Oral Cancer News – Page 109 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Experience counts with radiation for head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologynurseadvisor.com Author: Kathy Boltz, PhD When it comes to specialized cancer surgery, the more experienced the surgeon, the better the outcome is generally true. The same might hold true for radiation therapy used to treat head and neck cancer, according to a new study. Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology(1) with an accompanying editorial(2), the study compared survival and other outcomes in 470 patients treated with radiation therapy at 101 treatment centers through a clinical trial held from 2002 to 2005. The trial was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and organized by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). It was conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital in Columbus. The findings indicated that patients treated at the less-experienced centers were more likely to have cancer recurrence compared with highly experienced centers (62% vs 42%, respectively, at 5 years) and had poorer overall survival compared with those at the highly experienced centers (51% vs 69% 5-year survival, respectively). “Our findings suggest that institutional experience strongly influences outcomes in patients treated with radiation therapy for head and neck cancer,” said first author Evan Wuthrick, MD. “They indicate that patients do better when treated at centers where more of these procedures are performed versus centers that do fewer.” Radiation therapy for head and neck cancer requires complex treatment planning that can vary considerably between institutions and physicians. In addition, significant short-term and long-term side effects can occur that require management [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-01-07T19:33:19-07:00January, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Majority of public unaware of alcohol’s link with cancer

Source: www.cancerresearchuk.org Author: staff More than half of the British public are unaware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer, according to a survey from the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA) (link is external). The UK- wide poll found that just 47 per cent of people were aware of any connection between alcohol and the disease. But an overwhelming majority (83 per cent) would back further nutritional and health information on alcohol labelling. Sarah Williams, Cancer Research UK’s senior health information officer, said: “Alcohol has long been a scientifically established cause of cancer, but there is surprisingly low awareness among the public of this link. “And it isn't just a risk for heavy drinkers; regularly drinking alcohol puts you at greater risk of seven different types of cancer, including breast and mouth cancer” Alcohol is currently exempt from the EU legislation that makes it mandatory for food products and soft drinks to carry nutritional value information, despite alcohol being classed as a group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organisation (link is external). The AHA's chair, Sir Ian Gilmore, says the lack of health information on many alcoholic products is "indefensible". “It’s not right that labelling is mandatory for a box of corn flakes but not for alcoholic products which can seriously harm health,” he said. Gilmore urges the Government to start listening to public opinion on this issue rather than the demands of big businesses. The results from the survey of 3077 people showed that nine in 10 [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-01-07T19:27:08-07:00January, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Time to treatment increasing with head, neck cancer

Source: medicalxpress.com Author: staff Time to treatment initiation (TTI) is rising for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in Cancer . Colin T. Murphy, M.D., from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, and colleagues analyzed data from the National Cancer Database to identify head and neck cancer sites (oral tongue, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx) and to determine TTI (the number of days from diagnosis to the initiation of definitive treatment). The researchers found that based on 274,630 patients from 1998 to 2011, the median TTI for all patients was 26 days, and increased from 19 to 30 days (P

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-01-07T19:19:03-07:00January, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Ring in the New Year by encouraging patients to quit tobacco use

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Maria Perno Goldie The New Year always brings a sense of hope and conviction to improve our lives. New Year’s resolutions abound. With the New Year come new beginnings, fresh starts, and promises for a brighter future. We try to move on from the losses and trials of 2014, but we never forget. The people we’ve lost will be in our hearts forever, and the trials can be viewed as life lessons and opportunities. As World Oral Health Day (WOHD) 2015 approaches, FDI World Dental Federation wants people to make a healthy New Year’s resolution and reduce their use of tobacco – or give it up completely – as part of the 2015 World Oral Health Day Smile for Life campaign.(1) Tobacco use can significantly increase the risk of many serious oral health problems, including oral cancer, periodontal disease, early tooth loss, tooth discoloration, oral malodor, and a reduced ability to taste and smell. Dental and dental hygiene office visits can create an opportunities to help patients quit smoking and using tobacco, yet dental settings are often not used for treatment of tobacco dependence. The purpose of one study was to evaluate issues that may influence patterns of tobacco-use-related practice among a national sample of dental providers.(2) Researchers surveyed a representative sample of general dentists practicing in the U.S. More than 90% of dental providers reported that they regularly ask patients about tobacco use, 76% counsel patients, and 45% routinely offer cessation assistance. This was defined as [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-12-31T06:50:44-07:00December, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

