Oral Cancer News

High Interest in HPV and EGRF When Referring to Head and Neck Cancer

Source: MedScape Today May 12, 2011 (London, United Kingdom) — The hottest topic in head and neck cancers is the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the disease, although there is also a lot interest in treatment with EGRF inhibitors, especially the second-generation products, according to an expert here at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 11th Biennial Conference. HPV has only been associated with head and neck cancer in the last few years, but it is now clear that patients who are positive for the virus have a better prognosis, said Cai Grau, MD, DMSC, professor of oncology at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. He chaired a session during which both hot topics were discussed. "These patients have a better prognosis, irrespective of treatment, and their risk of a second cancer is virtually zero," added session participant Lisa Licitra, MD, medical oncologist at the Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori in Milan, Italy. However, there is a difference between patients in the United States and those in Europe with regard to risk, she told meeting attendees. For American patterns, Dr. Licitra cited the analysis published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine (2010;363:24-35), which reported a risk model for death from oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma on the basis of HPV status, pack-years of tobacco smoking, and tumor and nodal stage. In this 266-patient cohort, 43% were low risk, 30% were intermediate risk, and 27% were high risk. Dr. Licitra reported that when [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-12T10:12:51-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

New Breath Test to Identify Head and Neck Cancer

Source: British Journal of Cancer M Hakim, S Billan, U Tisch, G Peng, I Dvrokind, O Marom, R Abdah-Bortnyak, A Kuten and H Haick Abstract Background: Head-and-neck cancer (HNC) is the eighth most common malignancy worldwide. It is often diagnosed late due to a lack of screening methods and overall cure is achieved in <50% of patients. Head-and-neck cancer sufferers often develop a second primary tumour that can affect the entire aero-digestive tract, mostly HNC or lung cancer (LC), making lifelong follow-up necessary. Methods: Alveolar breath was collected from 87 volunteers (HNC and LC patients and healthy controls) in a cross-sectional clinical trial. The discriminative power of a tailor-made Nanoscale Artificial Nose (NA-NOSE) based on an array of five gold nanoparticle sensors was tested, using 62 breath samples. The NA-NOSE signals were analysed to detect statistically significant differences between the sub-populations using (i) principal component analysis with ANOVA and Student's t-test and (ii) support vector machines and cross-validation. The identification of NA-NOSE patterns was supported by comparative analysis of the chemical composition of the breath through gas chromatography in conjunction with mass spectrometry (GC–MS), using 40 breath samples. Results: The NA-NOSE could clearly distinguish between (i) HNC patients and healthy controls, (ii) LC patients and healthy controls, and (iii) HNC and LC patients. The GC–MS analysis showed statistically significant differences in the chemical composition of the breath of the three groups. Conclusion: The presented results could lead to the development of a cost-effective, fast, and reliable method for the differential [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-11T10:55:38-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Becomes a Major Topic for Researchers as a Source of Oral Cancers

By Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press MONTREAL — Amid Michael Douglas's personal and philanthropic battle with throat cancer, the Oscar-winning actor is shedding light on a viral form of the disease lurking in a growing number of mouths. Oral cancer has long been linked to tobacco and alcohol use, but an expanding body of research suggests human papillomavirus, or HPV, is an increasing cause of the deadly disease. The culprit behind the sexually transmitted virus' emergence in mouth and throat cancers? Experts say a major factor is the prevalence of oral sex. More and more researchers have cast their microscopes on the mysteries of HPV-caused oral cancers, including McGill University, which received a big fundraising boost last week with the help of Douglas. The grateful actor, diagnosed with throat cancer last year in a Montreal hospital, volunteered to headline a charity event for the McGill Head and Neck Cancer Fund. The 66-year-old, who calls himself a "poster boy" for head-and-neck cancer, has blamed alcohol as a likely source of his illness, not HPV. Still, a portion of the $2 million amassed at the event will support HPV-caused oral cancer research. The doctor who first detected the walnut-sized tumour in Douglas's throat said the fund has supported HPV projects in the past and more are in the works. "This is an area of increasing incidence," Dr. Saul Frenkiel said of HPV-caused oral cancer at the university-affiliated hospital where he treated Douglas. Although relatively rare, the Canadian Cancer Society estimates oral cancers, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-09T14:38:18-07:00May, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

