Oral Cancer News

FDA Clears First Tobacco Product for Marketing

For the first time since it was given the power to regulate tobacco, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized marketing of a new product. The agency said that eight new smokeless snus products, to be sold in the United States under the "General" brand name by Stockholm-based Swedish Match AB, are now authorized under the premarket tobacco application pathway, which was established by the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Snus cannot be marketed as "FDA-approved," however. "Today's action demonstrates that the premarket tobacco application process is a viable pathway under which products can be marketed, as long as the public health can be protected," said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, in a statement. This is the first time any tobacco maker has completed the rigorous premarket tobacco application review process at the agency; others have had products approved by proving they are substantially equivalent to what is already on the market. The agency said that Swedish Match provided evidence that "these products would likely provide less toxic options if current adult smokeless tobacco users used them exclusively." The agency also agreed with the company that snus' availability would not result in substantial new use, delay quit attempts, or attract ex-smokers. Swedish Match had been seeking separately to remove warnings that snus is harmful, but the agency has not yet ruled on that request. In that separate application, Swedish Match was seeking to have the 10 types of snus it [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-11-13T15:25:42-07:00November, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

A cancer on the rise, and the vaccine too late for Gen X

Source: www.cnn.comAuthor: Martha Shade (CNN)The vaccine given to prevent cervical cancer in women could end up saving men's lives, too. Evidence is mounting that the HPV vaccine is also effective in preventing other HPV-related cancers, including those of the head and neck. Although most people who get HPV do not develop cancer, rates of HPV-related head and neck cancers are dramatically rising for men aged 40 to 50, according to Dr. Maura L. Gillison, the Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. When Gillison recently gave a presentation showing the increasing rate of HPV-related head and neck cancer among men, her audience was shocked. "I've never shown a slide where the audience gasps," she said. Related: Yes, oral sex can lead to cancer "The risk of getting this cancer is strongly related to when you were born. If you are currently a 40- to 45-year-old man, your risk of getting this cancer is dramatically higher than a 40- to 45-year-old man three or four decades ago," Gillison said. Today's 40- to 50-year-old men have had more sexual partners and have engaged in more oral sex than previous generations, according to experts, significantly raising their risk of an HPV-related head and neck cancer. Actor Michael Douglas made headlines in 2013 when he announced he was battling an HPV-related cancer and that he got it from performing oral sex. Douglas was 68 when he was diagnosed, but many of the men being diagnosed with these [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-11-05T11:21:19-07:00November, 2015|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Smoking with a hookah is linked to serious oral problems

Source: www.youthhealthmag.com Author: staff Many people who use a hookah to smoke tobacco think it is a safer way to smoke and that they are reducing their risk. Not so. A new study suggests that using a hookah is associated with serious conditions of the mouth, head, and neck. Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey analyzed 20 published studies that focused on the use of a hookah or water pipe. Ten of the articles pertained to the problems in the mouth, seven to head and neck cancer, and three to problems with the larynx and middle ear. They found that using a hookah is associated with greater amounts of inflammation, gum diseases, a dental condition called dry socket, premalignant lesions, oral cancer, and cancer of the head, neck, and esophagus. It was also associated with a greater incidence of oral infections by the organism Candida, with swelling of the vocal cords, and a lower vocal pitch. The number of people who use a hookah or water pipe-also called an argilah or hubbly-bubbly-has risen worldwide in the past few years. To use these devices, people place tobacco into a bowl on the top of the pipe and light it. The tobacco smoke is passed through a container of water before it is inhaled. Often, the tobacco used in a hookah is heavily flavored with sweeteners such as molasses or honey and other favors. According to the World Health Organization, a typical session of smoking using a hookah lasts up to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-11-27T19:55:07-07:00November, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Follow-up by advance practice nurses improves care for patients with head, neck cancer

Source: www.healio.com Author: Anthony SanFilippo The launch of an advance practice nurse outpatient follow-up clinic improved symptom management for high-risk patients with head and neck cancer following radiation therapy, according to findings from a study conducted at Cleveland Clinic. This initiative led to fewer ED visits and hospital admissions, results showed. “These results are significant as they suggest more intensive follow up in high-risk head and neck patients can improve patient outcomes,” Bridgett Harr, CNP, of the department of radiation oncology at Cleveland Clinic, told HemOnc Today. “This intensive symptom management is an important role [advance practice nurses (APNs)] can fill in this and other patient groups by providing consistent, proactive management of symptoms during recovery from treatment. Our study suggests this will lead to improved patient experience, in addition to a reduction in cost to both the patient and health care system as a whole.” Patients with head and neck cancer often undergo radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, and many experience debilitating side effects that require ED management or admission to the hospital. In 2014, an APN-led clinic was launched to focus on the acute rehabilitation of patients with head and neck cancer undergoing these therapies. Harr and colleagues sought to evaluate the outcomes and incidence of adverse events among patients treated at an APN clinic compared with historical outcomes. The analysis included data from 25 high-risk patients with head and neck cancer who received care post-treatment at an APN clinic and 24 patients who received standard follow-up care identified using [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-11-03T10:14:55-07:00November, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

