Oral Cancer News – Page 288

Topical EGF may decrease severe mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff Researchers from Korea have reported that recombinant epidermal growth factor (EGF) delivered as a spray twice daily may decrease the severity of severe mucositis in patients undergoing radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy for head and neck cancer. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication on June 9, 2009 in Cancer.[1] Oral mucositis is a frequent clinical problem in patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Mucositis can be a severe dose-limiting toxicity, especially in patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy. Keritonocyte growth factor (Kepivance®) has been approved for prevention of mucositis in patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation. Other methods of treating or preventing oral mucositis include oral antiseptics, cryotherapy, laser therapy, L-glutamine (Saforis® and velafermin). Previous studies of antiseptic, antibiotic, and antifungal mouth washes and lozenges have revealed no dramatic effects, but two recent randomized trials suggested a limited role for topical antibiotic and antifungal treatment of mucositis. This multicenter trial enrolled 113 patients who were receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy or adjuvant radiotherapy. Patients were randomly allocated to a placebo group or to a group receiving three doses of EGF. Responders were defined as patients who had an RTOG grade of 2 or lower at the fourth- and fifth-week examinations. By this criteria 64% of patients receiving a 50-microgram dose of EGF responded compared with 37% in the control group. These authors concluded: “The EGF spray may have potential benefit for oral mucositis in patients undergoing RT for head and neck cancer. Phase 3 studies [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-08T05:12:37-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

New figures reveal ethnic minorities are not aware of their cancer risk

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff Despite growing evidence that cancer is becoming more prevalent amongst ethnic minority groups, news figures out today at the start of Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Week show that cancer awareness levels are critically low amongst this cohort. At least 46% of ethnic minorities are unfamiliar or not sure about the signs and symptoms of the various forms of cancer or how to reduce their cancer risk even though 61% have had a family member suffer from cancer1. These figures are alarming because studies examining specific cancers and ethnic groups have shown that African Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men2 and that mouth cancer is more common amongst South Asian and Chinese communities3. Quite a high number of ethnic minority women (78%) are aware of the NHS breast cancer screening programme1, however research has shown that 45% of black ethnic minority women of screening age (50-70) have never attended a screening of which 76% said it was because they had never been invited4. Only 22% of those questioned are aware of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme1 despite this form of cancer being the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, bowel cancer is highly treatable with an estimated 83% survival rate5. Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Week (6th - 12th July 2009) was launched last year by Cancer Equality in partnership with an alliance of leading cancer charities who have [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-08T05:06:37-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy reduces xerostomia in head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologystat.com Author: staff Intensity-modulated radiotherapy significantly reduces the risk of subjective xerostomia by about 50% in patients with pharyngeal tumors, according to the first results of the multicenter, phase III PARSPORT trial. Cancer Research UK's PARSPORT (Parotid-Sparing Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Compared With Conventional Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Oropharyngeal or Hypopharyngeal Cancer Who Are at High Risk of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia) trial evenly randomized 94 patients with pharyngeal tumors to conventional radiotherapy (conventional radiotherapy ) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). A three-dimensional technique, IMRT produces highly conformal dose distributions that can reduce the radiation dose to the salivary glands and normal tissue. At 12 months, the incidence of grade 2 or higher xerostomia was 74% in CRT patients vs. 39% in IMRT patients, based on the subjective portion of the LENT/SOM (Late Effects on Normal Tissue-Subjective/Objective Management) questionnaire (P = .004). The benefit of IMRT appeared to continue over time, with an 18-month xerostomia incidence of 71% with conventional therapy vs. 29% with IMRT (P = .003), principal investigator Dr. Christopher Nutting reported in a late-breaking abstract presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. A similar pattern was observed using the RTOG (Radiotherapy Oncology Group) scale. The incidence of at least grade 2 xerostomia was 64% with CRT vs. 41% with IMRT at 12 months (P = .05), and 81% vs. 20% at 18 months (P less than .001). This is the first randomized IMRT trial in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, although phase [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-07T19:02:00-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Follow doctor’s advice, have lesion removed

