Oral Cancer News

MuGard data From UK study shows prevention of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients

Source: news.prnewswire.com Author: press release Access Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that its European partner, SpePharm, is collecting data from a post approval study of MuGard in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment in the UK showing prevention of oral mucositis. In a multi-center study expected to enroll a total of 280 patients, patients are provided with seven weeks of MuGard therapy, and begin using MuGard one week prior to radiation treatment and then throughout the subsequent six weeks of planned therapy. The first 140 patients being treated in this assessment study have been enrolled and treated, and as of the time of the update, none of these patients have experienced any oral mucositis. "The initial feedback from SpePharm on their experience in the UK, with the first 140 patients in the assessment study, exceeds our most positive expectations," stated Jeffrey B. Davis, Access' President & CEO. "Normally, roughly 100% of patients undergoing radiation treatment for head and neck cancer experience some level of oral mucositis. This condition varies from a low level of discomfort and pain, up to Grades 3 and 4 which are debilitating to the point of patients discontinuing therapy. To see a result where all or substantially all of the patients using MuGard, and using it prophylactically, are not getting oral mucositis is extremely important with respect to treatment regimens. We believe the final data set will show that MuGard should be used prophylactically with all radiation or chemotherapy regimens that have the potential to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-23T13:14:45-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Adjuvant therapy may improve survival in patients with early stage oral tongue cancer

Source: www.docguide.com Author: Louise Gagnon Patients with earlier stage oral tongue cancer disease may benefit from adjuvant combined modality therapy after surgery, according to a retrospective study presented at the 2nd World Congress of the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO). The study looked at 50 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral tongue, 38 of whom were newly diagnosed with the condition. The patients were all treated between 1999 and 2007 at the University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado. Of the 38 patients who were recently diagnosed, 13 had either stage I or II cancer, and 25 had more advanced stage III or IV disease. All but 1 of the 50 patients was initially treated with surgery, with the 1 patient who refused surgery being treated with chemoradiation as the primary modality. "Most of the patients received adjuvant therapy after surgery," said one of the study's authors Changhu Chen, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, at an oral abstract session here on July 9. Of the 50 patients, 42 received adjuvant radiation or chemoradiation. Seven patients with stage I or II disease did not receive adjuvant therapy. Patients were followed for a median of 29 months (range, 4-95 mo). Investigators reported that 2-year locoregional control was 58%, and freedom from distant relapse was 83%. While 2-year survival for patients with stage I or stage II oral tongue cancer was 77%, compared with 52% for patients more advanced disease, stages III or IV, the rate of 2-year [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-23T05:43:05-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

GSK partners with Enigma, Abbott on cancer immunotherapy project

Source: bioopticsworld.co Author: staff Pharmaceuticals company, Abbott (Des Plaines, IL), announced an agreement with GSK to develop an automated molecular diagnostic test, also based on RT-PCR technology, to screen non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors for expression of the MAGE-A3 antigen. GSK's MAGE-A3 ASCI (antigen specific cancer immunotherapy) candidate is currently being evaluated as an adjuvant treatment in resected NSCLC in the Phase III clinical study MAGRIT, the largest lung cancer treatment study ever conducted. Fast, accurate influenza testing The GSK-Enigma partnership aims for joint development of the Enigma ML (mini laboratory) PCR platform to deliver fully-automated results from swab samples in less than 60 minutes at the point of care--to the same accuracy standards as reference laboratories. Thus, patients can be tested for specific influenza subtypes and quickly receive appropriate treatment. Operators of the Enigma ML system will not require specialist training. A trial involving working prototypes of the ML system with front line health care providers across Europe is planned for Q4 2009. Launch of Enigma ML is anticipated in early 2011, subject to successful clinical trials and regulatory approval. Cancer immunotherapy Under terms of the GSK-Abbott agreement, the partners will develop and commercialize an RT-PCR test--designed to detect MAGE A3--for use on the Abbott m2000 automated instrument system. "This is an exciting collaboration with a leading company in cancer immunotherapy research," said Stafford O'Kelly, head of Abbott's molecular diagnostics business. "The agreement is indicative of our focus on personalized medicine and developing analytical molecular tools to identify [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-22T05:31:14-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oral spray reduces mouth sores

