Oral Cancer News – Page 259

India ranks first in number of oral cancer cases: World Health Organization report

Source: www.newkerala.com Author: staff India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world out of which 90 per cent have been reported due to tobacco-related diseases, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) survey report. The report said more than 2,200 Indians die each day from a tobacco-related cases and in 2010, an estimated ten lakh people will die due to the killer disease. Every day, 55,000 Indian youths start tobacco use, the report further said. In view of the growing tobacco menace, a one-day Media Advocacy Workshop on Tobacco Control was jointly organised by Itanagar Press Club (IPC) and Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) here recently. In the meeting both the print and electronic media unanimously observed that strict enforcement of section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, should be ensured. Highlighting different aspects of tobacco in terms of health hazards and socio-economic impact, epidemiologist Dr L Jampa informed that India is the second largest consumer and is placed third in respect of tobacco production. He informed that in 17 out of 29 states of India, tobacco use is more than 69 per cent. The Northeastern region exhibits highest rates of tobacco use - in Mizoram more than 80 per cent of men use some form of tobacco, followed by Tripura (76 per cent) and Assam (72). Arunachal Pradesh is the second largest state whos people chew tobacco [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-01-12T12:21:00-07:00January, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Insurance tied to survival odds in head/neck cancers

Source: www.reuters.com Author: staff People with cancers of the head or neck seem to have better survival odds if they have private health insurance, research hints. Head and neck cancers include cancers of the mouth, throat, nasal cavity, salivary glands and lymph nodes of the neck. Most cases are linked to smoking, with excessive drinking being the other major risk factor. But while those habits may raise the odds of developing head and neck cancers, the new findings, reported in the journal Cancer, suggest that insurance coverage influences the odds of surviving. Researchers found that among more than 1,200 patients treated at the Pittsburgh Medical Center between 1998 and 2007, those with private insurance had better survival rates than those with no insurance, as well as patients on Medicaid or Medicare disability. Medicaid is the federal health insurance program for the poor; Medicare disability covers people younger than 65 who cannot work because of a serious disability or illness. In this study, patients who were uninsured or on Medicaid were 50 percent more likely to die than privately insured patients. Those on Medicare disability had a 69 percent higher risk of dying -- with factors such as age, race, income and smoking and drinking history taken into account. Instead, the poorer survival seemed to be partly explained by later diagnosis. People without private insurance generally had more-advanced cancer by the time they saw a doctor, according to the researchers, led by Joseph Kwok of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-01-09T12:33:50-07:00January, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Two doctors explain their support of the Gardasil vaccine

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com Author: Marcia G. Yerman As parents contemplate whether or not they should have the Gardasil vaccine administered to their daughters, one of the first places that they turn is to their doctors. In this segment, I posed questions to two doctors supporting the vaccine. Dr. Margaret Lewin, M.D., F.A.C.P., is the Medical Director of Cinergy Health, an insurance benefits provider. She advises the board on patient related issues and public health concerns. Lewin is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology. Lewin is affiliated with New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Hospital for Special Surgery. Dr. Alan Gibstein, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.O.G., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU School of Medicine. He is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is affiliated with North Shore University Hospital. He was president of the LIJMC medical staff from 1982-9183. In addition to his work as an attending gynecologist, he has been actively involved in medical and residency teaching. On why they supported the vaccine: Dr. Lewin wrote: "The evidence clearly shows that the quadrivalent HPV vaccine prevents cervical intraepithelial neoplasia caused by 70% of known HPV subtypes as well as preventing genital warts - both of which are highly contagious (even without sexual penetration), cause significant distress, substantial cost, and cannot reliably be permanently eliminated. There are published reports of oral cancer caused by the HPV virus. Oral cancers and their treatment are devastating, and the ability to avoid HPV-related oral cancers strongly increases my support [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-01-09T12:13:34-07:00January, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

