1/14/2004 Washington Maggie Fox Reuters News Service Death rates continue to drop for the top three cancer killers in men -- lung, colon and prostate -- and for breast and colon cancer in women, according to the latest American Cancer Society statistics, published Wednesday. But more U.S. women are dying from lung cancer, the annual report shows. And more people are dying of obesity-related cancers such as some types of liver and esophageal cancer. It estimates that 1.368 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2004, and 563,700 will die of it. This works out to 1,500 Americans a day. Colon cancer death rates fell to 20.8 per 100,000 people per year in the latest year available, 2000. That compares to 20.9 per 100,000 in 1999 and 22.6 in 1995. Breast cancer deaths fell from 30.6 per 100,000 in 1995 to 26.7 in 2000, the group said. Cancer has long been the second leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease, accounting for about a quarter of all deaths. The statistics show it is possible to avoid many cancers, said Dr. Michael Thun, the Society's vice president of epidemiological and surveillance research. "Cancer is not an inescapable fact of life," Thun told reporters in a telephone briefing. Stopping smoking is one way to avoid cancer. The report estimates that tobacco use will cause 180,000 cancer deaths in 2004 -- 160,000 of them from lung cancer. In women, the epidemic of deaths from lung cancer trails that [...]

1/4/2004 Paris, France press release Business Wire BioAlliance Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the field of drug resistance, today announced significant positive results from its confirmatory Phase III pivotal study of the miconazole Lauriad(R) 50mg Bioadhesive Buccal Tablet. The results concerned the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in head and neck cancer patients following radiotherapy. The study demonstrates the potential efficacy and safety of a new formulation of miconazole administered as a bioadhesive extended release buccal tablet. The tablet contained 10 times less active drug compared to the same drug applied in a topical gel for treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis, an oral fungus commonly found in immuno-compromised patients, including HIV and cancer patients, diabetics and the elderly. With the EU clinical program now completed, the results of this investigation together with a previously completed supportive Phase III study in HIV-positive patients will form the basis of a registration filing in the EU in early 2005. An IND to conduct a pivotal Phase III trial in HIV-positive patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis is on track for filing with the U.S. FDA, also in early 2005. "The results from these studies are strongly indicative of the efficacy and safety of our once a day topical formulation of the miconazole extended release, bioadhesive buccal tablet for first line local treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis," said Dominique Costantini, M.D., president and CEO of BioAlliance Pharma. "These excellent results for one of BioAlliance's key technologies are extremely encouraging in terms of the company's future development." Phase III [...]

12/31/2003 Sulaiman F, Huryn JM et al. Journal of oral and Maxillofacial Surgery A conservative approach to dental extraction was accompanied by minimal osteoradionecrosis. This study reviewed the treatment of 1194 irradiated head and neck tumor patients who had been evaluated and treated in the dental service of this large New York hospital. Most tumors were in the larynx, base of tongue, nasopharynx, parotid, oral tongue, floor of mouth and maxillary sinus. Three quarters were squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Dental extractions (two-thirds in posterior teeth) had been required in 187 patients aged 6 to 89 yrs. In about 10% of cases, antibiotics were given. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) was given to 7 patients. Only 4 teeth were extracted during radiotherapy, but 300 were removed before, and 647 afterwards. More teeth were in the radiation field (528) than outside it (423). Osteoradionecrosis developed in 4 patients who did not receive HBO. All 4 had SCC of the tongue or floor of the mouth. The authors discuss their protocols and procedures and advise conservative management of dental conditions in these patients. Source: Sulaiman F, Huryn JM et al. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2003; 61: 1123-1131