Source: patient.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff Among patients treated with radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, mouth sores (oral mucositis) were reduced by use of an oral spray containing epidermal growth factor (EGF). These results were published in Cancer. Mouth sores are one of the most common and serious complications of radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Mouth sores are painful, interfere with eating and drinking, and can also lead to infection. If they become severe enough they may require a reduction or delay in cancer treatment. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a protein that plays several important roles in the body, including wound healing and tissue growth. To evaluate the use of an EGF-containing oral spray for the treatment of mouth sores, researchers in Korea conducted a Phase II clinical trial among 113 patients with head and neck cancer. The most common sites of cancer among the study participants were the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and oral cavity. All of the patients were treated with radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. In addition, patients were assigned to receive one of three doses of the EGF oral spray or a placebo. The spray was used twice a day through week five of radiation therapy. Patients were considered to have responded to the EGF spray or placebo if they had no mucositis or only mild mucositis at weeks 4 and 5 of radiation therapy. Response rate among patients in the placebo group was 37%. Response rates among patients in the EGF spray groups [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-22T05:23:02-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Laser microsurgery for tongue cancer is as effective as invasive open surgery, according to new study

Source: www.sciencedaily.com Author: press release Transoral (through-the-mouth) laser surgery to remove cancer at the base of the tongue is as effective as more invasive open surgery and may improve quality of life according to a new study by Rush University Medical Center. The study is published in the July issue of the scientific journal Otolaryngology –Head and Neck Surgery. The study involved a retrospective chart review of 71 patients who underwent transoral laser microsurgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue. At 24 months, overall survival was 90 percent and disease specific survival was 94 percent. Quality-of-life data, obtained for 46 patients, revealed the majority had mild or no pain, minimally impaired to normal swallowing, and normal speech. Historically, the tongue base could only be safely accessed through complicated open surgical approaches through the neck. Delicate structures in the neck, such as the voice box, the trachea, the esophagus, lymph nodes, muscles and large nerves make surgical resection difficult with significant complications including speech and swallowing impairment. Advances in transoral laser microsurgery have transformed the surgeon's ability to treat cancer that was not otherwise amenable to surgical therapy. The surgery is performed through the opening of the mouth using an endoscope with a lighted camera and microscopic lens to view the area. Using a CO-2 laser and micro-staging, surgeons carefully remove the tumor in small pieces minimizing disruption to nearby tissues, thereby reducing complications and the likelihood of infections. With magnification of normal and abnormal tissue the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-21T04:17:23-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch announces he has cancer of the salivary gland

Source: Newsday.com Author: Staff The Beastie Boys have cancelled all their upcoming tour dates, including their headlining spot at the All Points West Festival next week, and pushed back their "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1" album, after Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland. In a video statement (below) released this morning, Yauch said the cancer is treatable and will not affect his voice. He will have surgery next week to remove the tumor and will need several weeks of further treatment. "It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later," Yauch said in a statement. No word yet from All Points West organizers on how the cancellation will be handled.

Charlotte Parker2009-07-21T04:10:59-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Stopping oral cancer in its tracks

