Oral Cancer News

Artificial intelligence being trained to predict risk of developing oral cancer

Source: thestreetjournal.org Author: staff, NHS The diagnosis of oral cancer could be ‘revolutionised’ by using artificial intelligence to predict whether someone is likely to develop the disease, experts have said. Experts led from the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick have teamed up to investigate how machine learning could be applied to aid doctors in early detection. Diagnoses of oral cancers — including those of the mouth, tongue and tonsils — have increased by almost 60 per cent over the last decade, team noted. The risk of such cancers is heightened by such factors as alcohol consumption, increasing age, insufficient fruit and vegetables, tobacco and viral infection. Doctors evaluate the likelihood of pre-cancerous changes in the lining of the mouth — so-called oral epithelial dysplasia — developing into cancer using 15 criteria. As this approach is highly subjective, however, there is considerable variation in how patients are treated following biopsy — and a more objective system is needed. The diagnosis of oral cancer could be ‘revolutionised’ by using artificial intelligence to predict whether someone is likely to develop the disease, experts have said. ‘The precise grading of oral epithelial dysplasia is a huge diagnostic challenge, even for experienced pathologists, as it is so subjective,’ said clinical dentist Ali Khurram of the University of Sheffield. ‘At the moment a biopsy may be graded differently by different pathologists, the same pathologist may even grade the same biopsy differently on a different day.’ ‘Correct grading is vital in early oral cancer detection to inform [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-11-04T12:05:12-07:00November, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Mouth cancer in the UK at record high

Source: www.hippocraticpost.com Author: staff New cases of mouth cancer in the UK have risen to a record high, according to the findings of a new report. New figures show there have been 8,722 new cases of mouth cancer in the UK last year. This is an increase of 58% compared to ten years ago and 97% compared to 20 years ago. Data released in a new report to coincide with November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month. Figures collected by the Oral Health Foundation show that 8,722 people in the UK were diagnosed with the disease last year, increasing by 97% since 2000. Mouth cancer cases in the UK have soared for the 11th year in a row and have more than doubled within the last generation. The findings are part of the charity’s new State of Mouth Cancer UK Report 2020/21 and have been released to coincide with November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month. Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, believes with mouth cancer cases continuing to rise, more must be done to raise awareness of the disease. Dr Carter says: “While many cancers are seeing a reduction in the number of people affected, mouth cancer is one of very few that is sadly going the other way. Established risk factors like smoking and excessive alcohol have been joined by emerging causes like the human papillomavirus (HPV). This has changed the profile of the disease quite considerably over recent years and mouth cancer can now affect anybody. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-11-04T11:53:47-07:00November, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Breath analysis for effective detection of cancer

Source: washingtonnewsday.com Author: Jonathan Edwards By analyzing a breath sample, it seems possible to successfully identify different types of cancer, according to the results of the new study involving researchers from Flinders University. The study was published in the English language journal British Journal of Cancer. Researchers have now made significant progress in developing a breath analysis to detect cancer. The new method has made it possible to effectively identify cancer of the head and neck. Six percent of all cancers worldwide are head and neck cancers, which kill more than 300,000 people every year. Tobacco, alcohol and poor oral hygiene are known major risk factors for this form of cancer. The increase in head and neck cancer is associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) and also affects younger population groups, the research team continued. Current therapies are effective in treating early-stage disease, but such diseases are often detected in the late stages and are often associated with a poorer prognosis and high morbidity. It is therefore important to identify dangerous diseases such as head and neck cancer as quickly as possible. Cancers of the neck and head are widespread The global effort to use a person’s breath analysis for fast, inexpensive and accurate testing for cancer and other early-stage diseases could take a big step forward with the new method. For the study, breath samples were taken from 181 people suspected of having early head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. By examining exhalation profiles, the newly developed method made [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-10-27T19:35:24-07:00October, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Thousands of Britons with deadly mouth cancer will be spared gruelling chemotherapy thanks to immune-boosting drug

