Oral Cancer News

Which new tobacco products are scoring?

Source: CSP Author: Mitch Morrison OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Camel Snus continues to ride a wave of loyal national support as R.J. Reynolds extends its marketing focus to oral tobacco consumption. In an exclusive CSP-UBS tobacco survey, retailers praised Camel's Snus product as well as Camel Crush, the company's customizable cigarette that contains a small blue menthol capsule within the filter. "Camel Snus—extremely aggressive and the first to market in this new and growing category," a Virginia retailer said of the smokeless, spitless product. "'Fill the Fridge' is a good concept." Added a retailer from Iowa: "Snus continues to be a growth driver. Camel did a really good job out of the chute with its initial launch and now Marlboro has gotten into the game as well." Indeed, more than half of the 50-plus respondents cited the snus segment as a strong nascent player that is slowly gaining recognition and consumer acceptance. Another winner was Marlboro, which scored well with its Marlboro 72, Marlboro Special Blend and Copenhagen Wintergreen smokeless tobacco. "Marlboro Special Blend and 72s have done exceptionally well in our area with an attractive price," an Arkansas operator said. Others receiving praise included Liggett's private-label lines, Star Scientific's Stonewall spitless, Reynold's Natural American Spirit and the broader smokeless tobacco category. "Camel is doing a great job in building awareness for the Snus category," said UBS tobacco analyst Nik Modi. "PM USA had great traction with its Marlboro Special Blend, but we wonder how the brand will respond to [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-14T20:16:42-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Congress approves bill curbing internet tobacco sales in victory for kids and taxpayers

Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Author: Matthew L. Myers Voting 387 to 25, the U.S. House of Representatives today gave final congressional approval to the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, legislation to curtail the growing sales of tax-evading, low-cost cigarettes and other tobacco products over the Internet and through the mail. Passage of this legislation is a milestone in the fight to keep kids from smoking and prevent tax evasion that costs state and federal taxpayers billions each year. We applaud Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), the chief House sponsor, and Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), the Senate sponsor, for their leadership and persistence in pursuing this legislation and winning its approval. The Senate unanimously approved the bill onMarch 11. We look forward to President Obama continuing his strong leadership on tobacco control by signing the PACT Act into law. Internet sales of tobacco products are a serious and growing problem that keeps prices down and smoking levels up. Such sales make it easier and cheaper for kids to buy cigarettes, facilitate tax evasion and cost federal and state governments billions in revenue. Many vendors that sell cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products over the Internet or through other mail-order sales do not pay applicable tobacco taxes and do not have sufficient safeguards to prevent sales to children, such as effective policies to verify a purchaser's age. The PACT Act will: Require Internet sellers to pay all federal, state, local or Tribal tobacco taxes and affix tax stamps before delivery to any customer; Mandate that the [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-14T20:16:19-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Trends in the incidence rates of tonsil and base of tongue cancer in England, 1985-2006

Source: Ann Royal Coll Surgery Engl. 2010 Jul 7 Authors: Reddy V, Cundall-Curry D, Bridger M. Abstract: INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to investigate whether incidence rates of tonsil and base of tongue cancer in England are increasing using data from the UK cancer registry. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Cancer registrations for oral cavity and oropharynx cancer from 1985-2006 in England were obtained from the National Cancer Information Service. Population estimates were obtained from the Office for National Statistics. Age-adjusted incidence rates and age-specific incidence rates were calculated. The sexes were considered separately as incidence rates are known to differ significantly between men and women. Linear regression was performed to establish whether there was a relationship between incidence rates and time. RESULTS There has been an increase in all oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer in the study period. Linear regression analysis suggests that approximately 90% of the variance in age-adjusted incidence rates for men and women for tonsil, base of tongue and other oral cavity cancer is explained by the passage of time. For other oropharyngeal cancer, the variance is 62% and 46% in men and women, respectively. The estimated annual percentage change from 1985 to 2006 in age-adjusted incidence rates for tonsil and base of tongue cancer is 5.7% and 6.7% for men, and 4.3% and 6.5% for women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study confirms a wide-spread clinical impression that there has been an increase in age-adjusted incidence rates, between 1985 and 2006, in all oral cavity cancer in England. [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-12T11:23:01-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Man wins £18k on tv game show after tongue cancer op