New research opens door to understanding human tonsil cancer  

Source: medicalxpress.com Author: staff Researchers at Simon Fraser University and the BC Cancer Agency have developed a groundbreaking method to identify and separate stem cells that reside in the tonsils. Their research, which sheds new light on the fight against oral cancer, is published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports. While stem cells in many other body tissues have been well studied, little is known about these stem cells, says researcher Catherine Kang, a PhD student in the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and lead author of the paper. Ninety per cent of human tonsil cancers show evidence of HPV (human papillomavirus) infection. But little is known about its role in causing these cancers. Researchers suspect it is a key player, as HPV is the major risk factor for cervical cancer. Kang, who is working with BPK professor Miriam Rosin, director of the BC Oral Cancer Prevention Program, and UBC professor Connie Eaves of the Terry Fox Laboratory, was interested in finding out why the tonsil is particularly susceptible to HPV and wondered if it might have something to do with the stem cells of the tissue that coats the tonsils. When she purified these cells and made them incorporate a cancer-causing gene normally transmitted by HPV, the cells grew abnormally in a special tissue culture system, and created what one might imagine what the beginning stages of human tonsil cancer would look like. "This is a very exciting finding, as it is the first stage of human [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-11-03T10:06:31-07:00November, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Why groundbreaking new cancer drugs still don’t work for most patients

Source: www.news.doximity.comAuthor: Brady Dennis Immunotherapy, which aims to harness the body's immune system to fight off certain cancers, has received plenty of attention, praise and investment in recent years. Breakthrough treatments for melanoma and other cancers have shown startling results, giving some patients months and often years of life they almost certainly would not otherwise have had. Yet, for all their promise, immune therapies have not produced such dramatic results for the majority of patients. The same drug that causes metastatic melanoma to vanish in one patient might have no effect on another. At best, only one or two patients out of five will respond to immunotherapy treatments -- remarkable numbers compared to past standards, but still far lower than anyone would like. New research published Monday in the journal Nature explores the molecular mechanisms that prevent immunotherapy drugs from working in some patients, and researchers hope the findings will help make the treatments more effective over time. In short, the researchers studied why certain tumors were able to evade immune therapies designed to unleash the body's defenses to fight cancer. They noted that tumors with a high concentration of "T cells," a type of white blood cell essential to the human immune system, were more responsive to the treatments. Tumors with a low number of T cells inside what researchers call the "cancer microenvironment" were far less responsive to the new drugs. "The tumors are acting to protect themselves," said Weiping Zou, a senior author of the study and a professor of surgery, immunology and biology at the University of Michigan's [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-10-30T12:28:18-07:00October, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers Find Hookah Smoking Can Lead to Serious Oral Conditions – Equivalent To Smoking 100 Cigarettes

Source: www.multivu.comAuthor: PR Newswire CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.3 million Americans smoke tobacco from pipes, and many of those who smoke waterpipes, or hookahs, believe it's less harmful than cigarettes. However, research published in The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) suggests hookah smoking is associated with serious oral conditions including gum diseases and cancer. "We found that waterpipe smoking is associated with serious health problems affecting the head and neck region," said study author Teja Munshi, B.D.S., M.P.H of Rutgers University. "The public needs to know they are putting themselves at risk. They should be made aware of the dangers of smoking hookahs." The authors conducted a literature review that focused on waterpipe smoking and head and neck conditions. They found waterpipe smoking to be associated with gum diseases, dry socket, oral cancer and esophageal cancer among other conditions. According to the World Health Organization, smoking a hookah is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes, based on the duration and number of puffs in a smoking session. "This study sheds light on the common misconception that smoking from a waterpipe is somehow safer than smoking a cigarette," said JADA Editor Michael Glick, D.M.D. "Whether you are smoking a cigarette, an e-cigarette, a cigar, or tobacco from a waterpipe, smoking is dangerous not only to your oral health but to your overall health." The American Cancer Society is hosting The Great American Smokeout on November 19, 2015, an annual event that encourages [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-10-29T12:32:23-07:00October, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Manitoba expands HPV vaccination program to include boys

