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|

Lower survival rate for head and neck cancer patients who suffer from stress and depression

Source: Medical News Today Studies have shown that stress can affect the immune system and weaken the body's defense against infection and disease. In cancer patients this stress can also affect a tumor's ability to grow and spread. However, the biological mechanisms that underlie such associations are not well understood. Now, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center find that poor psychosocial functioning is associated with greater vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression - a signaling protein that not only stimulates tumor growth, but is also associated with shorter disease-free survival in head and neck cancer patients. "There is research showing that high VEGF expression in other cancers, such as ovarian, is associated with psychosocial factors," says Carolyn Fang, Ph.D., Co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase, who presented the study at the 32nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine on Thursday, April 28th. "This information coupled with what we already know about VEGF promoting tumor aggressiveness and poorer prognosis in head and neck cancer patients, certainly gave us a reason to look at this biomarker." VEGF not only plays a pivotal role in angiogenesis, but it is also regulated by stress hormones and key cytokines - a category of signaling molecules used extensively in intercellular communication. In the current study, Fang and colleagues looked at 37 newly diagnosed, pre-surgical head and neck cancer patients, to see if psychosocial functioning, such as perceived stress and depressive factors, was associated with VEGF, a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-07T05:20:23-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer…what does sex have to do with it?

Source: DentistryIQ.com The answer is … plenty! This issue will focus on oral cancer awareness. While there are many topics we can delve into regarding this dreadful disease, we will focus on a few topics. We will share two personal and very poignant stories. Kim Anzalotti, Bill Wislon, and Eva Grayzel impart information that will move you and make you think about your daily in-office procedures. JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, PhD, will share insights on the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus, and its relationship to oral cancer. And last, but certainly not least, Jamie O'Day, Treatment Facilities Coordinator, The Oral Cancer Foundation Inc., The Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund, will share her insight on oral cancer screening and the need for a thorough examination. One personal story is shared by Eva Grazel, an international motivational speaker, author, performer, and cancer survivor. I had the pleasure of meeting Eva a number of years ago. In 1998 at age 33, Eva, a non-smoker, saw a number of dentists and physicians for over two years for an “ulcer” on her tongue that became larger and more painful, without any resolution. She was finally diagnosed with advanced oral cancer, Stage IV squamous cell carcinoma, on the lateral border of her tongue. After the many missed opportunities for diagnosis, Eva was given a 15% chance of survival. While her late stage diagnosis is not uncommon, her recovery was unique, as she beat the odds. After diagnosis, Eva underwent a partial tongue reconstruction, a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-05T10:04:44-07:00May, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Michael Douglas compliments Canadian health care

Source: The Globe and Mail Hollywood star Michael Douglas offered up high praise for Canadian health care on Tuesday in a nod to the Montreal medical staff who made the breakthrough diagnosis of his throat cancer. Mr. Douglas said a doctor at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital detected the disease that had eluded specialists in the United States. In gratitude, the Oscar winner agreed to add a new role to his résumé: fundraising draw for Canadian medical research. The actor travelled to Montreal from New York on Tuesday to act as leading man for McGill University’s annual fundraiser for head and neck cancer research. In an interview at a Montreal ballroom where he was about to be honoree for the evening, a dapper-looking Mr. Douglas said getting the news was like being “hit by a truck.” Yet when it came, he said, he had suspected it for months. He said he’d been having bothersome symptoms over the course of nine months: pain in his throat, in the back of his gums and up toward his ears. He consulted various ear, nose and throat doctors and was prescribed antibiotics for what was thought to be an infection. But while summering last year in Quebec’s Mont Tremblant, where he shares a home with his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mr. Douglas went to see Dr. Saul Frenkiel at the Jewish General, a McGill teaching hospital. The doctor put a tongue depressor in the actor’s throat. “I looked in his eyes and I immediately knew [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-05T09:49:17-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

U of A study finds ways to help end dry mouth in cancer patients

Source: e! Science News For patients suffering from cancer in the mouth or throat, a recent study shows that a treatment called submandibular gland transfer will assist in preventing a radiation-induced condition called xerostomia. Also known as dry mouth, xerostomia occurs when salivary glands stop working. University of Alberta researcher Jana Rieger likens the feeling of xerostomia to the experience of the after-effects of having surgery and anesthetic—but the feeling is permanent. While the importance of healthy saliva glands may be an afterthought for some patients when battling cancer, the long-lasting effects create a number of problems for them when they are in remission. "We need saliva to keep our mouths healthy," said Rieger. "Without saliva, people can lose their teeth, dentures don't fit properly and the ability to swallow and speak is severely altered." The study conducted by Rieger, a speech language pathologist in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, looked at functional outcomes—speech changes, swallowing habits and the quality of life of patients with mouth and throat cancers—as they received two different types of treatments prior to and during radiation. The first group of patients underwent the submandibular gland transfer. This method was pioneered by Hadi Seikaly and Naresh Jha at the University of Alberta in 1999. The transfer involves moving the saliva gland from under the angle of the jaw to under to the chin. Prior to this procedure, the saliva gland was in line for the radiation. Seikaly says, "Most patients, when they are cured from cancer, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-05T09:37:29-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Measles conquer the U.S. as the anti-vaccine crusade scores again

