Oral Cancer News

Five reasons to schedule a dental exam today

Source: www.theintell.com Author: Raquel Braemer Often times we can get caught up in our day-to-day life, neglecting things like routine check-ups. Until, of course, a problem arises. An aching tooth requiring an immediate appointment and possibly requiring time off from work or even an unexpected trip to the Emergency Room. We all know we should make time for routine dental exams. But - if you need some motivation to pick up the phone - here are 5 reasons to schedule that appointment today. 1. 9 in 10 Adults Have Cavities. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 91% of adults ages 20-64 had cavities. Further, 1 in 4 adults had untreated tooth decay. 2. Complications with Diabetes. If you are one of nearly 30 million Americans reported to be suffering from diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association, you are also at risk of developing gum disease. Working with a dentist to develop and maintain good oral health practices could help you control your diabetes. 3. Early Detection of Oral Cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that 39,500 Americans are expected to get oral cancer in 2015. Your dentist's chair is often the first place these cancers of the tongue, tonsils, and gums can be identified. Early detection and treatment are critical to survival. 4. Good Oral Health Means Good Overall Health. Studies continue to show that good oral health has correlations to reduced risk of diabetes, arthritis, stroke, and heart disease. In fact, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-09-02T07:28:35-07:00September, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Hopkins team shows methylation-specific ddPCR may help predict head and neck cancer recurrence

Source: www.genomeweb.com Author: Madeleine Johnson Oncologists probe the margins of surgical sites to detect epigenetic indicators that can anticipate cancer recurrence. But deep surgical margin analysis with biopsy can alter the site making it challenging to return to the exact spot if there is a problem. It also takes only a few rogue cancer cells to cause a recurrence and these may be missed by histological techniques. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have now developed a method using Bio-Rad's Droplet Digital PCR platform that is amenable to molecular methods and only requires a tiny sample from the surgical margin. Specifically, in a study published this week in Cancer Prevention Research, scientists examined an epigenetic signature of PAX5 gene methlyation previously determined to be specific to cancer, and found that it could be used to predict local cancer recurrence after tumor removal for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, or HNSCC. In a prospective study of 82 patients, if the tumors had methylated PAX5 then the presence of residual methylated cells in the surgical margins was a predictor of poor locoregional recurrence-free survival. And among patients on subgroup of patients who did not receive radiation treatment after surgery, the ddPCR method increased detection of the PAX5 maker from 29 percent to 71 percent. Compared to conventional methylation analysis, the ddPCR method also reduced the number of false negatives. Importantly, the authors noted in the study that the method can be performed within three hours by one person. Thus, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-27T14:39:59-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Rinsing with salt water beats out swishing with mouthwash

Source: www.reviewjournal.com Author: John Przybys A bottle can be found on just about every bathroom countertop or in just about every medicine cabinet in America. But is incorporating an over-the-counter mouthwash into your daily oral hygiene routine worth it? Dr. Daniel L. Orr II, a professor and director of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine, says over-the-counter mouthwashes pose no health problems to those who use them sparingly. But Orr also notes that some over-the-counter mouthwashes contain more than 20 percent alcohol. That alcohol — in addition to being a potential poisoning danger to kids who might stumble upon it and drink it — also is "an irritant" to the gums and mouth, Orr says. "If you want to do a little experiment, you can just put any name brand (of mouthwash) into your mouth and just hold it there for a couple of minutes. It starts to burn and doesn't feel good at all." Over-the-counter mouthwashes usually are taken by consumers in an attempt to kill odor-causing bacteria in the mouth. But, Orr says, "mouthwash doesn't really clean your mouth. It doesn't debride like a toothbrush and floss do. So if you brush and floss correctly, there really shouldn't be much need for mouthwash at all." Also, Orr says, some studies indicate that "people who use it a lot — like taking it three times a day — have a slightly increased chance of oral cancer, other things being equal." [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-27T14:31:10-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