New Research Shows Chemo Brain Could Last More Than 5 Years

Source: New York Times “Chemo brain,” the foggy thinking and forgetfulness that cancer patients often complain about after treatment, may last for five years or more for a sizable percentage of patients, new research shows. The findings, based on a study of 92 cancer patients at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, suggest that the cognitive losses that seem to follow many cancer treatments are far more pronounced and longer-lasting than commonly believed. The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, is a vindication of sorts for many cancer patients, whose complaints about thinking and memory problems are often dismissed by doctors who lay blame for the symptoms on normal aging or the fatigue of illness. “It’s clearly established now that chemo brain does exist and can continue long-term,” said Karen L. Syrjala, co-director of the Survivorship Program at Fred Hutchinson and the study’s lead author. “The real issue here is that recovery from cancer treatment is not a one-year process but a two- to five-year process. People need to understand the extent to which the cells in their bodies have really been compromised by not only the cancer, but also the treatment.” The 92 patients in the study had all undergone chemotherapy as part of bone marrow or stem cell transplants to treat blood cancers. Although the range of effects of different cancers and treatments probably varies, researchers said the finding that cognitive recovery can take five years or more is likely to apply to breast cancer [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-09T10:44:19-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

The End-of-Life Paradox

Source: The Huffington Post It seems that whenever Marian visits her dad, he wants to go over certain things: where his will is located, where to find his stocks and bank book, and even where to find the charcoal suit that he wants used when he is laid out in his casket. To Marian, such conversations are morbid, distressing and perplexing. At 82, her father is relatively healthy, independent and maintains an active life. Why does he always seem to focus on death -- especially when she is around? Often adult children experience what I call this end-of-life paradox. Their older parents want to speak about the logistics of death in detail. Or, maybe they want to review end-of-life care plans contained in advance directives, just at the time when it is most difficult emotionally and spiritually for their adult child to listen to such conversations. The end-of-life paradox results from the different places the generations are in their own spiritual development and how each makes sense both of life and death. Older persons recognize that even if they are active and healthy, they are nearing the end point of life. Victor Marshall, a sociologist, used the term "awareness of finitude" to describe the appreciation for the life cycle that older people may exhibit. Death is perceived as closer. This does not mean that they expect to die immediately, but rather that they realize that death is part of life. They are reluctant to plan too far into the future. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-09T10:34:40-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Anti-Vaccine Groups Continue to Cause National Problems

The United States seems to be on track to have more measles cases than any year in more than a decade, with virtually all cases linked to other countries, including Europe where there's a big outbreak. Already there have been 89 cases reported so far. The U.S. normally sees only about 50 cases of measles in a year thanks to vaccinations. Health officials are reluctant to make predictions, but acknowledge the pace of reports is unusually hot. "It's hard to say, but we're certainly getting a lot," said Dr. Greg Wallace, who leads the measles, mumps, rubella and polio team at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Europe, especially France, has been hit hard by measles, with more than 6,500 cases reported in 33 nations. International health officials are blaming it on the failure to vaccinate all children. Just about all U.S. outbreaks were sparked by people bringing it here from other countries. This week, international health officials posted an alert urging travelers everywhere to get the recommended two doses of vaccine before flying overseas. "The risk of getting infection is very high," said Dr. Cuauhtemoc Ruiz Matus, an immunization expert with the Pan American Health Organization. In the U.S., the worst year for measles in the last decade was 2008, when 140 cases were reported. There have been no measles deaths this year, but health officials warn the disease can be dangerous. Measles is highly contagious and up to 90 percent of people exposed to an infected [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-09T10:08:19-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Spouses of Head/Neck Cancer Patients More Inclined to PTSD

Source: MedScape Today Partners of patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer are significantly more likely to meet research criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than patients themselves, according to a study presented here at the Society of Behavioral Medicine 32nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions. Donna Posluszny, PhD, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and colleagues from there and from the University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, found that 8 of 20 partners of patients with head and neck cancer (20%) had a mean score on the PTSD Checklist (also known as the PCL) of 50 or higher, compared with only 2 of 40 patients (5%). Patients who score at least 50 on the PCL meet the criteria for PTSD. "This is not a formal diagnosis of PTSD but for research purposes, a score of 50 or higher is meaningful," Dr. Posluszny told delegates. "And we were very surprised to find that partners of patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer experience greater amounts of traumatic stress than patients themselves do." For the study, investigators recruited 40 dyads (2 individuals regarded as a pair) where the partner was considered to be a "romantic" partner. Some 78% of the patients were male, while most partners were female; all but a small minority were married. Almost all were white, and, as a cohort, they were somewhat better educated and made more money than the majority of patients with head and neck cancer. Sixty-five percent of them also had [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-09T09:49:39-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