Source: www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk Author: staff For a man who had to learn how to talk again, there can be few greater tests than speaking on a TV game show beamed across the nation. But Maurice Paulson passed with flying colours – and won £18,000 and praise from Noel Edmonds in the process. The 81-year-old appeared on Channel 4's hit show Deal or No Deal having been taught how to speak again following an operation on his cancer-ridden tongue. Maurice said the show was great fun and that his appearance was a reward for the hard work Derby's doctors and nurses had put in to help him recover. Although he speaks with a rasp, every word is intelligible as long as he speaks slowly and enunciates. He said: "Noel said I was very brave for coming on. I didn't think so at the time – if people don't understand me now there's nothing I can do about it. The crowd were brilliant though. I won £18,000 and they all came down from their seats and hugged and congratulated me." Maurice, of Stenson Fields, was stunned when he was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2004. He said: "I had gone for a check-up because my neck kept swelling up and then going back to normal again. It's not the sort of thing you imagine would be cancer. "They asked me if I drank or smoked. But I gave up smoking decades before and, despite being a landlord for three pubs in my time, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-07-10T07:12:06-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

A tough one to chew on: smokeless tobacco and teens

Source: Medscape Today Author: Mary E. Muscari, PhD, CPNP, APRN-BC, CFNS Introduction One would think that the mere image of a bulgy cheek spewing brown, foul-smelling goo would be more than enough to turn anyone, especially appearance-conscious teens, off of using smokeless tobacco (ST). But then, these media-savvy adolescents probably have discovered snus, a smoke- and spit-free tobacco. According to a recent article in Reuters,[1] the use of ST is on the rise among US teens, reversing a downward trend in tobacco product use by adolescents. The Reuters article cites comments made by Terry Pechacek, PhD, Associate Director for Science, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a report to a US Congressional Panel. Among his comments is the suggestion that ST-using Major League Baseball® (MLB) players may be influencing young men to take up the cancer-causing habit. In his report, Dr. Pechacek noted that "the recent increases in ST use by adolescent boys and young adult men and the increasing dual use of cigarettes and ST products may portend a leveling off or even a reversal in the decline in smoking, the perpetuation of nicotine dependence, and continuing high levels of tobacco-related disease and death in the country."[2] Given this grim outlook, healthcare professionals need to kick up their fight against teen tobacco use by increasing their focus on smokeless forms of tobacco. Smokeless Tobacco ST (also known as spit, plug dip, chaw, rack, spits, grizz, [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-10T06:34:38-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

VELscope system honored by the WHO

Source: Dentistry IQ Author: Staff Jul 7, 2010 BURNABY, British Columbia—LED Dental has announced that the World Health Organization has recognized the VELscope enhanced oral assessment system as an innovative device that addresses global health concerns. In 2009, the WHO Department of Essential Health Technologies challenged the scientific and business communities to identify and develop innovative technologies to address global health concerns. On June 30, following months of evaluation, the organization officially recognized those innovative medical devices--either existing or under development--that address global health concerns and which are likely to be accessible, appropriate and affordable for use in low- and middle-income countries. The VELscope system was one of only eight commercialized devices so honored. “It is extremely gratifying to receive this prestigious honor,” said Peter Whitehead, founder and CEO of LED Dental and inventor of the VELscope system. “We created the VELscope system to improve the oral health of patients worldwide by helping dental practitioners discover everything from early-stage oral cancer to any number of more common oral abnormalities. This recognition from the World Health Organization is further reinforcement of what thousands of VELscope users have been telling us: that the VELscope system can help improve oral health in a very cost-effective and userfriendly manner.” Oral cancer kills one American every hour of every day. According to the SEER data base, oral cancer has a higher mortality rate than several better publicized cancers, such as cervical cancer and testicular cancer. Some oral cancers are now known to be linked to [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-08T13:14:47-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Coffee and tea intake and risk of head and neck cancer: pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium

Source: CEBP Author: Mia Hashibe Abstract Background: Only a few studies have explored the relation between coffee and tea intake and head and neck cancers, with inconsistent results. Methods: We pooled individual-level data from nine case-control studies of head and neck cancers, including 5,139 cases and 9,028 controls. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Caffeinated coffee intake was inversely related with the risk of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx: the ORs were 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94–0.98) for an increment of 1 cup per day and 0.61 (95% CI, 0.47–0.80) in drinkers of >4 cups per day versus nondrinkers. This latter estimate was consistent for different anatomic sites (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30–0.71 for oral cavity; OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.41–0.82 for oropharynx/hypopharynx; and OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.37–1.01 for oral cavity/pharynx not otherwise specified) and across strata of selected covariates. No association of caffeinated coffee drinking was found with laryngeal cancer (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.64–1.45 in drinkers of >4 cups per day versus nondrinkers). Data on decaffeinated coffee were too sparse for detailed analysis, but indicated no increased risk. Tea intake was not associated with head and neck cancer risk (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.89–1.11 for drinkers versus nondrinkers). Conclusions: This pooled analysis of case-control studies supports the hypothesis of an inverse association between caffeinated coffee drinking and risk of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx. Impact: Given widespread use of coffee [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-10T06:33:58-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

