Oral Cancer News

Tumor tissue modified viral-HPV DNA test predicts HPV-driven oropharynx cancer recurrence

Author: Ryan Lawrence Source: www.healio.com A blood test to detect circulating tumor DNA accurately predicted recurrence of HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer after treatment, according to research presented at Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. In addition, findings from the retrospective clinical case series suggested the biomarker test may detect disease recurrence earlier than imaging or other surveillance methods, allowing clinicians to personalize treatment faster for patients whose cancer returns. "We believe that tumor tissue modified viral [TTMV]-HPV DNA testing should be incorporated into surveillance guidelines for monitoring patients treated for HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer," Glenn J. Hanna, MD, director of the Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Healio. Background Hanna and colleagues pursued the research because, despite favorable outcomes, up to 20% of patients with HPV-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) experience recurrence within 5 years of curative-intent therapy, roughly half of whom present with distant disease. Meanwhile, current practices for surveillance after treatment rely on physical exams and imaging. “Because we now have ultrasensitive blood-based assays to detect HPV DNA in circulation, it made sense to evaluate the impact of testing throughout surveillance. This serves as a liquid biopsy of sorts to detect tumor tissue modified viral-HPV DNA,” Hanna said. “We hoped this would be more sensitive in detecting recurrence as compared with physical exam and/or imaging in follow-up. Detecting recurrence sooner could lead to early intervention for patients and improved outcomes.” Methodology The analysis included 1,076 consecutive patients [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-03T11:54:07-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Can liquid biopsy predict oropharyngeal cancer recurrence?

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Liam Davenport A liquid biopsy test may accurately predict recurrence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) earlier than standard clinical and imaging assessments, a new analysis indicates. Of 80 patients who tested positive for circulating tumor tissue-modified viral (TTMV)-HPV DNA during surveillance, 74% (n = 59) had no other evidence of disease or had indeterminate disease status. And of those patients, 93% (n = 55) "later had proven recurrent, metastatic disease on imaging and/or biopsy," according to Glenn Hanna, MD, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, who presented the results February 24 at the 2022 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium. "This is the first study to demonstrate broad clinical utility and validity of the biomarker in HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer," Hanna said in a press release. Although patients with HPV-driven OPSCC generally have favorable outcomes, up to 25% will experience recurrence after treatment. Posttreatment surveillance currently relies on physical examinations and imaging, but Hanna and colleagues wanted to determine whether a routine circulating cell-free TTMV-HPV DNA test could detect occult recurrence sooner. Hanna and colleagues analyzed the records of 1076 patients with HPV-driven OPSCC at 118 sites in the US who had completed therapy more than 3 months previously and undergone an TTMV-HPV DNA test (NavDx, Naveris) between June 2020 and November 2021. The results of the test, which used ultrasensitive digital droplet PCR to identify HPV subtypes 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35, were compared with subsequent clinical evidence of OPSCC via nasopharyngolaryngoscopy, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-03-03T07:23:02-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer Symptoms: Bad Breath May Be A Sign Of Mouth Cancer

Author: Monica Lozano Source: www.vervetimes.com The Mouth Cancer Foundation says that the majority of deaths from mouth cancer occur because of late detection, “due to a low public awareness of the signs, symptoms, and risks”. It explains that self-checks for mouth cancer take just two minutes and “could save your life, or someone you know”. Around 8,300 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in the UK, which is about one in every 50 cancers diagnosed, according to the NHS. Mouth cancer is the general term given to the variety of malignant tumours that develop in the mouth, according to The Mouth Cancer Foundation. The charity recommends that everyone over the age of 16 has a professional examination for early signs of mouth cancer, once a year, at their dentist. Cancer Research UK says that if you go to see your GP, they will ask you about your symptoms and they might examine you. They may arrange tests or a referral to a specialist. The organisation notes there are many conditions that cause mouth cancer symptoms, most of which are much more common than mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. Nonetheless, it is important to get these symptoms checked by a doctor. One of the signs is bad breath. It explains: “Most people have bad breath at some point in their life and it is not cancer. But if you have cancer, bad breath might be worse and happen more often.” The Oral Health Foundation says: “Bad breath is a very [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-03-01T08:17:18-07:00March, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco and Your Oral Health