Source: www.cantonrep.com Author: Peter Gott, M.D. Patients' question: In 1999, my dentist saw a discoloration on the floor of my mouth. He told me to see a doctor about it. The doctor talked me into having the spot surgically removed. A while back, I remember reading in your column that, 95 percent of the time, discolorations in the mouth are nothing to worry about. Recently, I had a procedure done to see if I had oral cancer. That procedure revealed another abnormal area. I assume it is the same thing as what I had removed before but the doctors now want me to have the spot surgically removed with a laser. I am hesitant and would like your advice. I have enclosed copies of both pathology reports, the first from 1999 and the second from a biopsy taken during the screening. Dr. Gott's response: In your first pathology report, the lesion was examined under a microscope. Abnormal changes were noted. These changes were labeled as mild to moderate squamous epithelial dysplasia. Primarily, this means that the flat, platelike cells in the interior covering of your mouth were altered in size, shape and organization. It was not stated that this was cancerous, but in my opinion, these changes were probably precancerous. Thus, having the lesion removed was a smart choice. Now, to the pathology report of your new lesion. According to the report, it very clearly showed that you have oral squamous cell carcinoma in-situ. This means that you have a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T18:00:37-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Invasion characteristics of oral tongue cancer: frequency of reporting and effect on survival in a population-based study

Source: Cancer, June 23, 2009 Author: Michael Goodman et al. Background: The 2000 College of American Pathologists (CAP) guidelines recommend that a characterization of carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract, including tongue cancer, should include depth of invasion (DI) and the presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) or perineural invasion (PNI). Methods: This study included patients who were diagnosed with cancer of the oral tongue, who underwent tumor resection, and who were reported to either the Metropolitan Atlanta and Rural Georgia Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry or the Los Angeles SEER registry. The authors assessed the completeness of pathology reporting with respect to the documentation of PNI or LVI and DI. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine factors that influenced reporting while taking into consideration clustering of observations within the hospitals. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted to examine the impact of tumor invasion characteristics on mortality while controlling for other prognostic factors. Results: DI reporting increased from 13% between 1997 and 1999 to 23% between 2000 and 2004 after the CAP issued its recommendations; whereas mode of invasion (the presence of LVI and/or PNI) reporting for the same period increased from 13% to 38%. The observed increase in reporting was most pronounced in the first 2 years (2000 and 2001) and appeared to decline again afterward. Tumor invasion >3 mm in depth and the presence of PNI were among the strongest predictors of survival in multivariate analyses. Conclusions: The current results indicated the importance of reporting [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T17:46:33-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

The prognostic significance of histological features in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Source: J Oral Pathol Med, June 25, 2009 Authors: S R Larsen et al. Background: Different factors predict nodal metastasis, recurrence and survival in oral cancer. The aim was to assess the prognostic value of histological features related to the primary tumour. Methods: A total of 144 patients surgically treated at Odense University Hospital for oral cancer between 1999 and 2004 were included in the study. Postoperative radiation therapy was given in case of close and involved margins or high TNM stages (UICC 1997). Median follow-up time was 38 months. All surgical resections were reviewed and 22 histological characteristics were assessed. Results: The predominant sites were floor of mouth (FOM, 39%) and lateral tongue (35%). Fifty-nine per cent had UICC97 stage I-II disease. Five-year cause-specific survival was observed in 65%. Nodal involvement at diagnosis was observed in 36% which was significantly related to grade, neural and vascular invasion; surgical margins and increasing tumour depth. A cut-off value of 2 mm (4 mm for FOM) separated patients without and with nodal metastasis at the time of diagnosis. However, on multivariate analysis, neck disease was only associated with tumour depth and grade. Cox analysis of local recurrence in the oral cavity over time showed that tumour diameter and surgical margins were significant predictors while cause-specific survival was related to diameter, depth of invasion, surgical margins and extracapsular spread (ECS). Conclusions: Tumour depth and grade were strong prognostic factors for nodal metastasis, independently of other histological features. Tumour diameter and margins independently predict [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T17:40:45-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Improved oral tumor surgery reduces disfigurement

Source: taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw Author: staff Traditional oral cancer surgeries involve entering the affected area through the lower lip, causing the patient's lower lip to be disfigured in some cases. The patient may suffer from strange sensations as well as losing balance on both sides of the lower lip, making it impossible for them to fully purse their lips. A modified oral cancer surgery technique applied by the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine at the Dalin Branch of the Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital in Chiayi County requires no cutting into the patient's lower lip, and thus leaves no disfigurement to the upper and lower lips of the patient. This wonderful news is sure to bring a smile to patients. The Dalin Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital says that oral cancer ranks fourth of the 10 most prevalent cancers among males in Taiwan, and the number of patients with this type of cancer is increasing each year. The hospital noted that 50% of the patients who had undergone the traditional surgical method were not able to fully close their lips, making other patients on the surgery list less likely to go through with such treatment. But their faces will be relatively less disfigured if the modified surgical technique is adopted. Dr. Lee Qing-chi says that the modified surgical technique calls for making a surgical incision under the chin and then excising the tumor from this angle. Cosmetic surgeons will follow through to reconstruct the skin flap in the area, which [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T05:13:33-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Taste, odor intervention