University of Michigan scientists are at the forefront of cancer stem cell research

Source: www.annarbor.com Author: Betsy de Parry Nine years ago, I walked into the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center for the first time and walked out as a terrified cancer patient. During all the months that I was in treatment, I never saw the labs or gave a thought to the research that was being conducted in them. And then, when standard treatment failed to stop my cancer, I was rescued by a new therapy that was pioneered at U-M by Dr. Mark Kaminski, and I began to appreciate those labs we patients never see and the discoveries that are made in them. Discoveries, after all, save lives. Indeed, labs are hotbeds of discovery. And the labs at Michigan are turning out stem cell research that is revolutionizing the way many cancers are treated. I know — stem cells are two words that stir passion and debate, but there are stem cells... and there are stem cells. What distinguishes them from other cells is their ability to divide and make exact copies of themselves indefinitely, a process called self-renewal, and their ability to change, or differentiate, into other types of cells. Embryonic stem cells — the controversial ones — have unlimited potential to become any type of cell. Adult stem cells — with which we're born — are more restricted than embryonic stem cells in terms of what they can become, but they can still differentiate. For example, adult stem cells in our bone marrow, known as hematopoietic cells, constantly [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-07T05:34:43-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

A life less healthy: tobacco’s daily toll

Source: www.napsnet.com Author: staff When people think of the consequences of smoking and tobacco use, often-fatal diseases such as Stage IV lung cancer most commonly come to mind. But there is another side to tobacco use. About 8.6 million people in the U.S. are currently living with tobacco-related illnesses. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema and oral cancer can be debilitating illnesses—illnesses that can rob people of opportunities and that can affect their daily lives. For many of these people, tobacco use means no longer being able to enjoy eating, be physically active or spend quality time with family. Thomas Cook, 51, knows the effects firsthand. Cook started smoking at age 13 and was diagnosed at 38 with Stage IV larynx cancer. “When you get sick from using tobacco, your whole life changes. Things will never and can never be the same. Not one day goes by that I don’t think about cancer. All I have to do is look in the mirror and there it is,” said Cook, who appeared in the Emmy-nominated truth youth smoking prevention campaign commercial, “Singing Cowboy,” in 2006. Christine Brader smoked for almost 28 years until she was diagnosed with oral cancer. Brader, 48, survived three bouts of oral cancer in three years. She lost 65 pounds from not being able to eat and has had more surgeries than she can count. She lost her pets because she was too sick to care for them. She also lost her house, her job and in her words, “my [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-07T05:24:20-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Michael Douglas turns alarming diagnosis into resources for Montreal hospital

Source: TheStar.com The atmosphere was electric when elegant, beleaguered actor Michael Douglas appeared at New York Fashion Week with his beautiful wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. The glamourous couple had come out to support their designer pal Michael Kors, whose 30th anniversary show was part of the February shows at Lincoln Center. Like many fans, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the 66-year-old actor, looking chic in his tailored cashmere. Last summer, Douglas had been diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer. We had all said our prayers. This week, in gratitude to the doctor and hospital that helped save his life, Douglas appeared at a gala benefit in Montreal for the McGill Head and Neck Cancer Fund. But he was flying solo: Zeta-Jones, who was recently diagnosed and treated for bipolar II disorder, was at work on a film in the United States. Their family has gone through some unspeakably tough trials, but it appears things are happily back on track. At the gala, the dapper Douglas posed for countless pictures and chatted with guests, adamant about spreading the word that cancer can be beaten and a positive attitude is key. Free of the disease for three months now, Douglas told the crowd that his cancer had gone undiagnosed by doctors in the U.S. While on vacation at his farm outside Mont Tremblant in 2010, Douglas sought a second opinion from Dr. Saul Frenkiel, a head and neck surgeon at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital. The chilling news: Douglas had [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-06T09:29:07-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|