Oral Cancer News – Page 151 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Rare genetic disease offers insight into common cancers

Source: www.sciencecodex.com Fanconi anemia is a recessive genetic disorder affecting 1 in 350,000 babies, which leaves cells unable to repair damaged DNA. This lack of repair puts Fanconi anemia patients at high risk for developing a variety of cancers, especially leukemias and head and neck cancer. Cruelly, the condition also nixes the use of an entire class of cancer drugs, namely drugs like mitomycin C that act by encouraging DNA to crosslink together like sticky strands of bread dough – generally, healthy cells can repair a few crosslinks whereas cancer cells cannot and so are killed. However, Fanconi anemia patients are unable to repair the damage done to healthy or cancerous cells done by these drugs and so treatment with mitomycin C is frequently fatal. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study funded by the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund explored the effectiveness of a novel agent in preventing cancer in this population – namely, resveratrol as found in red wine. The results of this study will be presented at the 24th annual Fanconi Anemia Research Fund Scientific Symposium, September 27-30 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Denver, CO. In fact, the findings may go far past Fanconi anemia. "One of the Fanconi genes that is lost is BRCA2 – the same genetic loss that causes many breast cancers," says Robert Sclafani, PhD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the CU School of Medicine. "So one mystery is why Fanconi anemia [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-09-06T19:43:54-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

More evidence presented that the increasingly popular e-cigarettes are harmful

Source: www.examiner.com Author: W. Mark Dendy A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Athens in Greece and presented at the European Respiratory Society’s Annual Congress in Vienna in September 2012 sheds some new light on the risks of the electronic cigarette. The study was a phase I clinical trial in which 32 participants each smoked a single e-cigarette for 10 minutes and had their airway resistance measured using a number of different respiratory tests before and immediately afterward. Respiratory tests carried out by the researchers included: • spirometry (a test looking at various measures of lung function) • static lung volume • airway resistance (the obstruction of the airways to airflow) • airway conductance (a measure related to airway resistance) • single breath nitrogen test (a measure of how adequate inspiration and expiration is) According to one of the researchers, Professor Christine Gratziou, the main finding of the study was that after smoking one e-cigarette for 10 minutes there was “an immediate rise in airway resistance in our group of participants, which suggests e-cigarettes can cause immediate harm after smoking the device”. Gratziou added that “more research is needed to understand whether this harm also has lasting effects in the long-term”. The airway resistance lasted for longer than 10 minutes in all of the 32 people, suggesting that air was not passing so easily through their airways. In a study presented back in April 2012, a chemical known as (S)-N’-nitrosonornicotine, or (S)-NNN, which is present in smokeless [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-09-06T19:39:08-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Gwyneth Paltrow steps up for Stand Up to Cancer

Source: latimes.com Author: Matt Donnelly Gwyneth Paltrow has mastered the day job. The Oscar winner is capable in both the stilettos of "Iron Man's" Pepper Potts and in the herb garden she's displayed on her lifestyle blog Goop. So when given the chance to moonlight for a project like Stand Up to Cancer, the biennial televised fundraiser that utilizes an hour of commercial-free broadcasting across the big four networks and a slew of cable stations, she knew she couldn't phone it in. "When I do something, I want to actually do it, I want to commit and put my time in," Paltrow told us of her role as executive producer for the Sept. 7 telecast. "I don't want it to be a B.S. thing with my name on it." "I was really honored they asked me, and it's been fun helping organize, asking people for favors and really getting involved." And it's a pretty high profile list of favors. Stand Up to Cancer will recruit top stars, with names like Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Justin Timberlake, Julia Roberts, Samuel L. Jackson and Emma Stone taking part. Their efforts will include manning a media bank with phones, live video chats and other social media platforms to benefit the organization's mission of directly raising funds for cancer treatment. "I feel a lot of empathy for these patients and families," said Paltrow, who lost her father, Bruce, to oral cancer in 2002. "It's wonderful to be involved in something that’s approaching research [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-09-06T19:32:58-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers explain link between alcohol, cancer risk