HPV DNA detected in mouthwash predicts oral cancer recurrence

Source: www.onclive.com Author: Kelly Johnson The presence of HPV16 DNA is common at diagnosis of HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma (HPV-OPC) but rare after treatment. HPV-OPC has a favorable prognosis; however, 10% to 25% of patients experience disease progression, usually within 2 years of treatment. Patients who have HPV 16 DNA in their saliva following treatment of their oropharyngeal cancer are more likely to have their cancer recur, and a prospective cohort study published in JAMA Oncology has shown that a simple mouth rinse can be used to detect it. Gypsyamber D’Souza Gypsyamber D’Souza, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and fellow researchers monitored 124 patients with newly diagnosed oropharyngeal cancer from 2009 through 2013. They collected oral rinse and gargle samples using 10 mL of mouthwash at the time of diagnosis as well as after treatment 9, 12, 18, and 24 months later. HPV16 DNA was detected in 67 out of 124 of the participants testing positive. Of the 67 patients who had HPV16 DNA in their saliva at the time of diagnosis, five patients (7%) were found to still have traces of HPV16 in their oral rinses following treatment. All five patients developed a local recurrence of oropharyngeal cancer, three of whom died from the disease. “It’s a very small number so we have to be somewhat cautious,” said D’Souza, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Bloomberg School and a member of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a statement. However, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-27T14:25:55-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Teen E-Cig Users More Likely to Smoke

Source: www.newswise.com Newswise — As e-cigarette usage among high school students continues to climb, a recent study from The Journal of the American Medical Association reveals an unsettling trend: that adolescent e-cigarette users are more likely than their non-vaping peers to initiate use of combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars and hookahs. The reason may lie in a common denominator between e-cigarettes and their combustible counterparts: nicotine. While the study hints that more research is needed to determine if this association is merely casual, it’s important to note that while e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, the battery-powered devices do deliver nicotine in aerosol form. “Nicotine’s addictive properties are a risk for any age group, but with adolescents, the stakes are even higher,” says Dr. K. Vendrell Rankin, director of Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry’s Tobacco Treatment Services. For teens, mental health as well as key emotional and cognitive systems are at stake. “Major cognitive functions and attention performance are still in the process of developing during adolescence,” says Rankin, also a professor and associate chair in public health sciences at TAMBCD. “Nicotine increases the risk of developing psychiatric disorders and lasting cognitive impairment and is associated with disturbances in working memory and attention. Reliance on nicotine to manage negative emotions and situations impairs the development of coping skills.” In addition to affecting the emotional and cognitive development of teens, nicotine is highly addictive. In fact, the younger a person is when they begin using nicotine, the more likely they [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-21T11:16:40-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Rodeo Competitor Speaks to Youth to Spread Anti-Tobacco Message

Source: www.prnewswire.comAuthor: Oral Cancer Foundation Cody Kiser prepares for competition while sporting the Oral Cancer Foundation's message - Be Smart. Don't Start. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The traditional image of the American cowboy is one of strength, rugged determination and courage. In the world of professional rodeo competition, that image is no different. Cowboys—and increasingly so cowgirls—are held in esteem and looked at as heroes by young and old alike. The power of the cowboy as a compelling figure has not gone unnoticed by the tobacco industry, whose marketing campaigns have sought to tie the ideals of the cowboy with the use of their products. The western/rodeo environment in the US has had a long-term relationship with tobacco, and until 2009 The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the rodeos that they sanctioned had a lengthy history of tobacco money funding the sport. While that has ended at PRCA events, tobacco use and smokeless/spit tobaccos are still popular within the sport. The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) believes that in order to solve problems you must engage the problem at the source. As a small and growing non-profit, OCF is not afforded the luxury of relying on conventional methods of outreach utilized by larger, more established charities. To enact meaningful change and bring awareness to the public, OCF must employ ingenuity and creativity to address the problems at hand. Within the world of professional rodeo, that problem remains to be the glorification and pervasive use [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-14T10:51:59-07:00August, 2015|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

AstraZeneca joins the world of immunotherapy against cancer

Source: www.youthhealthmag.com Author: staff Cancer drug companies have been fighting lately in a completely different and interesting arena: immunotherapy. The competition is indeed heating up that firms such as AstraZeneca are willing to pay millions of dollars for promising treatments. AstraZeneca, through its research company called MedImmune, has just recently announced its decision to purchase a novel drug INO-3112 from Inovio, based in Pennsylvania, for a staggering price tag of $727 million. INO-3112 is a drug for immunotherapy, a new way of combating cancer by boosting the body's immune system. This then allows the antibodies and specific cells to fight off the tumor. The treatment may also provide synthetic proteins to boost the body's fighting chance. MedImmune believes that with the proper immunotherapy protocol for the patient, conventional methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which have plenty of serious risks, can now be significantly reduced, if not eliminated. In fact, patients may no longer have to go through surgery, which is a common first-line treatment. While AstraZeneca already has immunotherapy products in the market, the acquisition of INO-3112 will make it an instrument for combination therapies. As for Inovio, the drug, which is still not approved, is currently in the advanced stages of the clinical trials. It will be intended for treating head and neck cancers, as well as cervical cancer. While there are already cervical cancer vaccines, they cite the rather poor record of them. Their drug, on the other hand, will work on modifying DNA sequencing that will [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-13T07:39:58-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Professor creates a tool to help diagnose certain cancers early