Source: insciences.org Author: staff In new research from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM), Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska and her team are the first to show, in vivo, a direct relationship between expression of the gene DPAGT1 and tumor spread in oral cancer. “When the gene is highly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma, it drives cellular discohesion and tumor spread within the oral cavity,” explains Dr. Kukuruzinska, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at GSDM. Researchers found that overexpression of DPAGT1, the gene that determines glycosylation capacity, led to abnormal glycosylation of e-cadherin, causing it to malfunction as a cell-cell adhesion receptor and tumor suppressor. When researchers suppressed the gene using oral cancer cell lines, cancer spread was interrupted. The findings suggest the potential to stop or reverse oral cancer tumor growth by therapeutically regulating DPAGT1. Researchers plan to find what causes overexpression of DPAGT1 in cancer and hope to find the key repressor molecule to regulate the gene. Unlike many cancers, which metastasize early, oral cancer forms massive tumors and generally stays in the mouth. One of the deadliest cancer diagnoses, the current survival rate is about five years. Notes: 1. Dr. Kukuruzinska worked with Dr. Mihai Nita-Lazar, Research Associate in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology; Dr. Vikki Noonan, formerly of the Department of Oral Pathology; Drs. A. Sue Menko and Janice Walker of the Department of Anatomy, Pathology, and Cell Biology at Thomas Jefferson University; and Dr. Ivan Rebustini of the National [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-19T05:15:48-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Trimira offers online library of oral cancer images

Source: www.dentalofficemag.com Author: staff Trimira LLC, manufacturers of the Identafi 3000 Oral Cancer Screening Device, have developed the Trimira Clinical Image Library. The library is a comprehensive online catalog of clinical photographs taken by leading scientists and researchers. The images show a diverse array of lesions in various locations in the oral cavity. Access to the library is free and available at Trimira. A demo version can be accessed by anyone at http://www.trimira.net/library. The full library is available only to registered Trimira customers. Photographs in the Trimira Clinical Image Library were taken under the three proprietary multispectral lights produced by the Identafi 3000, providing visualization of the lesions. Images are categorized by location in the mouth, type of dysplasia, and appearance under each light wavelength. Trimira plans to increase the number and diversity of photographs in the coming months. The Trimira Identafi 3000 is a small, cordless, affordable handheld device that helps clinicians effectively detect early cancers not visible to the naked eye. The device uses a three-wavelength optical fluorescence and reflectance technology patented by Trimira LLC of Houston. The Identafi 3000 was developed in collaboration with scientists at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University, and British Columbia Cancer Research Center, and is now available through dealers nationwide.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-19T05:09:59-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Moderate alcohol intake and cancer incidence in women

Source: www.medscape.com Authors: Naomi E. Allen et al. Background: With the exception of breast cancer, little is known about the effect of moderate intakes of alcohol, or of particular types of alcohol, on cancer risk in women. Methods: A total of 1 280 296 middle-aged women in the United Kingdom enrolled in the Million Women Study were routinely followed for incident cancer. Cox regression models were used to calculate adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 21 site-specific cancers according to amount and type of alcoholic beverage consumed. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: A quarter of the cohort reported drinking no alcohol; 98% of drinkers consumed fewer than 21 drinks per week, with drinkers consuming an average of 10 g alcohol (1 drink) per day. During an average 7.2 years of follow-up per woman 68 775 invasive cancers occurred. Increasing alcohol consumption was associated with increased risks of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (increase per 10 g/d = 29%, 95% CI = 14% to 45%, P trend

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-17T15:06:54-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

In push for cancer screening, limited benefits

Source: nytimes.com Author: Natasha Singer "Don’t forget to check your neck,” says an advertising campaign encouraging people to visit doctors for exams to detect thyroid cancer. In another cancer awareness effort, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, has more than 350 House co-sponsors for her bill to promote the early detection of breast cancer in young women, teaching them about screening methods like self-exams and genetic testing. Meanwhile, the foundation of the American Urological Association has a prostate cancer awareness campaign starring Hall of Fame football players. “Get screened,” Len Dawson, a former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, says in a public service television spot. “Don’t let prostate cancer take you out of the game.” Nearly every body part susceptible to cancer now has an advocacy group, politician or athlete with a public awareness campaign to promote routine screening tests — even though it is well established that many of these exams offer little benefit for the general public. An upshot of the decades-long war on cancer is the popular belief that healthy people should regularly examine their bodies or undergo screening because early detection saves lives. But in fact, except for a few types of cancer, routine screening has not been proven to reduce the death toll from cancer for people without specific symptoms or risk factors — like a breast lump or a family history of cancer — and could even lead to harm, many experts on health say. That is why the continued rollout of screening campaigns, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-17T06:13:51-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|