Source: Forbes.com How can we keep unvaccinated people from bringing infectious diseases into the U.S.? These diseases are a real threat to public health, and while we’re spending billions on national security, almost all that money goes towards “security theater,” such as full-body scanning equipment at airports, which does almost nothing to protect the public. We’d be much better off spending those scarce funds on detecting infections at the border. In the most recent invasion, the measles virus has snuck in thanks to a single unvaccinated student from Utah, who picked up the disease in Poland. The junior high student traveled to Poland with his family to pick up his sister, who was there as a Mormon missionary. As reported by the Associated Press, up to 1000 people have already been exposed, and the circle could easily spread beyond that. Measles is a dangerous and incredibly infectious virus, transmitting easily between people. According to the CDC: “About one out of 10 children with measles also gets an ear infection, and up to one out of 20 gets pneumonia. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die.” This is not a disease to take lightly. Fortunately, the vaccine is highly effective, which means the real challenge is getting people to take it. Utah requires measles vaccinations for public schools, but (as in many other states) parents can refuse vaccines for personal or religious reasons. California now has about 2% of parentsrefusing vaccines for their children for personal beliefs. This gaping hole in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-07T05:19:15-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV & oral sex: link to increase oral cancer in men

Fort Worth— Dana Wilson is one of an estimated 20- million Americans who have HPV which caused cancer in his tongue and neck. Dana remembers getting the news after going to the doctor to have a lump in his neck checked. "It was a moment that you would probably bleep me for saying on air," Dana said. "It was one of those oh, moments." Dr. Jerry Barker is an oncologist at Texas Oncology in Fort Worth and said there is much to be learned about HPV. A recent study suggested that open mouth kissing could be a way to transmit the virus--but Dr. Barker said one thing is certain. "There is clearly a distinct correlation between head and neck cancer and the number of oral sexual partners in a patient's lifetime," Dr. Barker said. "It's an epidemic of human papillomavirus worldwide." Dr. Barker said the virus is increasing at about 2% to 3% a year--approximately the same rate as head and neck cancers--and today fewer Americans smoke. "It's interesting that ten or twenty years ago the majority of men and women who have head and neck cancers had heavy smoking and drinking histories," Dr. Barker said. "Now it tends of be young, non-smokers that are getting these cancers. Dana was treated with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy--today he is cancer free and mentors other head and neck cancer patients. "Was I shocked? Yea," Dana said. "Because probably like a lot of people my initial reaction was HPV, that's a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-07T05:18:38-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Mayo Clinic finds robotic surgery effective for removing hard-to-reach throat cancer

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: press release Robotic surgery has become a mainstream tool for removing an ever-increasing variety of head and neck tumors. Now, a team of head and neck surgeons from Mayo Clinic has found robotic surgery can treat cancer in the narrow, hard-to-reach area beyond the tongue at the top of the voice box. Some patients were able to avoid further treatment with chemotherapy or radiation, and most could resume normal eating and speaking. "We've known it's useful for tongue base and tonsil cancers, but we wanted to assess its effectiveness in the larynx," says Kerry Olsen, M.D., Mayo Clinic otolaryngologist and senior author of the study that was presented April 29 at the Combined Otolaryngological Spring Meetings in Chicago. The investigation of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) followed nine patients for up to three years following removal of supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma, which affects the area of the larynx above the vocal cords. Most of the patients had advanced-stage disease. The results showed TORS effectively removed cancer, with "clean," disease-free margins, and was easier to perform than the approach of transoral laser microsurgery via a laryngoscope. The patients also underwent the surgical removal of their adjacent neck nodes at the same operation. "We were pleased with the cancer outcomes," Dr. Olsen says. "We also found patients had minimal trouble after surgery, in most cases resuming normal eating, swallowing and speaking." With TORS, the robotic arms that enter the mouth include a thin camera, an arm with a cautery or [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-30T16:14:07-07:00April, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Combined CT, FDG-PET improves head/neck cancer treatments

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: staff Combining CT with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging results in significantly more defined tumor outlines and potentially different treatment options in head and neck cancer patients compared with using CT alone, according to research presented April 29 at the Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium in Atlanta. In this trial, conducted at Utrecht University Medical Center, 327 patients were treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Based on the combined approach of the CT scan and FDG-PET, the researchers noticed a change in the delineation of the tumor in one out of three patients, resulting in 10% of patients' treatment being changed and 33% of patients having their treatment adjusted. In 17% of the patients, the primary tumor was not visible on the CT scan alone, mostly due to dental inlays. "We expected there to be an improved delineation of the tumor," said Homan Dehnad, MD, study author and radiation oncologist at Utrecht University Medical Center. "However, we never expected it to have such an influence on the treatment options for patients. Each dedicated institute dealing with head and neck cancer should be equipped with multi-imaged facilities."

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-30T15:34:38-07:00April, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

VEGF expression tied to poor psychological function

Source: www.doctorslounge.com Author: press release Patients with newly diagnosed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who have increased levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms may have higher levels of vascular endothelial growth factor expression, which is associated with shorter disease-free survival, according to a study presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, held April 27 to 30 in Washington, D.C. Carolyn Y. Fang, Ph.D., from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, and colleagues analyzed the association between psychosocial functioning and biological pathways related to tumor growth (VEGF expression) in 37 newly diagnosed, predominantly male HNSCC patients with an average age of 56.7 years. The primary tumor sites were oral cavity, larynx, and oropharynx, and more than 40 percent of patients were categorized as having early-stage disease. Prior to treatment, patients completed psychosocial questionnaires, and VEGF expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor tissue obtained during surgery. The investigators found that, after controlling for disease stage, higher levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with greater expression of VEGF in tumor tissue. After controlling for disease stage and other variables, increased VEGF expression was correlated with shorter disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 3.97). "Poorer psychosocial functioning was associated with greater expression of VEGF in tumor tissue. Greater VEGF expression was, in turn, associated with shorter disease-free survival in HNSCC patients," the authors write.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-30T15:31:23-07:00April, 2011|Oral Cancer News|