Source: www.portsmouth.co.uk Author: staff Professor Peter Brennan from Portsmouth has been appointed as the 2016 president of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He has been given a £30,000 president fund, and has chosen to use the cash to benefit not only patients in Portsmouth, but around the country. He is writing a book and online tool which will be sent to every GP practice in England. It will assist GPs in spotting warning signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer and other tumour issues that could be fatal. Prof Brennan, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, explained: ‘It can be very hard for non-specialists to detect and diagnose problems, including cancer, in the head and neck. I know that a tool like this will be really beneficial for doctors. ‘I’m delighted to have been elected as president of the surgical association for next year, and I thought long and hard about what to use the grant for. ‘It is designed to be used for the advancement of a speciality, and I wanted to use the money in a way which would have the biggest impact on patients. ‘I’m confident that this will make a real difference, and am looking forward to seeing it being rolled out across the country.’ The scheme has the approval of the Royal College of General Practitioners, the professional body for family doctors in the UK. Professor Brennan added: ‘The feedback that I had from RCGP is that [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-13T07:34:28-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

The case for funding the HPV vaccine for boys

Source: www.thespec.com Author: Camilla Cornell, Hamilton Spectator If Tiffany Bond could have had her 25-year-old son inoculated against the human papilloma virus (HPV), she'd have done it in a heartbeat. After all, Bond knows well the pain HPV virus can cause. Eight years ago, at age 39, Bond flicked back her long hair and touched a lump in her throat. Her doctor's diagnosis? Bond had oral pharynx cancer — a type of throat cancer caused by the HPV virus. Worse, the cancer had spread into her lymph nodes. She began a seven-week regimen of radiation and chemotherapy treatments so intense that Bond couldn't eat a thing. She was fed through tubing in her stomach for months and lost about a third of her body weight. "I was sick to my stomach every day for seven weeks," Bond says. "There came a point where I just gave up — I wanted to die. It was horrific for my son to watch." The good news, says Joanne Di Nardo, a spokesperson for the Ontario branch of the Canadian Cancer Society: There is an HPV vaccine that is 100 per cent effective against many forms of HPV. The bad news? Although all provincial governments administer the vaccine free to girls, in many provinces boys don't have the same privilege. Only Alberta, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and P.E.I. (either currently or will soon) offer the vaccine free to boys. "We really need to do some catching up here in Ontario," says Di Nardo. "Boys [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-11T12:17:53-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

AstraZenica, Inovio strike deal to find HPV cancer vaccine

Source: www.philly.comAuthor: David Sell Local drugmakers - big and small - struck a deal to try to develop a vaccine to prevent a form of cervical, head and neck cancer. MedImmune, which is the biologics and research division with AstraZeneca, said Monday it will collaborate with Inovio Pharmaceuticals to develop an early stage cancer vaccine designed to treat human pappilomavirus. AstraZeneca will pay Inovio $27.5 million upfront. If the compound reaches development and commercial milestones, Inovio could get up to $700 million, along with "double-digit tiered royalties" on product sales. However, sales are a long way off because the compound is only in phase I and phase II of what is normally a three-phase clinical trial process. AstraZeneca is moving its headquarters from London to Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and has operations in Wilmington and Fort Washington. The MedImmune division is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md. Inovio is based in Blue Bell and its basic scientific premise is to use DNA to develop vaccines. unlike most current vaccines. The companies have worked together before. The compound at the heart of the latest deal is called INO-3112. The early clinical trials are examining cervical and head and neck camcers and the compound tries to generate "killer T-cell responses that are able to destroy HPV 16- and 18- driven tumors. These HPV types are responsible for more than 70 per cent of cervical pre-cancers and cancers, " according to the statement. The full statement from AstraZeneca is here. *This news story was [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-10T12:01:54-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|