Author: Tricare Communications Source: newsroom.tricare.mil FALLS CHURCH, Va. – There’s a great deal of scientific information that proves using tobacco products is seriously harmful to your health. Nicotine products can increase your risks for cancer of the throat, lungs, and stomach. Also, tobacco products can negatively impact your oral health in several ways. “Tobacco use can lead to gum disease,” said Doug Elsesser, program analyst with the Defense Health Agency’s TRICARE Dental Program. “Smoking or chewing tobacco makes it tougher for your body to fight infection, including in the gums.” The more you use tobacco in any form, the greater the risk of gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And gum disease may require you to get deeper, more invasive teeth cleanings, or even surgery. The bacteria from gum disease can also worsen existing chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Besides gum disease, smoking and smokeless tobacco can have several other negative effects on your oral health. According to the American Dental Association, tobacco use can also lead to: Tooth staining Loss of tooth enamel Gum tissue loss Tooth loss Oral lesions Oral cancer Knowing these facts, you may want to quit tobacco. Or you may want to help a friend or family member quit. Keep in mind, quitting tobacco can be hard, and it may take several attempts. You may also need some support and resources to help you stay quit and get your health back on track. For information on TRICARE’s tobacco [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-02-28T10:22:29-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Throat cancer survivors don’t have to sacrifice ability to swallow and taste

Source: southfloridahospitalnews.com Author: staff Tamarac resident Kenneth Goff was home shaving morning when he felt a small lump on the left side of his neck. “There was no pain, no nothing, but I could feel it by the way the razor moved,” said the 58-year-old father of five and grandfather of eight. “It wasn’t visible at all, but I could feel it right below the jaw line.” After a CT scan at Broward Health Medical Center in August 2020, Goff was diagnosed with HPV-mediated squamous cell carcinoma, a type of throat cancer. This cancer is similar to what actors Michael Douglas and Stanley Tucci have battled. The treatment of HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or combination of the treatments. Ryan H. Sobel, M.D., a head and neck surgical oncologist at Broward Health Medical Center, prescribed radiation to treat Goff’s isolated neck mass. Prior to radiation treatment, Dr. Sobel performed a submandibular, or saliva gland transfer, an intricate surgery only a handful surgeons across the country are skilled at performing. He is currently the only surgeon utilizing this technique in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Dr. Sobel strategically relocated one of Goff’s saliva glands. It was moved about three inches from the right side of his throat to under the chin to place it out of direct range of the damaging effects of radiation. Patients diagnosed with throat cancer face a difficult choice: treat the cancer with radiation and risk losing their ability to swallow and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-02-24T15:03:37-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

What to know about palatine tonsils

Author: Medically reviewed by Nicole Leigh Aaronson, MD, MBA, CPE, FACS, FAAP — Written by Cara Williams on February 20, 2022 Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com The palatine tonsils sit in the back of the throat and are made up of lymphatic tissue. Along with the pharyngeal, tubal, and the lingual tonsils, they act as a defence against possible infections. The palatine tonsils are oval-shaped lymphatic tissue located at both sides of the back of the throat. People can see their palatine tonsils by opening their mouths and looking in the mirror. When a person refers to tonsils, they usually refer to the palatine tonsils. While they protect the body, complications such as infection and swelling can cause health problems. Overview The palatine tonsils serve as a component of Waldeyer’s ring. It also consists of the pharyngeal (adenoids), tubal tonsil, and lingual tonsil. The role of the palatine tonsils is to act as the firstTrusted Source defense against pathogens and help stimulate an immune response to fight off infection. Small crypts cover the surface of the palatine tonsils. These crypts give them a large surface area to catch incoming pathogens that may cause infection. The tonsil tissue also aidsTrusted Source in developing B cells and T cells, white blood cells that help fight off infection. Complications associated with palatine tonsils The palatine tonsils play an important role in trapping bacteria and viruses as they enter the body. However, this can make them prone to infection. Doctors refer to an infection in the tonsils as tonsillitis which is fairly common. This infection accounts for 1.3%Trusted Source of outpatient [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-02-24T13:41:44-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

MSSU student detects oral cancer

Source: www.fourstateshomepage.com Author: Mike Olmstead JOPLIN, Mo. — A routine cleaning last fall at Missouri Southern’s Dental Hygiene Clinic led to quite the discovery by a dental hygiene student. Senior Emily Valence was actually examining her future father-in-law, when she noticed a whitish area under his tongue. Mike Eddings, who lives in Ozark, has never smoked or chewed tobacco — so what was found came as a shock. He eventually saw a specialist who determined it was a pre-malignant cancerous lesion. “Very relieving. When they find something like pre-cancerous like that, it is best to get it removed as fast as possible, because normally oral cancer is a very fast-spreading cancer, so who knows how long, you know, it could’ve been until it was spreading to farther stages?” said Valence. “That is just an example of the program working and the education working and them actually absorbing it. And these are our hygienists of the future. They are who is going to be taking care of us 10, 20, 30 years from now,” said Dr. Dennis Abbott, MSSU Adjunct Clinical Supervising Dentist. Valence will graduate in May. Her future father-in-law is doing just fine.

