08:30:12-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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Cannabis use and oral diseases

Source: Nature.com Questions: What is the effect of cannabis usage on the oral environment? Data sources Medline and the Cochrane Central register of controlled trails (CENTRAL). Study selection Randomised Controlled Trials, Controlled Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies conducted on humans investigating cannabis usage were included. Screening was performed independently by two reviewers. Only English language studies were included. Case reports, letters and historical reviews were excluded. Data extraction and synthesis A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results Seven studies were included and a range of cannabis-associated oral side effects identified. Conclusions Based on the limited data, it seems justified to conclude that with increasing prevalence of cannabis use, oral health care providers should be aware of cannabis-associated oral side effects such as xerostomia, leukoedema and an increased prevalence and density of Candida albicans. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

2011-06-24T11:50:07-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
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