Source: Dr.Bicuspid.com September 4, 2012 -- Almost 30 years after discovery of a link between alcohol consumption and certain forms of cancer, scientists are reporting the first evidence from research on people explaining how the popular beverage may be carcinogenic. The findings were reported August 22 during the American Chemical Society annual meeting in Philadelphia. The human body metabolizes the alcohol in beer, wine, and hard liquor into several substances, including acetaldehyde, a substance with a chemical backbone that resembles formaldehyde -- a known human carcinogen, according to lead author Silvia Balbo, PhD, a research associate at the University of Minnesota. "We now have the first evidence from living human volunteers that acetaldehyde formed after alcohol consumption damages DNA dramatically," Balbo stated in a press release. "Acetaldehyde attaches to DNA in humans in a way that results in the formation of a 'DNA adduct.' It's acetaldehyde that latches onto DNA and interferes with DNA activity in a way linked to an increased risk of cancer." To test the hypothesis that acetaldehyde causes DNA adducts to form in humans, Balbo and colleagues gave 10 volunteers increasing doses of vodka (comparable to one, two, and three drinks) once a week for three weeks. They found that levels of a key DNA adduct increased up to 100-fold in the subjects' oral cells within hours after each dose, then declined about 24 hours later. Adduct levels in blood cells also rose. "These findings tell us that alcohol, a lifestyle carcinogen, is metabolized into acetaldehyde [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-05T09:14:48-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

High HPV Immunization Rates Achieved With PATH Initiative

Source: Medscape.com August 30, 2012 (Montreal, Quebec) — Exceptionally high immunization rates against human papillomavirus (HPV) have been achieved in target-aged girls in India, Peru, Uganda, and Vietnam as a result of a PATH initiative, researchers told delegates here at the Union for International Cancer Control World Cancer Congress 2012. Vivien Tsu, PhD, MPH, director of the HPV vaccines project at PATH, reported that a minimum of 80% — and in some countries well over 90% — of school-aged girls received at least 1 dose of the HPV vaccine in the 4 countries to which the initiative has been directed over the past several years. "The reason the program was successful in these countries, and likely many others, is that there is visible government endorsement and involvement in the program," Dr. Tsu explained. "For the most part, people trust that the government is trying to help them, so if the government is saying 'this is worth doing,' the community participates." As Dr. Tsu noted, cervical cancer — at least 70% of which is caused by HPV types 16 and 18 — is a major health issue for women in low- and middle-income countries, with a projected incidence in 2030 of more than 750,000 women. In North America and Europe, cytology has been extremely effective in detecting cervical cancer and, more important, precursor lesions. However, in low- and middle-income countries, "cytology has failed to have much of an impact," Dr. Tsu explained, because these countries lack the necessary resources to offer widespread [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-31T11:09:43-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Even one drink can raise cancer risk – research

Source: www.nzherald.co.nz Just one alcoholic drink a day may increase the risk of cancer, according to a new study, which estimates that light drinking is responsible for 34,000 deaths a year worldwide. New research based on more than 150,000 men and women shows that light drinking increases the likelihood of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus and breast. One drink a day increased the risk of cancer of the oesophagus by almost a third, according to the study being reported in the Annals of Oncology, which analysed data from more than 200 research projects. Low alcohol intake increased the risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancer by 17 per cent, and breast cancer in women by 5 per cent. "Alcohol increases the risk of cancer even at low doses," say the researchers. "Given the high proportion of light drinkers in the population, and the high prevalence of these tumours, especially of breast cancer, even small increases in cancer risk are of great public health relevance." When it comes to enjoying your favourite drink and looking after your health, advice has often been complicated. Evidence suggests that drinking in moderation may decrease the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes and dementia, leading many to believe a glass of wine a day is good for you. But the damaging effects of drinking are well known. An estimated 2.2 million deaths a year worldwide are linked to alcohol, according to the report, and 3.6 per cent of all cancers are attributable to drinking [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-08-28T09:36:35-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccine not just for girls

Source: www.statesmanjournal.com Author: staff It’s been hard enough to persuade parents to get their preteen girls vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer. Now, health-care providers have an even harder sell: reaching the parents of boys. The vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus, or HPV, has been approved for use in boys since it hit the market in 2006. And while boys don’t share the cervical cancer risk, the vaccination can help stop the virus’ spread, as well as protect boys from other cancers. But as of last fall, just more than 1 percent of all eligible boys had received the vaccine. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more strongly recommended that boys get it. And the American Academy of Pediatrics threw its support behind the series of three shots for 11- and 12-year-old boys. But experts don’t expect to see a significant increase in the number of boys who have received the vaccine when the CDC releases new vaccination statistics late this summer. Why are so many parents reluctant to have their children vaccinated? Because HPV is transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact, parents may fear that vaccinating their children sends the message that premarital sex is OK. Nationwide, 49 percent of girls ages 13 to 17 have received at least one shot, and about 32 percent of girls have received the three doses required for complete protection, according to a CDC report. For girls, doctors cite statistics about how the vaccine protects against the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-08-28T09:31:15-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Link between coffee and dental care – lower your oral cancer risk

