8/15/2004 Berkeley, CA University Of California - Berkeley New research at the University of California, Berkeley, may add yet another boost to the healthy reputation of the humble soybean. A study published Oct. 15 in the journal Cancer Research shows that mice with the soy protein lunasin applied to their skin had significantly lower rates of skin cancer than mice without the lunasin treatment. More than two years ago, the same UC Berkeley researchers discovered that injecting the lunasin gene into cancer cells in a culture stopped cell division. In their latest work, they tested whether the lunasin protein could prevent normal cells from becoming cancerous in both cell cultures and in mice. In the study, varying doses of lunasin were applied to groups of mice over a period of 19 weeks. They were compared with a control group that had received no lunasin treatments. After the mice were exposed to chemical carcinogens, the group that had received the highest lunasin dose of 125 micrograms twice a week had a 70 percent lower incidence of tumors than the control group. "In the high dose group, some mice did develop some tumors, but there were fewer tumors per mouse and there was a two-week delay in their appearance compared with the control group," said Ben O. de Lumen, nutritional sciences professor in UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources and principal investigator of the study. De Lumen is a member of UC Berkeley's Health Sciences Initiative, a partnership among biomedical sciences and [...]

8/15/2004 Salt lake City, UT by Philip J. Moos, Kornelia Edes, James E. Mullally, and Frank A. Fitzpatrick University of Utah, and the Huntsman Cancer Institute Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is being considered as a potential chemopreventive agent in humans. In vitro it inhibits transcription by NF-B, and the activity of lipoxygenase or cyclooxygenase enzymes, which facilitate tumor progression. In vivo it is protective in rodent models of chemical carcinogenesis. Curcumin contains an ,ß-unsaturated ketone, a reactive chemical substituent that is responsible for its repression of NF-B. In compounds other than curcumin this same electrophilic moiety is associated with inactivation of the tumor suppressor, p53. Here we report that curcumin behaves analogously to these compounds. It disrupts the conformation of the p53 protein required for its serine phosphorylation, its binding to DNA, its transactivation of p53-responsive genes and p53-mediated cell cycle arrest. Source: Department of Oncological Sciences and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA

8/12/2004 New York, NY By Will Boggs, MD Reuters Health An effective vaccine based on seven human papillomavirus (HPV) types could prevent most cervical cancers worldwide, according to a report in the August 20th International Journal of Cancer. "HPV vaccines offer today the best strategy to combat cervical cancer," Dr. Nubia Muñoz from International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France told Reuters Health. Dr. Muñoz and colleagues conducted a pooled analysis of all HPV types in cervical cancer from an international survey and from a multicenter case-control study, involving more than 3600 women with histologically confirmed cervical cancer from 25 countries. Overall, the HPV DNA prevalence was 92.5%, the authors report, ranging from 83.6% of squamous cell carcinomas in Europe/North America to 96.5% of squamous cell carcinomas in south Asia, and from 93.3% of adenocarcinomas in south Asia to 100% of adenocarcinomas in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe/North America. HPV genotypes 16 and 18 accounted for most of the cases in each region of the world, including 63.9% in sub-Saharan Africa, 78.9% in northern Africa, 65.0% in Central/South America, 73.5% in south Asia, 71.5% in Europe/North America, and 70.7% overall. Seven genotypes (HPV 16, 18, 45, 31, 33, 52, and 58) accounted for 87.4% of all cervical cancer cases worldwide, with little regional variation, the researchers note. "Generating a vaccine with seven HPV types would be technically feasible," the investigators conclude. "However, the production cost may be high, and the protection conferred by the less common HPV types may be [...]

8/12/2004 St. Paul, MN by Michael Rohrer, D.D.S., M.S. The Pilot-Independent When people think about cancer, the mouth is not usually the first place that comes to mind. Breast, lung and prostate cancer are all forms of the illness we read and hear a lot about. But oral cancer is a major cause of severe disability and death every year, killing more people nationwide than cervical cancer, Hodgkin's disease, cancer of the brain, kidney, liver, testes or malignant melanoma skin cancer. While oral cancer is not much talked about, dentists and physicians would like to change that. Although those who use tobacco and drink alcohol heavily are at a higher risk for contracting oral cancer, 25 percent of people with oral cancer don't use either substance. One possible culprit is the human papilloma virus, the virus that causes cervical cancer, which also has been linked to the disease. Oral cancer appears initially in the mouth as small, unexplained white or red spots, as well as lumps, bumps, thick or crusty patches, or sores that don't heal. If a dentist suspects oral cancer, the dentist or an oral surgeon will take a biopsy of the tissue to look for abnormal precancerous or malignant cells. If those are found, treatment generally includes surgery to remove all of the abnormal cells. If the abnormal cells have already progressed to cancer, extensive surgery, often combined with radiation treatment, may be required. The best way to survive oral cancer is to prevent its occurrence. If [...]

8/10/2004 NEW YORK By Anthony J. Brown, MD Reuters Health New findings from a long-term study provide further evidence that leeches can be used to save head and neck free tissue flaps typically considered unsalvageable. In the study, the flaps were saved in all 15 patients treated with leeches. Although this therapy is associated with considerable blood loss and other problems, the chance to avoid a second reconstructive surgery is probably worth the risk, lead author Dr. Douglas B. Chepeha told Reuters Health. "The speech and swallowing results, as well as the cosmetic results of a second flap operation are never as good as the first."In a report published in 2002, Dr. Chepeha and colleagues, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, described the outcomes of eight patients who were treated with leech therapy at their institution between 1995 and 2000. The flaps were saved in all cases, although transfusion requirements were often high and ICU psychosis and prerenal azotemia were common problems. In a study update, presented Monday at the 6th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer in Washington, DC, Dr. Chepeha described the outcomes of the original cohort as well as seven additional patients who were treated after 2000. All of the subjects had free tissue flaps that developed venous obstruction that could not be corrected with surgery or thrombolytic therapy. Patients undergoing leech therapy were admitted to the ICU where three leeches are placed every hour until inosculation occurs. During the ICU stay, antithrombotic therapy [...]