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk Author: Eve Simmons for The Mail on Sunday Thousands of Britons with deadly mouth cancer will now be spared grueling chemotherapy thanks to an immune-boosting drug. The treatment, given the green light by health chiefs last week, offers fresh hope to patients whose cancer has either spread or deemed inoperable. Currently, these patients have two options to prolong their life – chemotherapy and weekly infusions of potent cancer drugs, which often leave patients debilitated and confined to bed for the short time they have left. But now immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can help some patients with the disease live up to 30 per cent longer than they would with chemotherapy, with 50 per cent fewer side effects. Last week's ruling by UK health watchdog NICE, which was based on the results of final-stage international trials, permits the treatment not only for advanced mouth cancer but also cancers of the nose, sinuses and salivary glands, known collectively as head and neck cancers. Doctors must first test patients' tumours for a protein called PD-L1, which limits the immune system's ability to find and destroy the cancer. Immunotherapy drugs such as pembrolizumab blocks PD-L1, helping the body's fighter cells to attack tumours.The majority of people with advanced head and neck cancer will test positive for PD-L1. Roughly 12,000 Britons are diagnosed with these cancers every year – mostly men over the age of 70. In the majority of cases, head and neck cancers are spotted at a late stage as they are [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-10-26T23:30:25-07:00October, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer pain linked to disease spread

Source: www.docwirenews.com Author: Robert Dillard Oral cancer is more likely to spread in patients who experience high levels of pain, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. When oral cancer spreads to lymph nodes in the neck, a patient’s chance of survival is cut by half, the researchers noted. However, it’s often unclear through imaging and physical assessment if oral cancer has spread, leaving surgeons struggling with whether to preemptively perform prophylactic neck dissection to remove the cancer when research shows that up to 70% are unnecessary. Researchers documented the pain experienced by 72 oral cancer patients before surgery by way of an oral cancer pain questionnaire developed by the investigators. While most patients reported some pain, researchers observed that patients with the most pain were more likely to have cancer that spread to lymph nodes in the neck. This observation suggests that patients with less pain are at low risk of metastasis, and will rarely benefit from a neck dissection. “I have been investigating the underlying cause of oral cancer pain for two decades. This is the first time that we have demonstrated a correlation between a patient’s pain and the clinical behavior of the cancer,” said Brian L. Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, director of the NYU Oral Cancer Center and one of the study’s authors via a press release. Aditi Bhattacharya, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at NYU College of Dentistry added: “While we need to undertake a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-10-11T06:57:16-07:00October, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

With 3 new movies on the horizon, Val Kilmer is an inspiration to anyone facing cancer

Source: www.survivornet.com Author: staff Val Kilmer, 60, is stepping back into Hollywood in full force. The actor took a hiatus from the red carpet after his battle with throat cancer, but now it’s clear he doesn’t plan to stop again. Kilmer has been recently cast in upcoming biopic Canyon Del Muerto, following the real-life story of Ann Axtell Morris — one of America’s first female archeologists and leading discoverers of North America’s primary civilizations in Arizona. So far, it’s unclear what character Kilmer will be portraying, but we have no doubt he’ll rise to the occasion. He took a hiatus from acting due to his battle with throat cancer a few years back, but now he’s back and taking on new roles. In addition to the biopic, Kilmer is preparing for the long anticipated Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. The film is set to premiere in July 2021, and Kilmer will be reprising his role as iconic Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. Additionally, he’ll be starring alongside his daughter Mercedes in Pay Dirt, set to release in October. It’s so nice to see Kilmer return to the big screen, since before his throat cancer diagnosis, he was known as quite the Hollywood heartthrob. His hiatus from acting is likely due to the side-effects he suffered as a result of his tracheotomy — a surgical procedure that connects the windpipe to a hole in the front of the neck. This is a common part of treatment for throat cancer patients, but [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-10-11T06:52:48-07:00October, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Smell of a person’s breath may help identify early cancers

Source: www.theweek.in Author: staff Cancer researchers from Flinders University have reported significant progress in developing a method to test exhaled breath profiles which accurately differentiate head and neck cancer from non-cancer patients. Previous studies elsewhere have indicated that the exhaled breath condensate can reveal gene mutations or DNA abnormalities in patients with lung cancer. The global quest to use a person's breath analysis for rapid, inexpensive and accurate early-stage testing for cancer and other diseases has taken a leap forward. The Australian researchers collected breath samples from 181 patients suspected of having early-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) before any treatment began. "We sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of breath analysis as a non-invasive test for detecting head and neck cancer, which in time may result in a simple method to improve treatment outcomes and patient morbidity," says lead researchers Dr Roger Yazbek and Associate Professor Eng Ooi. Worldwide, head and neck cancer accounts for 6 percent of all cancers, killing more than 300,000 people per year globally. Tobacco, alcohol and poor oral hygiene are known major risk factors for this cancer. A surge in human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancers is seeing these cancers affecting a much younger population, the researchers say. Current therapies are effective at treating early-stage disease, however late-stage presentations are common, and often associated with poor prognosis and high treatment-related morbidity. In the Australian study, a selected ion flow-tube mass spectrometer was used to analyse breath for volatile organic compounds. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-10-11T06:46:58-07:00October, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer drug for photoimmunotherapy approved: Japan approves drug used in new treatment