12/30/2003 Taiwan Central News Agency Mortality rates among sufferers of liver cancer, one of the leading causes of death for Taiwan people, seem to be on the decline, the nation's top health official said yesterday. Chen Chien-jen minister of the Department of Health (DOH), made the remarks after the DOH unveiled earlier that day its annual cancer registry report for 2000, the most recent statistics available. Chen said that in 2000, the liver cancer rate was 36.06 people in every 100,000, an increase rate of 20 percent between 1996 and 2000. As hepatitis is an important factor in the development of liver cancer, Chen said that the DOH would step up medication for chronic hepatitis B and C patients next year, in an attempt to effectively curb the spread of liver cancer. Chen also noted that although both the number of lung cancer patients and mortality rates in the United States have dropped because of pressure from anti-tobacco groups, cigarette production in the United States has not decreased accordingly. Instead, U.S. tobacco companies have simply increased their cigarette exports, Chen said, which is having an adverse effect on lung cancer control efforts in other countries. In Taiwan, excessive drinking, betel-nut chewing and smoking are all associated with oral cancer and cancer of the esophagus, and Chen said that the most effective way to prevent such cancers is to avoid alcohol, betel nuts and cigarettes. In addition, he went on, the ratio of Taiwan women suffering from lung cancer is high, [...]

12/30/2003 Dayton, Ohio KFMB.COM, channel 8, Ohio When was the last time you saw your dentist? If you’re like millions of Americans, it's been a while. In fact, about 40 percent of Americans admit that they will not visit a dentist at all this year. But by going to the dentist, you’re not only taking good care of your teeth, you may actually be taking an important step in avoiding cancer. The everyday task of brushing her teeth has become a daily reminder of what Betty Sawyers has gone through. On three different occasions her dentist found pre-cancerous sores in her mouth during routine exams. "I really think that regular check ups are very, very important and fortunately, I've lived that. I'm not just saying it,” said Betty. Had her dentist not found the problem, Betty may have developed oral cancer. And like many patients, she may never have known anything was wrong until it was too late. “That’s a somewhat frightening thing about oral cancer is very frequently the early phases are not painful at all,” said Dr. Susan Mallery. Dr. Mallery of Ohio State's James Cancer Hospital says that's where the dentist comes in. Her advice is to go to your dentist often and specifically ask them to check for signs of oral cancer. Be on the lookout for velvety white or red patches, and for sores that bleed easily or don't heal. While it's true that oral cancer strikes mostly older people, it can strike anyone. "We [...]

12/30/2003 Dr. Ludwig G. Strauss, Dr. Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, and Dr. Uwe Haberkorn Journal of Nuclear Medicine Studies have shown that quantifying 18F-FDG kinetics with dynamic PET data can characterize many lesions more accurately than a single static measurement of uptake. The routine clinical use of dynamic PET, however, has been precluded by the long scanning time required. Now researchers in Germany say they have identified a modified, short acquisition protocol that generates more information than standard uptake values (SUVs) and accurately estimates 18F-FDG kinetics. The new protocol may be useful in evaluating a variety of cancer patients,according to Dr. Ludwig G. Strauss, Dr. Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, and Dr. Uwe Haberkorn from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. Among their suggested applications for short-protocol dynamic PET: detection or grading of soft-tissue sarcomas, differentiation of benign and malignant bone lesions, and assessment of therapy response in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. The authors have spent years identifying the enhanced information offered by dynamic PET. With this latest study, they wrote, "A main aim was to reduce the number of frames for the data acquisition in order to achieve a protocol suitable for routine application. Our results showed that a short, 10-minute acquisition followed by a late static image 56ˆ60 minutes after tracer injection provided accurate data for estimating 18F-FDG influx and the parameters k1 (rate constant) and VB (vascular fraction)." The researchers based their conclusions on 151 dynamic datasets obtained from 60 patients referred for 18F-FDG PET for primary tumor diagnostics or [...]

12/29/2003 Newport Beach Orange Coast Magazine The Oral Cancer Foundation and its founder Brian Hill appeared in the magazines first issue of 2004, one whose articles are dedicated to health issues. The article detailed Hill’s battle with oral cancer and his formation of the foundation to help bring awareness to the disease. When asked about the article, Mr. Hill commented “that every opportunity to tell the oral cancer story is a valuable one, since such a large portion of the American population hears little of it, the risk factors for it, or the warning signs that they might actually have it. I am grateful to the publishers for considering OCF worthy of inclusion in its prestigious magazine. With it’s large circulation, the potential to raise awareness within the ranks of its readership is high.” This year alone oral cancer in the US will be newly diagnosed in over 30,000 individuals, and one person every hour of every day of the year will die from it. The foundation states that through early detection and public awareness, this extraordinarily high death rate can be drastically reduced.