5 Best apps to quit smoking

Source: www.gottabemobile.com Author: Josh Smith You want to quit smoking, but it isn’t easy to do. You can leverage community support, motivation and proven techniques on your iPhone, Android and Windows Phone with the best apps to quit smoking, and motivational on demand help when you have a craving. Most of these quit smoking apps will help you work through the cravings and calculate the money and health benefits of quitting smoking with calculators and a quite smoking timeline that can help you visualize the benefits of quitting smoking. Whether you are quitting smoking as a New Year’s Resolution or you finally decided to take a stand, you can use these apps to quit smoking faster and with more help than going cold turkey with no support. Use these apps to quit smoking in 2015. According to the CDC, you will notice the benefits in as little as 20 minutes and carbon monoxide level in your blood drop to normal in just 12 hours. In as little s two weeks your heart attack risk drops and in one to nine months your coughing and shortness of breath decreases. There are many other benefit to quitting smoking in the years following. The 2014 CDC Surgeon General’s report found one in three cancer deaths could be prevented if people quit smoking, and it isn’t only lung or oral cancer that smoking increases the risk for. With the help of the best quit smoking apps on the market, you can turn [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-12-31T06:41:48-07:00December, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer on rise in young people

Source: www.wwltv.com Author: Jaclyn Kelley Alex Dupuy is like most 15-year-old boys, except for one very special talent. Last year he stole the headlines during a bowling tournament for bowling a perfect 300. But that high wouldn't last long. "My son came to us one day and said I have an ulcer, and we thought, OK, let's gargle with some salt water and we kept checking on it and it never went away," said Nancy Dupuy, Alex's mother. When the sore on Alex's tongue never cleared up, but instead started growing, his mother became concerned and took him to see the doctor. "It has grown so rapidly that I would really like to have the tumor or whatever it was removed," she said. Alex was taken to Children's Hospital for surgery, and doctors removed the sore and 30 percent of his tongue. Three days later test results came back confirming the Dupuy's worst fears: It was cancer. "The word aggressive stuck out to me," Nancy Dupuy said. "The type of cancer that my son presented with was an adult cancer. It's not usually diagnosed in young children." The doctors said Alex had a rapid form of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Four days later he and his parents were on a plane to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Through it all, Alex managed to stay positive. "I felt nervous, I felt scared and I told myself, I'll be alright," Alex said. In Houston Alex would have yet another [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-12-31T06:23:34-07:00December, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Antacids linked to better survival in patients with head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologynurseadvisor.com Author: Kathy Boltz, PhD Patients with head and neck cancer who used antacid medicines to control acid reflux had better overall survival, according to a new study. Reflux can be a common side effect of chemotherapy or radiation treatment for head and neck cancer. Doctors at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor frequently prescribe two types of antacids, proton pump inhibitors or histamine 2 blockers, to help treat this side effect. The researchers reviewed 596 cases of head and neck cancer. More than two-thirds of the patients took one or both types of antacid medication after their diagnosis. Patients who were taking antacids had significantly better overall survival than those who did not take them. Proton pump inhibitors, including drugs such as Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid, had the biggest effect: a 45% decreased risk of death compared with patients who did not take antacids. Patients taking histamine 2 blockers, such as Tagamet, Zantac, or Pepcid, saw a 33% decreased risk of death. "We had suspicions that these medications somehow had a favorable impact on patient outcomes. This led us to review our large cohort of patients and screen them for common medications, focusing on antacids. In fact, our study did show that people taking antacids are doing better," said lead study author Silvana Papagerakis, MD, PhD, research assistant professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the University of Michigan (U-M) Medical School and an adjunct clinical assistant professor at the U-M School of Dentistry. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-12-31T06:18:03-07:00December, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Boy Scout Troop Hiking to Raise Awareness of Oral Cancer in Honor of their Former Scoutmaster

