FDA panel backs new use for Gardasil vaccine

Source: TherapeuticsDaily.com WASHINGTON -- A federal health panel says evidence supports expanding use of Merck's Gardasil vaccine to prevent anal cancer in young men and women. The panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers said a 4,000-patient study conducted by Merck & Co. Inc. shows the vaccine lowers the risk of anal cancer in men. They said these results can also be applied to women. Anal cancer is relatively rare, affecting about 5,000 people in the U.S. each year. Gardasil, Merck's top-selling vaccine, already is approved for prevention of cervical cancer and genital warts in girls and women aged 9 to 26. It's also approved for preventing genital warts in boys and men aged 9 to 26. The vaccine works by blocking four of the most common strains of human papilloma virus, or HPV.

2010-11-18T10:12:07-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Implant survival rate after oral cancer therapy: A review.

Source: HighWire, Stanford University The overall impression regarding the success of dental implants (DI) in patients having undergone oral cancer therapy remains unclear. The aim of the present review study was to assess the implant survival rate after oral cancer therapy. Databases were explored from 1986 up to and including September 2010 using the following keywords in various combinations: "cancer", "chemotherapy", "dental implant", "oral", "osseointegration", "radiotherapy", "surgery" and "treatment". The eligibility criteria were: (1) original research articles; (2) clinical studies; (3) reference list of pertinent original and review studies; (4) intervention: patients having undergone radio- and chemotherapy following oral cancer surgery; and (5) articles published only in English. Twenty-one clinical studies were included. Results from 16 studies reported that DI can osseointegrate and remain functionally stable in patients having undergone radiotherapy following oral cancer surgery; whereas three studies showed irradiation to have negative effects on the survival of DI. Two studies reported that DI can osseointegrate and remain functionally stable in patients having undergone chemotherapy. It is concluded that DI can osseointegrate and remain functionally stable in patients having undergone oral cancer treatment.

2010-11-17T17:40:03-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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New Report: States Continue Drastic Cuts to Tobacco Prevention Programs

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation This year (Fiscal Year 2011) states will collect $23.5 billion in revenue from the 1998 tobacco settlement funds and tobacco taxes. Alarmingly, though, the states will only spend two percent of that amount—$517.9 million—on programs to prevent smoking and help smokers quit. That’s the lowest amount of tobacco prevention program funding since 1999, when the states first received tobacco settlement funds, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). U.S. adult smoking rates have stalled at 20.6 percent after decades of decline. Echoing the recommendations of major public health organizations such as the Institute of Medicine, the President’s Cancer Panel and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report recommends that states increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs, increase tobacco taxes and enact strong smoke-free laws that apply to all workplaces, restaurants and bars. In addition, the federal government should robustly fund and implement the national tobacco prevention strategy unveiled on November 10, 2010 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report, titled “A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 12 Years Later,” was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and RWJF. These organizations have issued yearly reports assessing whether the states have kept their promise to use funds from the tobacco settlements—estimated to total $246 billion over the first [...]

2010-11-17T12:20:18-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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VEGETABLES CONTAINING VITAMIN B CAN SLASH RISK OF MOUTH CANCER

Source: DentalHealth.org Women who consume high volumes of folic acid found in Vitamin B from vegetables and some fruits are less likely to suffer from mouth cancer. 87,000 nurses were followed for 30 years from 1976 by researchers from the Columbia University Medical Centre and Harvard School of Public Health. Women who drank a high volume of alcohol and had low folic acid intake were three times more likely to develop mouth cancer than those who drank high volumes of alcohol but had high volumes of folic acid in their diet. Alcohol is one of the major risk factors for mouth cancer and those who drink to excess are four times more likely to be diagnosed. This is the first time that folic acid intake has been shown to affect the risk of the disease. Alcohol leads to a reduction in folic acid metabolism by creating acetaldehyde which leads to a reduction of folic acid in the body. Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “Rates of mouth cancer in women have been increasing for many years as a result of changed social habits with more women smoking and drinking. This new research could offer a method to reduce this by looking at the folic acid intake and increasing fruit and vegetables containing folic acid in the diet. “In the past studies have tended to focus on males, as they are twice as likely to suffer from the disease. Whilst this study focuses on women [...]

2010-11-16T11:46:20-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Former Angels outfielder Ed Kirkpatrick dies at 66

Source: Los Angeles Times By: Mike DiGiovanna Former Angels outfielder Ed Kirkpatrick, who played parts of 16 major league seasons with five clubs from 1962-77, died Monday after a long struggle with throat cancer. He was 66. A graduate of Glendora High School, Kirkpatrick, nicknamed “Spanky,” signed with the Angels at the age of 17 and spent the first seven years (1962-68) of his career with them as a part-time player. Kirkpatrick also played for the Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers before retiring after 1977, finishing with a career average of .238, 85 home runs and 424 runs batted in. Four years after his playing career, in 1981, Kirkpatrick was involved in a horrific automobile accident that left him in a coma for 5 ½ months and in a wheelchair, partially paralyzed, for the rest of his life. “At parties and other functions, Kirkpatrick never lost his sense of humor and uplifting personality,” former Times national baseball writer Ross Newhan wrote in his blog Monday. “He was always willing to send a bet to the track or challenge friends to a football wager, a glint in his eye, and he never lost the love and support of his wife, Judy, who was beside him through all the often difficult years.” The city of Glendora presents the annual Ed Kirkpatrick Award to an outstanding member of the community who has provided exemplary and extraordinary service to youth sports in the city.