Source: www.rapidnewsnetwork.comAuthor: Cody Griffin While most HPV infections go away over time with no treatment, a few can go on to cause cancer. Health Minister Sharon Blady said the province’s vaccine program will be expanded next year to include Grade 6 and Grade 9 boys as part of Manitoba’s cancer strategy. The province will also be doing a catch-up period in grade 9. About 59 percent of the physicians recommended HPV vaccination more often for adolescents who they perceived to be at higher risk for getting an HPV infection, as opposed to recommending it routinely for all adolescents. “Human papillomavirus can cause abnormal cell changes that can lead to cervical cancer, as well as cancer of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, mouth and throat”, said Dr. Sri Navaratnam, president and CEO, CancerCare Manitoba. A study in Texas found that a more rigorous, information driven outreach program increased the number of children receiving the vaccine, and other recent studies have reinforced the efficacy of the vaccine to prevent cancer and not promote promiscuity among teenagers. Any girl or boy who misses the vaccine in Grade 6 will be eligible to get it in later years free of charge under the province’s “once eligible, always eligible”, program. But now we know it causes cancer in men as well. Gilkey and colleagues found that 27 percent of physicians across the country reported that they do not strongly endorse HPV vaccination, and 26 percent and 39 percent reported that they do not provide timely recommendations [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-10-23T11:47:34-07:00October, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Less Is More for HPV Oropharyngeal Cancer Reduced-intensity regimen clears disease in 86% of cases

Source: www.medpagetoday.comAuthor: Charles Bankhead SAN ANTONIO -- Less intense treatment of low-risk human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer achieved a high rate of pathologic complete response (pCR) and favorable patient-reported outcomes, a preliminary trial showed. Overall, 37 of 43 (86%) patients achieved pCR with deintensified chemoradiation, including all but one evaluable primary tumor. The pCR rate was virtually identical to historical rates achieved with standard regimens, according to Bhishamjit Chera, MD, of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, and colleagues. Selected patient-reported adverse events peaked during the first 6 to 8 weeks and then declined thereafter. About 40% of patients required feeding tubes for a median duration of 15 weeks, but no patients required permanent feeding tubes, they reported here at the American Society for Radiation Oncology meeting. The regimen consists of lower doses of radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin, administered over 6 weeks. With high-dose therapy, the radiation protocol requires an additional week. "Though we have limited follow-up, the pathological complete response rate with this reduced-intensity chemoradiotherapy regimen is very high in patients with favorable-risk oropharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma," Chera said. "The early quality-of-life measurements are encouraging, particularly the data on swallowing. We are optimistic that these results with reduced-intensity treatment will translate into good long-term disease control with less toxicity." The study reflects the current trend and momentum in the management of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer, said Zain Husain, MD, of Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Conn. "This is the second study to show that de-escalation of therapy might [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-10-21T14:59:53-07:00October, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Athletes drive increase in high schoolers’ use of smokless tobacco, CDC study shows

Source: www.kyforward.comAuthor: www.kyforward.com web staff High-school athletes are using more smokeless tobacco, even though overall tobacco use among high-school students has declined, according to a study published by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We can do more to protect America’s youth from a lifetime of addiction,” Tom Frieden, CDC director, said in a press release. “The fact is, smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, snuff or dip, can cause cancer of the mouth, esophagus and pancreas. And the nicotine in these products is harmful to the developing brain. Because we know tobacco-free policies in schools and other public recreational areas work, we must take action now so that our children are safe from these toxins.” Student responses to the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2001 through 2013 show that the share reporting any tobacco use dropped to 22.4 percent from 33.9 percent, and the rate of those smoking combustible tobacco products dropped to 19.5 percent from 31.5 percent. However, those who reported using smokeless tobacco products increased to 8.8 percent from 8.2 percent. The increased use of smokeless tobacco was driven by athletes. The rate among non-athletes remained unchanged at 5.9 percent but has “increased significantly” to 11.1 percent from 10 percent in youth athletes. Researchers suggest that athletes are aware of the adverse consequences of smoking on athletic performance, but may view smokeless tobacco as “less harmful, socially acceptable, or even a way to enhance athletic performance.” The 2013 YRBS found that 26.3 percent [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-10-19T16:38:45-07:00October, 2015|Oral Cancer News|