8/8/2004 Australian Dental Association By ANDREA MAYES News.com.au Regular dental checks could save your life, according to the Australian Dental Association. West Australia branch chief executive Peter McKerracher said dental check-ups were vital in the early detection of oral cancers, which accounted for about 6.5 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in Australia. He said diseases such as diabetes and leukemia could also be seen in the mouth and gums before other parts of the body and dentists played a vital role in their early detection. "The mouth really is the mirror for the health of your body and we are only now making the connection between overall health and oral health," Dr McKerracher said. "Early detection of serious diseases like oral cancer is absolutely critical and the survival rate is infinitely higher if they are detected earlier." He said oral cancers killed more people in Australia than cervical cancer and there was a 70 per cent chance of survival in the first five years if oral cancers were detected early. The survival rate fell to 30 per cent of those diagnosed after the cancer had spread. August is Dental Awareness Month and Dr McKerracher said the ADA wanted to encourage people to view their dentist as an overall mouth doctor and not just someone who dealt with teeth. "Dentists study the mouth for five years and know what is normal in terms of lumps and bumps, so they are well placed to pick up abnormalities," he said. For example, [...]

8/7/2004 Washington DC American Head and Neck Society release Most adult Americans know how to light a cigarette and order a drink, but a great number of them are clueless about the consequence of these two destructive habits – oral and head and neck cancer. Oral and head and neck cancer (OHNC) is the term used for the group of cancers found in head and neck region, including the oral cavity (mouth, floor of mouth, lips, teeth, gums, lining of lips and cheeks), oropharynx (the back one-third of the tongue), the nasopharynx (area behind the nose), hypopharynx (lower part of the throat), and larynx (voice box). It is estimated that nearly 40,000 new cases of oral, head, and neck cancer were diagnosed in 2003; approximately 85 percent of them attributable to tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption. The five year survival rate for OHNC is only 56 percent, a rate that has remained unchanged over several decades. Considering that most adults who smoke today started using tobacco before the age of 18 and adolescent tobacco users are three times more likely to drink alcohol than non-tobacco users, the Federal Government has included improved survival and early detection of oral and head and neck cancer as two of the nation’s health objectives. Experts believe that increased efforts to educate the public about OHNC will lead to early detection and treatment of these cancers, increasing survival. The current study endeavors to document the public’s belief about OHNC in order to raise awareness [...]

8/6/2004 Houston, TX Mark S. Chambers, DMD, MS, Merrill S. Kies, MD, Adam S. Garden, MD, Jack W. Martin, DDS, MS Head Neck 26: 796-807, 2004 Background. Xerostomia is a common, debilitating complication of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. This article reviews the pathogenesis of radiation-induced xerostomia, its impact on quality of life (QOL), and treatment options. Methods. Virtually all patients undergoing RT for head and neck cancers have xerostomia, which causes oral discomfort and pain, increased dental caries and oral infection, and difficulty speaking and swallowing. This significantly impairs QOL and can compromise nutritional intake and continuity of cancer therapy. The literature describing pathogenesis, impact on QOL of radiation-induced xerostomia, and preventive and interventional therapies was reviewed. Results. Current management strategies include stringent dental and oral hygiene; parotid-sparing radiation techniques to prevent or minimize xerostomia; and pharmacotherapies, such as salivary substitutes and sialogogues. Future strategies may include advanced three-dimensional intensity-modulated RT techniques, salivary gland transfer, newer sialogogues, and gene therapy. Conclusions. New treatment approaches to xerostomia from RT for head and neck cancer may result in significant improvement in patient QOL. All Authors are associated with The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

8/4/2004 Capital News 9 Watch video Some dentists gave visitors to the Saratoga Race Course a reason to smile on Wednesday. They offered track-goers screenings for oral cancer, free of charge. Oral cancer can be fatal, but it's curable if doctors catch it in time. The problem is, the disease usually causes the patient no initial pain. So a trained eye is needed to spot the telltale signs. According to these doctors, the race course is the perfect place to raise awareness. Dr. Robert Trager of Queens said, "A number of the people in the public, such as who come to Saratoga and other outdoors events, are more susceptible to this type of problem. Why? Because they're out in the sun. Their lifestyle unfortunately of possibly drinking, especially smoking and even drugs can lend itself to oral cancers." This is the second year the screenings have been held at the track.

8/2/2004 New Delhi, India By: Upali Rupasinghe New Deli Daily News Scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata have identified a molecule in betel leaf which they say can be effective in killing blood cancer cells. The use of betel juice for treating diseases is a common practice in rural areas and experiments were carried out on the immuno-protection capabilities of the betel leaf. The initial results have indicated that the betel leaf could highly effective against Leukaemia, IICB Director Samir Bhattacharya said. Scientists have conduced experiments on cancer cells, obtained from USA and Europe. Tests have revealed that chlorogenic acid, code-named icb-101, was effective on blood cancer cells but did not destroy other non-cancerous cells. Elated with their initial results, scientists had referred their work to the international journal Blood which had sought several clarifications and whether the molecule could be effective in curing other forms of cancer, like oral cancer. The scientists have informed the Indian Council for Medical Research about the discovery and the drug trial on human body is expected to start soon. OCF Note: Now wouldn't this be something? The very plant that causes so many cases of oral cancer in this region of the world and in Asia could contain a compound that could be used to TREAT oral cancer.