Source: blogjam.eu Author: Jenny L McCoy Studies have already shown that coffee may benefit dental care by reducing the risk of developing cavities. Now there’s even more good news for java junkies. Researchers have discovered that drinking a lot of coffee actually lowers your risk of mouth and throat cancer. According to the findings featured in WebMD, people who drink more than four servings of coffee daily have nearly a 40% lower chance of contracting mouth or throat cancer when compared to people who don’t drink coffee. For those who drank less than five cups of coffee daily, the level of protection fell to still significant 4% lower odds for contracting mouth and throat cancer for each cup of coffee consumed each day. Protection for oral and pharyngeal cancer was evident, but protection against cancer of the larynx was not. Coffee’s protective effect was shown to remain intact even for drinkers and smokers, despite the fact that tobacco and alcohol consumption are linked to head and neck cancers. Additionally, the protection effect didn’t demonstrate a boost by consuming fruits and vegetables, which are also known to protect against head and neck cancers. The researchers at the University of Milan reached these findings when they analyzed nine studies comparing 5,139 people with head and neck cancer to 9,028 people without cancer. So, which ingredient in coffee is responsible for reducing the risk of oral cancer? The study dismissed caffeine as a likely possibility since drinking tea, even in mass quantities, was [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-08-28T09:32:03-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

It Costs More, but Is It Worth More?

Source: The New York Times- Opinion Pages By EZEKIEL J. EMANUEL and STEVEN D. PEARSON If you want to know what is wrong with American health care today, exhibit A might be the two new proton beam treatment facilities the Mayo Clinic has begun building, one in Minnesota, the other in Arizona, at a cost of more than $180 million dollars each. They are part of a medical arms race for proton beam machines, which could cost taxpayers billions of dollars for a treatment that, in many cases, appears to be no better than cheaper alternatives. Proton beam therapy is a kind of radiation used to treat cancers. The particles are made of atomic nuclei rather than the usual X-rays, and theoretically can be focused more precisely on cancerous tissue, minimizing the danger to healthy tissue surrounding it. But the machines are tremendously expensive, requiring a particle accelerator encased in a football-field-size building with concrete walls. As a result, Medicare will pay around $50,000 for proton beam therapy for a patient with prostate cancer, roughly twice as much as it would if the patient received another type of radiation. The higher price would be worth it if proton beam therapy cured more people or significantly reduced side effects. But there is no evidence showing that this is true, except for a handful of rare pediatric cancers, like brain and spinal cord cancer. For children, the treatment does a better job of limiting damage to normal brain cells and reducing the [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-28T09:24:52-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers Identify Chemical Linked to Oral Cancer Risk in Smokeless Tobacco

By Denise Mann WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Aug. 22, 2012 -- Dip, chew, snuff, and other types of smokeless tobacco are known to increase risk for oral cancer. Now new research in rats is zeroing in on exactly how this may occur. The findings were presented at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Philadelphia. The newly identified cancer-causing culprit in these products is (S)-NNN. It is part of a larger family of chemicals called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are also found in such foods as beer and bacon. They form naturally in the stomach when people eat foods containing high levels of nitrite. Nitrosamine levels in smokeless tobacco are far higher than in food, according to a prepared statement. Researchers fed rats a low dose of two forms of chemicals found in smokeless tobacco for 17 months. The doses were about equivalent to a person who used half a tin of smokeless tobacco every day for 30 years. (S)-NNN seemed to cause large numbers of oral and esophageal tumors in the rats, the study shows. "There is a very specific oral carcinogen in smokeless tobacco and it is potent," says researcher Silvia Balbo, PhD. She is a cancer researcher at the Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This compound is found in all smokeless tobacco products, including those that look like breath mints, strips, or candy, and “snus,” which are pouches filled with tobacco that are placed between the upper lip and gum. [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-08-23T09:19:37-07:00August, 2012|Oral Cancer News|