Source: www3.nhk.or.jp Author: press release A drug for a new cancer treatment called photoimmunotherapy has been granted government approval for the first time. Japan's government approved the drug last week to treat head and neck cancers, which are difficult to treat with other methods. US National Institutes of Health researcher Kobayashi Hisataka, who created the method, and Rakuten Medical, which developed the drug, held a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photoimmunotherapy involves a combination of a drug that uses antibodies to target cancer cells and chemicals that react to light. The drug is administered intravenously, and is activated when the patient's body is illuminated with near-infrared laser light, killing cancer cells. Kobayashi said he's overjoyed that the method he's been engaged in for decades was approved in Japan, and hopes it will be another option for cancer treatment. Rakuten Medical Chairman Mikitani Hiroshi said he believes the method can be combined with chemotherapy, and hopes to use it to treat patients as soon as possible. Procedures are to be carried out so that use of the drug is covered by insurance. Since the drug was approved quickly, its safety and effectiveness will continue to be assessed after it goes onto the market.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-09-30T05:30:04-07:00September, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

A deep learning algorithm for detection of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma from photographic images: a retrospective study

Source: www.thelancet.com Authors: Qiuyun Fu et al. Abstract Background: The overall prognosis of oral cancer remains poor because over half of patients are diagnosed at advanced-stages. Previously reported screening and earlier detection methods for oral cancer still largely rely on health workers’ clinical experience and as yet there is no established method. We aimed to develop a rapid, non-invasive, cost-effective, and easy-to-use deep learning approach for identifying oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) patients using photographic images. Methods: We developed an automated deep learning algorithm using cascaded convolutional neural networks to detect OCSCC from photographic images. We included all biopsy-proven OCSCC photographs and normal controls of 44,409 clinical images collected from 11 hospitals around China between April 12, 2006, and Nov 25, 2019. We trained the algorithm on a randomly selected part of this dataset (development dataset) and used the rest for testing (internal validation dataset). Additionally, we curated an external validation dataset comprising clinical photographs from six representative journals in the field of dentistry and oral surgery. We also compared the performance of the algorithm with that of seven oral cancer specialists on a clinical validation dataset. We used the pathological reports as gold standard for OCSCC identification. We evaluated the algorithm performance on the internal, external, and clinical validation datasets by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity with two-sided 95% CIs. Findings: 1469 intraoral photographic images were used to validate our approach. The deep learning algorithm achieved an AUC of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-09-24T13:41:39-07:00September, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Deadly Spread of Some Cancers May Be Driven by a Common Mouth Microbe

Source: Scientific American Author: Claudia Wallis Image courtesy of Fatinha Ramos When people hear that they might have cancer, perhaps the only thing more frightening than the C word is the M word. Metastatic disease—in which the malignancy has traveled beyond its primary site to other spots in the body—is responsible for nine out of every 10 cancer deaths. Recently an unexpected player in this process has emerged: a common bacterium. Fusobacterium nucleatum, which normally lives harmlessly in the gums, appears to have a role in the spread of some cancers of the colon, esophagus, pancreas and—possibly—breast. Laboratory studies and evidence in patients indicate that the microbe can travel through the blood and infect tumor cells by attaching to a sugar molecule on their surface. There it provokes a range of signals and immune responses known to cause tumor cells to migrate. If further confirmed, the work with F. nucleatum could add to a growing understanding of how the microbiome influences cancer progression and may even point the way to fresh approaches to treatment. In a healthy human mouth, F. nucleatum is a law-abiding member of the microbial community. With poor dental hygiene, uncontrolled diabetes and other conditions, however, it can go rogue and cause periodontitis, tonsillitis, appendicitis and even preterm labor. A connection to colorectal cancer was first hinted at about nine years ago, when two research groups discovered that the bacterium’s DNA was overrepresented in colon tumor tissue compared with normal tissue. Dozens of studies have since found [...]

Charlotte Parker2020-09-24T11:24:02-07:00September, 2020|Oral Cancer News|