New study shows that testing for HPV genotypes 16 and 18 detects cervical pre-cancer missed by pap test

Source: Roche Molecular Systems, In Author: April Falcone 1 in 10 women in the ATHENA trial, age 30-years and older, who tested positive for HPV genotypes 16 and/or 18 by the cobas® 4800 HPV Test had cervical pre-cancer, although their Pap test was normal Involving more than 47,000 women, the ATHENA trial is the largest registration study ever conducted for cervical cancer screening Roche today announced that data from the ATHENA (Addressing THE Need for Advanced HPV Diagnostics) U.S. registration trial of over 47,000 women demonstrate that two human papillomavirus genotypes, HPV 16 and HPV 18, can identify those women with cervical pre-cancer missed by cytologic examination with a Papanicolau (Pap) test. In the trial, 1 in 10 women age 30-years and older, who tested positive for HPV genotypes 16 and/or 18 by the cobas® 4800 HPV Test had cervical pre-cancer, although their Pap test was normal. The data demonstrate the importance of HPV genotyping to increase the accuracy of assessing cervical cancer risk, especially by screening for the two highest risk HPV genotypes (16 and 18), and underscore the limitations of relying upon cytology (Pap) testing alone in identifying women with cervical pre-cancer. The data were presented today by Thomas C. Wright Jr., M.D. of Columbia University at the 26th International Papillomavirus Conference in Montreal, Canada. "The ATHENA data show that women who are positive for HPV 16 and/or 18 should be directly referred for closer examination of the cervix by colposcopy," said Dr. Wright. "Screening for high-risk HPV genotypes provides important additive information to [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-20T14:22:17-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Could HPV be transmitted orally?

Source: Bright Hub Author: Kira Jaines Can a kiss transmit HPV? Or oral sex? Studies conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that not only can human papilloma virus be transmitted orally, it can also increase the risk of oropharyngeal cancer. Can HPV Be Transmitted Orally? In a word, yes. Once thought to be uncommon, the oral transmission of human papilloma virus (HPV) through oral sex and even French kissing has been documented and linked to an increasing rate of oropharyngeal cancer. The oropharynx consists of the base the tongue, the tonsils, the back of the mouth and the walls of the throat. Results of a study by Johns Hopkins researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 linked HPV exposure and infection to an increased risk of cancer of the mouth and throat. HPV infection has rapidly caught up with tobacco and alcohol as a risk factor for oral cancer, and has, in fact, become one of the leading causes of oral cancer in men, independently of smoking and drinking. About HPV Over 120 different HPV viruses have been identified, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. Different types of HPV infect different parts of the body. Some cause warts on the skin. Some cause warts on the genitals. Some are harmless. Some cause cancer. The HPV virus is easily passed via skin-to-skin contact or sexual contact. HPV viruses cause no early identifiable symptoms and most are fought off by the body’s immune system. In fact, sexually-active adults have a [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-11T16:10:45-07:00July, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Disadvantages of using chewing tobacco to quit smoking

Source: www.helium.com Author: Dawn Hawkins If you are a smoker who is trying to quit smoking, there are several ways in which you might attempt to attain the goal. Chewing tobacco might seem like one of the best answers to your problem. The goal is to stop the smoke from going into your lungs, right? That is partially true. There are many advantages of using chewing tobacco to quit smoking, but there are great disadvantages to it also. Disadvantages of using chewing tobacco to quit smoking: Teeth- Your teeth become discolored much faster when you chew tobacco in order to try to quit smoking. Your teeth will suffer discoloring when you smoke cigarettes, but chewing tobacco comes into direct contact with the tooth's surface making them more susceptible to staining. Spitting- When you chew tobacco, you also have to spit it somewhere. This can be a problem if someone takes away the container that you are spitting in. It is also not a very attractive thing to do. You have to carry something around with you at all times that contains your already chewed tobacco and your spit. That is another thing that is definitely not attractive. Accidents- When you have a bottle that you are using to spit the tobacco into, there is a good chance your or someone else will accidentally drink the mixture thinking it is something else. chewing tobacco has a very foul taste when combined with spit. It is also very unhealthy to swallow. That [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-07-05T17:34:30-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|