Source: abcnews4.comAuthor: Staff AWENDAW, S.C. (WCIV) -- South Carolina is second in the nation for the number of people who die from oral cancer every year. That statistic hits too close to home for one local Boy Scout troop who is now taking on the fight against the cancer. For five days, Boy Scout Troop 50 will be hiking through the Francis Marion National Forest from Awendaw to Moncks Corner. “Last summer our former Scoutmaster was diagnosed with tongue and throat cancer and he had to step down,” said Larry Elkin, who is volunteering to help lead the hike. Elkin says the boys have been preparing the 53 mile voyage for months. Their goal is to raise $5,000 to donate to the Oral Cancer Foundation. “Mr. Hardy loved his troop and he loved to hike, so what way better way to honor and bring awareness than through something he loved,” said Elkin. “If it's one thing Mr. Hardy taught me is that if you are not going to do something right then don't do it at all,” said Reid Kaplan, a 17-year-old who was under Hardy's leadership when he was in the sixth grade. It's memories and lessons learned from Hardy that Kaplan says will keep him going when he gets tired. “I remember going camping with him, and no matter how tired or worn out he was he never gave up he never complained, so when I'm drained I'll be thinking about that,” said Kaplan. Cole Shuber is another [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-12-29T11:48:55-07:00December, 2014|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Levels of cancer-causing chemicals in smokeless tobacco products influence carcinogen exposure

Source: www.healthcanal.com Author: staff Higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals called tobacco-specific nitrosamines in smokeless tobacco products led to greater exposure to these carcinogens even after taking into account how much or how long the product was used, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. “Our results show that although the pattern of tobacco use—for example, amount of dip and number of dips—can influence the level of smokeless tobacco users’ exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines, the actual amount of these chemicals in the products also makes a significant difference,” said Dorothy K. Hatsukami, PhD, the Forster Family professor in cancer prevention in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “The majority of smokeless tobacco users in the United States are not aware of the levels of cancer-causing chemicals in their smokeless tobacco products or of the tremendous variability in the levels of these chemicals across brands sold in this country,” continued Hatsukami. “At a minimum, the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] should provide smokeless tobacco consumers information about the different levels of cancer-causing chemicals in different brands of smokeless tobacco and, ideally, require levels of tobacco-specific nitrosamines be substantially reduced, if not eliminated, in all products. Levels of these chemicals in smokeless tobacco products could be readily reduced by changing manufacturing practices.” Levels of exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines are associated with disease risk, according to Hatsukami. Prior studies have shown that smokeless tobacco users in the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-12-25T12:37:53-07:00December, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

FDA Approves Vaccine That Covers More HPV Strains

Source: webmd.comAuthor: E J Mundell, HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last Wednesday approved a new vaccine with expanded protection against the human papillomavirus (HPV), by far the leading cause of cervical and certain other cancers. The agency said that Gardasil 9 can shield users against nine strains of the virus, compared to the four strains covered by Gardasil, the Merck & Co. vaccine approved in 2006. Merck also makes Gardasil 9. "Gardasil 9 has the potential to prevent approximately 90 percent of cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers," the FDA said in an agency news release. "Vaccination is a critical public health measure for lowering the risk of most cervical, genital and anal cancers caused by HPV," Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the release. "The approval of Gardasil 9 provides broader protection against HPV-related cancers." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends the HPV vaccine for boys and girls at age 11 or 12, so they are protected before being exposed to the sexually transmitted virus. One other HPV vaccine, Cervarix, was also approved by the FDA in 2009. Cervarix is made by GlaxoSmithKline and protects against two HPV strains strongly linked to cancer, HPV 16 and 18. According to the FDA, the approval of Gardasil 9 was based on a clinical trial involving more than 14,000 girls and women aged 16 to 26 who were not infected with HPV at [...]

Charlotte Parker2014-12-16T17:11:06-07:00December, 2014|Oral Cancer News|