Source: speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com Author: staff Cancer and its therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may directly alter and damage taste and odor perception, possibly leading to patient malnutrition, and in severe cases, significant morbidity, according to a Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center compilation of various existing studies [Journal of Supportive Oncology, 7(2): 58-65]. One of the purposes of the study, said Andrea Dietrich, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at Virginia Tech, is to provide researchers and physicians with a better understanding of the types and causes of taste and odor dysfunctions so that they can develop treatments for these conditions and improve the quality of life of their patients. According to Susan Duncan, PhD, RD, professor of food science and technology at Virginia Tech, a bad taste in the mouth can lead to poor nutrition because patients avoid eating. Approximately two thirds of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy report altered sensory perception, such as decreased or lost taste acuity or metallic taste. Altered sensory perception causes psychological anxiety and malnutrition, and thus negatively impacts the chances of survival for cancer patients, as reported in an earlier study conducted by Duke University. Dr. Dietrich, an expert on water quality and treatment, as well as the taste and odor assessment of water, has expanded upon her knowledge of this field to include such assessments in cancer patients. She worked with Jae Hee Hong, Dr. Duncan, and Brian T. Stanek of the Virginia Tech Food Science and Technology [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T05:07:36-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

New products ingenious or insidious?

Source: www.mailtribune.com Author: John Darling The use of smokeless tobacco in Jackson County has steadily risen in recent years among teens and adults — and now, officials fear the introduction earlier this year of new, candy-flavored "dissolvable tobacco" lozenges will make matters worse. Called Orbs, the pellets, which look and taste like breath mints, contain as much nicotine as a cigarette and could cause cancer of the mouth and throat, said Jane Stevenson, tobacco program coordinator for the county. Among eighth-grade males in Jackson County, use of smokeless tobacco jumped from 2 percent in 2001 to 7 percent in 2006, reported Stevenson. Among 11th-grade males, it rose from 10 percent in 2001 to 16 percent in 2006. Among adults here, 3 percent use smokeless tobacco. These figures are 1 to 4 percent higher than the state rates. "The increase of smokeless tobacco use here among teens is significant and alarming — and dissolvable tobacco is just as addictive as smoking," said Stevenson. "They are packaged to look hip and trendy and they carry the Camel logo. Usually, people are very loyal to their tobacco brand." The introduction of dissolvable tobacco pellets is in response to new laws prohibiting smoking in bars, restaurants and the workplace, said Mike Welch, owner of Puff's Magazine & Fine Tobacco, an Ashland smoke shop. The target market for dissolvable pellets, Welch added, is people who buy low-end generic cigarettes. His store won't be selling them, he said, because too many of his customers are concerned [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T05:00:33-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

New biomarker method could increase the number of diagnostic tests for cancer

Source: news.biocompare.com Author: staff A team of researchers has demonstrated that a new method for detecting and quantifying protein biomarkers in body fluids may ultimately make it possible to screen multiple biomarkers in hundreds of patient samples, thus ensuring that only the strongest biomarker candidates will advance down the development pipeline. The researchers have developed a method with the potential to increase accuracy in detecting real cancer biomarkers that is highly reproducible across laboratories and a variety of instruments so that cancer can be caught in its earliest stages. The results of the Clinical Proteomic Technology Assessment for Cancer (CPTAC) study, which is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and partner organizations, appeared online June 28, 2009, in Nature Biotechnology. "These findings are significant because they provide a potential solution for eliminating one of the major hurdles in validating protein biomarkers for clinical use. Thousands of cancer biomarkers are discovered every day, but only a handful ever makes it through clinical validation. This is a critical roadblock because biomarkers have the potential to allow doctors to detect cancer in the earliest stages, when treatment provides the greatest chances of survival," said John E. Niederhuber, M.D., NCI director. "The critical limiting factor to date in validating biomarkers for clinical use has been the lack of standardized technologies and methodologies in the biomarker discovery and validation process, and this research may solve that dilemma." The collaborative and multi-institute nature of this work was critical [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-01T19:17:40-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|