1,000: the magic number in genomic research

Source: www.minnpost.com Aurhor: Sharon Schmickle The number 1,000 is emerging as a standard benchmark on the frontiers of genomic research. In the 1000 Genomes Project — launched two years ago — American, British, Chinese and German scientists are sequencing the genomes of some 1,000 individuals from around the world in order to aid medical research as it relates to human genetic variation. Then there’s the goal of the $1,000 genome. Reduce the cost of accurately spelling an individual’s DNA to that level and we could see practical results from decades of genomic discovery -- even at the clinical level. A research team from Complete Genomics Inc. in Mountain View, California, reported progress in that regard this week in the journal Science. Now comes a new report from the “1,000 tumor” project at the University of Chicago’s Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology. The Chicago scientists are working toward the goal of collecting and analyzing the genetic sequences and variations of every gene expressed by 1,000 tumors. One year into the three-year project, they have completed data for genes expressed by 100 tumors -- primarily breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and leukemia. In the process, they have streamlined techniques for analyzing the remaining 900 tumors. Meanwhile, by correlating genetic data with patient outcomes, the Chicago team has begun to identify genetic patterns within tumors that may help them predict how a cancer will behave. Eventually, the research should help identify which patients would benefit from which treatments. We must have [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-01-06T21:15:57-07:00January, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Liverpool scientists working on vaccine for mouth cancer

Source: www.liverpoolecho.co.uk Author: Liza Williams ONE central project the scientists and doctors are working on is a vaccine for mouth cancer. Liverpool researchers have found some cases are caused by the HPV virus – the same bug which causes cervical cancer. They have discovered that two-thirds of tonsil cancer tumour samples showed evidence of the HPV-16 gene. The work is particularly important because the researchers are also seeing the rates of tonsil cancer doubling in non-smokers and non-drinkers – two of the main causes of the disease. They have found a DNA test helps to predict whether a patient has HPV. This could be used to decide which treatment is best for the patient, because both chemo and radiotherapy are more successful in patients with the virus. They are now developing a clinical trial for a HPV vaccine for head and neck cancer, like the jab given to teenage girls to prevent cervical cancer.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-01-04T08:31:39-07:00January, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Vaccines plus screening could end cervical cancer

Source: www.cancernetwork.com Author: Fram Lowry Out with the old and in with the new is a commonly followed maxim in medicine given the rapid pace of developments in diagnosis and treatment. Human papillomavirus vaccines are relative newcomers to the cervical cancer armamentarium, but they cannot be relied on to do the job on their own; screening is still a must. Richard B. Roden, PhD, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and Carlos L. Santos, MD, from the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas in Lima, Peru, discussed the merits and drawbacks of HPV vaccines and standard screening during a session on female malignancies at ASCO 2009 in Orlando Long-term protection The widespread vaccination of adolescents against HPV will be critical to the eradication of cervical cancer, said Dr. Roden, an associate professor in the department of pathology. “HPV virus-like particle [VLP] vaccines are very effective in preventing genital HPV infection and neoplastic disease,” he explained. “Solid protection has been observed for more than six years after vaccination, suggesting vaccine protection is likely to be long-term, although the need for a booster is not out of the question.” To date, two HPV vaccines are FDA-approved: Gardasil from Merck, produced in yeast, and Cervarix from GlaxoSmithKline, produced in insect cells. In October 2009, Gardasil was approved by the FDA for use in boys and men (aged 9-26) for the prevention of genital warts caused by HPV-6 and HPV-11. Both vaccines target HPV-16 and HPV-18, the two most common oncogenic HPV types. Gardasil also [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-30T13:16:35-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oropharyngeal cancer, human papilloma virus, and clinical trials

Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 28, No 1 (January 1), 2010: pp. 1-3 Author: Danny Rischin As advances in our understanding of the molecular biology of cancer have evolved in recent years, cancers that were once considered to be relatively homogeneous diseases are now being recognized as comprising distinct subtypes. These subtypes may differ in etiology, molecular profile, sensitivity to treatment, and prognosis. Examples include luminal (mainly estrogen receptor–positive), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive, and basal breast cancer subtypes1; non–small-cell lung cancer associated with EGFR2 or EML4-ALK3 mutations; and melanoma associated with BRAF (V600E)4 or c-KIT mutations.5 In head and neck cancer, we have traditionally combined squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx in clinical trials. This has been justified on the basis of similar etiology (tobacco and alcohol) and similar sensitivity to radiotherapy and systemic therapy. However, it has also been recognized that there are differences in clinical behavior, treatment outcome, and prognosis with regard to primary site. Although surgery has remained the primary treatment for oral cavity cancers, organ preservation with primary chemoradiotherapy has been widely used over the last two decades for cancers of the oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. It has become apparent over this same time period that a new subtype of oropharyngeal cancer resulting from human papilloma virus (HPV) has emerged.6 The proportion of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer has steadily increased, and in many countries, this subtype now represents the majority of new oropharyngeal cancers.7,8 HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer differs from [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-30T13:03:03-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