12/28/2003 Scotland Newsquest Experts are to test the life-saving potential of a combination of aspirin with a stomach ulcer drug. Test centres are being set up in Glasgow's Western and Royal Infirmaries, Wishaw General Hospital and hospitals in Aberdeen and Dunfermline as part of a UK-wide drive to conquer one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. Around 5000 men who suffer from Barrett's oesophagus - the condition linked to oesophageal cancer - will take part. The precancerous condition can be caused by acid formation in the stomach. Previous studies have indicated aspirin reduces the number of cases of oesophageal cancer, but one of the drug's side-effects is an increased risk of stomach ulcers. Researchers will observe the effects of using aspirin and a drug that prevents acid formation called esomeprazole to treat Barrett's oesophagus. The number of Britons who have suffered oesophageal cancer has increased 12% over the last decade. Professor Janusz, based at the Digestive Diseases Centre at the University of Leicester, said: "Only a small proportion of those with Barrett's oesophagus will develop the cancer. "However, in the UK the number of those developing this cancer because of Barrett's oesophagus is very high compared to the rest of the western world - three to four times the level seen in Europe or the US. "By successfully treating Barrett's oesophagus, we could prevent up to half of cases of oesophageal cancer in this trial." The UK is at the centre of an explosion. We hope these drugs will [...]

12/28/2003 Florida Susan J. Park Sun-Sentinel Aida Paley, an 89-year-old Deerfield Beach resident, thought she would never be able to eat again. She suffered from a swallowing disorder that was a result of the radiation therapy she had received 54 years ago for throat cancer and affected her eating since age 84. Her condition only deteriorated after she suffered a small stroke in May, and her doctors didn't think there was any hope. She went through six weeks of throat therapy with no results, said her daughter, Beverly Hanson, a Sunrise resident. But then, Paley was introduced to Theresa Biber, a certified American Speech-Language-Hearing Association speech pathologist. Biber, who works in Weston, had been experimenting with neuromuscular electrical stimulation, a method borrowed from physical therapy for limbs, to help patients recover from their swallowing disorders. Biber incorporated the therapy with normal swallowing rehabilitation, which consists of throat exercises and head placement. After a couple of months of therapy sessions, Paley was able to eat soft foods again, and in November was able to enjoy her first chewable Thanksgiving dinner in almost four years. "Beverly and I had turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce," Paley said with a big smile. "It was just unbelievable." Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder, usually resulting from a stroke, head injury, progressive neuromuscular disorder or cancer. According to Oxford Research, almost one-third of patients in acute care and one-third of patients who have suffered from a stroke struggle with this illness as well. Despite dysphagia being so [...]

12/23/2003 New York Nicotine & Tobacco Research The most popular brands of smokeless tobacco have the highest levels of the most easily absorbed form of nicotine, according to a new study. The three brands of moist snuff that have the largest market share also contain the highest levels of so-called unprotonated, or "free-base," nicotine, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, report. This form of nicotine is rapidly absorbed through the mouth. The speed of nicotine absorption has a major impact on the odds of becoming addicted, according to the study's authors, Drs. Patricia Richter and Francis W. Spierto. "Consumers need to know that smokeless tobacco products, including loose-leaf and moist snuff, are not safe alternatives to smoking," the authors state in the December issue of the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. The researchers point out that in 2000 the U.S. surgeon general concluded that tobacco products should be not be any more harmful than necessary. "Regarding the health of consumers, and in light of the surgeon general's response, smokeless tobacco manufacturers should take steps to reduce the addictiveness of their products," Richter and Spierto conclude. Under a 1986 law, tobacco manufacturers must report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the amount of nicotine in their smokeless tobacco products. Because such information is considered a trade secret, however, it is not released to the public. But through a little bit of detective work, Richter and Spierto were able to determine how much nicotine [...]