OCF News Team - B2022-02-23T13:25:46-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Woman, 20, Diagnosed With Cancer After STD Fears Stopped Her Seeking Help

Author: BY AATIF SULLEYMAN Date: 2/15/2022 Source: www.newsweek.com Ayoung woman who was diagnosed with cancer said she delayed seeing a doctor for months because she was "embarrassed" that she might have had a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Olivia Wallace, from Sunderland in northeastern England, had been experiencing issues with her tongue for seven months before her father eventually took her to see a doctor. She was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer, which had spread to her lymph nodes. Some 8,001 people aged between 20 and 24 years old were diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. in 2018 (the most recent year for which data exists), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She had first noticed a lump on her tongue in 2015, but initially thought that it was a recurring ulcer. However, when the lump continued to expand and became increasingly sensitive to the touch, to the extent that Wallace would be in pain whenever she tried to eat anything, she became convinced that she had contracted an STD, which is also known as a sexually transmitted infection (STI). "Luckily for me, my dad had taken me to the doctors and he was in the waiting room as I thought it was an STI and I was embarrassed," Wallace told Chronicle Live. "There is a stigma attached to young women and STIs, so that deterred me from getting checked out even though it was frightening me." Now aged 26, Wallace is cancer free. However, she fears that would [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-02-16T07:55:49-07:00February, 2022|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

First patient in UK gets ‘vaccine’ for cancer that should help immune system ward off cancer permanently

Source: City A.M. Date: February 14th, 2022 Author: Michiel Williams A Merseyside man has become the first in the UK to receive a ‘vaccine’ that is hoped will stop his recurring head and neck cancer from returning, in a clinical research trial which may help bring further ground-breaking treatments for the disease. The clinical research team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has given patient Graham Booth an injection of a therapy tailor-made to his personal DNA and designed to help his own immune system ward off cancer permanently. Graham first had head and neck cancer in 2011 and it then returned four times, each time meaning he needed grueling treatment, including facial surgery, reconstruction and radiotherapy. He is now hoping this new treatment – part of the Transgene clinical research study – will mean it does not come back. Dad-of-five Graham, 54, will have a year-long course of immunotherapy injections in a bid to keep him cancer-free, part of a research project designed to reduce deaths and recurrence in head and neck cancers, including of the throat, neck, mouth and tongue. Graham, of West Kirkby, said he was not worried about being the first person in the UK to receive this pioneering treatment and that it “opened new doorways” which gave him hope that the cancer would not come back. Graham said: “When I had my first cancer treatment in 2011, I was under the impression that the cancer would not return. My biggest fear was realized in 2016 when [...]

Charlotte Parker2022-02-15T17:15:47-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Wirral, UK cancer patient trials vaccine

Source: www.wirralglobe.co.uk Author: Craig Manning, Chief Reporter A Wirral man has become the first in the UK to trial a 'vaccine' that is hoped will stop his recurring head and neck cancer from returning. The clinical research team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has given patient Graham Booth an injection of a therapy tailor-made to his personal DNA and designed to help his own immune system ward off cancer permanently. Graham first had head and neck cancer in 2011 and it then returned four times, each time meaning he needed grueling treatment, including facial surgery, reconstruction and radiotherapy. He is now hoping this new treatment – part of the Transgene clinical research study – will mean it does not come back. Dad-of-five Graham, 54, will have a year-long course of immunotherapy injections in a bid to keep him cancer-free, part of a research project designed to reduce deaths and recurrence in head and neck cancers, including of the throat, neck, mouth and tongue. Graham, from West Kirby, said he was not worried about being the first person in the UK to receive this pioneering treatment and that it "opened new doorways" which gave him hope that the cancer would not come back. He added: "When I had my first cancer treatment in 2011, I was under the impression that the cancer would not return. "My biggest fear was realised in 2016 when it came back and then in 2019 and then two cases in 2021. "Last year I had the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-02-07T13:33:09-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|