microRNA evaluation of unknown primary lesions in the head and neck

Source: 7thspace.com/headlines Authors: Emma BarkerNilva et al. Unknown primary malignancy in the head and neck is not an infrequent diagnosis for patients with metastatic cervical lymph nodes. Although linked with a relatively good prognosis following radiation treatment, widespread radiation is coupled with significant morbidity. Altered microRNA (miRNA) expression has been associated with both cancer progression and metastasis. We sought to determine whether miRNA expression analysis could be used as a diagnostic tool to discover the primary site of malignancy, within the head and neck. We used quantitative real-time PCR to identify miRNA expression profiles of squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, base of tongue and post-nasal space, as well as their corresponding metastatic lymph nodes, from 6 patients. Our results revealed that each cancer maintained its expression profile between the primary site and the nodal metastasis (r= 0.82, p<0.0001). In addition, each anatomical sub-site maintained a distinct miRNA profile between individual patients (r=0.79, p<0.0001). Finally, between sub-sites, the miRNA profiles were distinct (p<0.0001). As proof of principle, our study provides an indication that miRNA expression analysis may be useful to compare the primary lesion and local metastatic disease. This may be clinically relevant to predict the primary site of origin of metastatic disease, when the primary site remains obscure. Authors: Emma Barker, Nilva Cervigne, Patricia Reis, Rashmi Goswami, Wei XuIlan Weinreb, Jonathan Irish, Suzanne Kamel-Reid Source: Molecular Cancer 2009, 8:127

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-25T11:14:13-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Doctors using mouthwash to detect head, neck cancer

Source: www.king5.com Author: Jean Enersen For a patient with head and neck cancer, the cure rate is only 30 percent. That's because the disease is often detected in the late stages. Now catching the cancer earlier may be as simple as gargling with mouthwash. Edie Acosta's niece and nephew gave her the courage to fight neck cancer. "They cut from here, all the way down here," she said. On her neck, the scar marks where a stage four tumor was removed. "It seemed bigger and bigger 'til it got to the size of a fist, a man's fist," she said. "And I couldn't even move my neck. You feel like a little bird whose wings got cut and you can't fly anymore. I just, I thought I was really gonna die." For patients like Edie, late stage diagnosis makes treating neck cancer more difficult. Now, researchers have developed a quick, inexpensive mouthwash to detect these cancers earlier. The patient rinses with the saline mouthwash. After they spit it out, doctors add antibodies. In about 48 hours, if there's cancer detected in the saliva, the molecules show up in color. "We've found that these molecules show up differently in the oral rinses from patients that have cancer compared to patients that don't have cancer," said Dr. Elizabeth Franzmann, otolaryngologist, Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami. In a study that included 102 head and neck cancer patients and 69 patients with benign disease, the oral rinse detected the cancer nearly [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-25T11:07:06-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Emory couples cancer drug with green tea extract to help fight cancers of the head and neck

Source: www.examiner.com Author: Kristina Bjoran Clinical researchers at the Emory University Winship Cancer Institute have discovered that pairing a popular cancer-fighting drug with green tea extract may help reduce the risks for neck and head cancers. The lead investigator in the trial is Dr. Dong Moon Shin, and he and his team have been working to combine the drug Erlotinib with an extract of green tea to observe the effects. Elrotinib is a drug that has been long used as an effective way to treat certain types of lung and pancreatic cancers. Neck and head cancers are more common than many know. The American Cancer Society touts that almost 50,000 Americans will be diagnosed with one of the two cancers this year alone, so this new trial at Emory may provide hope for those with pre-cancerous lesions related to the cancers. The chemical of interest in the green tea extract is called polyphenon E (PPE), and the lab experiments show that combing PPE with Elrontinib can potentially prevent the development of the cancers by targeting specific cellular activity in the pre-cancerous areas. Shin and his team are focusing on the lesions of the head and neck. Cancers of the head and neck have relatively low survival rates, and have not seen much of an increase over the past few decades. As the sixth most common type of cancer, this new study provides hope to those in need of a new, effective treatment.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-25T11:02:51-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|