2010-11-16T11:40:21-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Graphic images influence intentions to quit smoking; study examines the effect of images to appear on cigarette packages

Source: www.newswise.com Author: staff Marketing researchers at the University of Arkansas, Villanova University and Marquette University surveyed more than 500 U.S. and Canadian smokers and found that the highly graphic images of the negative consequences of smoking have the greatest impact on smokers’ intentions to quit. The most graphic images, such as those showing severe mouth diseases, including disfigured, blackened and cancerous tissue, evoked fear about the consequences of smoking and thus influenced consumer intentions to quit. “These results suggest that there appears to be little downside on intentions to quit from using extremely graphic pictorial depictions of the negative health outcomes due to smoking,” said Scot Burton, co-author of the study and marketing professor in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. “Our research shows that strong, negative graphic imagery – and fear evoked from such imagery – influences smokers’ intentions to quit. We also found this to be the case even though recall of the written messages on package labels was reduced by the more graphic images. In other words, smokers were influenced primarily by the images and not by the written message.” Burton, Jeremy Kees and John Kozup, both marketing professors at the Villanova University, and Craig Andrews, marketing professor at Marquette University, developed the study to help officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services better understand what types of pictorial warnings are most effective and why they are effective. These agencies are responsible for implementing the [...]

2010-11-14T08:43:19-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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HPV vaccine: why are so few women getting vaccinated?

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com Author: Leigh Vinocur, M.D. It is probably one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of this past decade. A vaccine to prevent cancer! We now better understand the link between cancers and viruses and how some viruses such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) can change cells and cause them to become cancerous. In essence we have identified a communicable form of cancer. HPV is often a sexually transmitted disease, which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is very common and it infects about 6 million people a year. It's estimated that 50 percent of sexually active men and women have been exposed at some point in their lives. There are hundreds of strains of HPV; about 30 to 40 of the strains are sexually transmitted. In the majority of the infections our body's immune system takes care of it without any treatment. However some of these sexually transmitted infections can cause cervical cancer. It's the high-risk strains the virus that remain in the body and cause a long-term infections. It then invades the cells of the cervix causing changes in the cellular structure and DNA to become pre-cancerous lesions as well as cause genital warts. If these infections aren't detected and treated they can go on to eventually become an invasive cervical cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 12,200 women in the United States will be diagnosed with this type of cancer and nearly 4,200 women will die from it. Worldwide cervical [...]

2010-11-14T08:30:50-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Practical strategy for oral cancer management in dental practices published in UK

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff The British Dental Association (BDA) has published a practical guide to help dental professionals combat the growing problem of oral cancer. It reiterates the importance of the early detection of the condition, stressing the improved chances of patient survival in cases where early diagnosis takes place. The proportion of patients with oral cancer who die is higher than for cervical, breast or prostate cancers, the guide points out. It also warns that some patients are beginning to take legal action against dentists alleging failure to detect the condition. The BDA guide, Early detection and prevention of oral cancer: a management strategy for dental practice, offers practical advice on preventing, detecting and managing oral cancer. It addresses both the clinical aspects of the condition and the management of relationships with patients. It explains the risk factors for the disease, provides guidance on talking to patients about examinations and offers tips on medical history taking and record keeping. It also explores taboos around the practitioner's right to explore patients' lifestyle choices that can cause oral cancer, such as drinking, smoking and chewing tobacco, and offers advice on how to overcome them. Professor Damien Walmsley, the BDA's Scientific Adviser, said: "The magnitude of the problem of oral cancer in the UK is growing. While the treatment of many cancers is leading to an improvement in survival rates, the same cannot be said for oral cancer. Early detection is absolutely vital to addressing this situation. "General dental practitioners and their [...]

2010-11-14T08:22:50-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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Most HPV vaccinations not completed in urban study

Source: MedScape Today By: Nick Mulcahy November 10, 2010 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Nearly 70% of young women and girls who received a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination at a medical center in Baltimore, Maryland, did not complete the recommended 3-dose regimen, according to a new study. Of the 2641 females (aged 9 to 26 years) who started HPV vaccination from 2006 to 2010, 39.1% received a single dose, 30.1% received 2 doses, but only 30.78% completed the recommended 3-dose regimen. "If we are going to offer a vaccine, we need to know who's getting it and who's getting the full course so we know who's protected and who's not," said the study's lead author, J. Kathleen Tracy, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Not completing a full course of the vaccine results in underprotection, said Dr. Tracy in an interview withMedscape Medical News. She presents the results of her study today here at the Ninth Annual American Association for Cancer Research International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. Dr. Tracy said that she did not anticipate that 18 to 26 year olds would be the age group least likely to complete all 3 doses of the regimen. "Given all of the marketing and attention about the HPV vaccine, I was surprised by the lack of follow-through among young women," she said. "It's probably the first time they are managing their own medical care," said Dr. Tracy about the young [...]

2010-11-14T08:17:49-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|
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