Oral Cancer News – Page 163 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Declines in Smoking and Lung Cancer Mortality in the U.S.: 1975–2000

Source: Oxford Journals Although changing smoking behaviors have had a major impact on lung cancer mortality in the U.S., the numbers of lung cancer deaths averted are only a small fraction of deaths that could have been avoided had all smoking ceased following the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report. Further efforts to control tobacco use are needed to decrease the impact of the disease, according to a study published March 14 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The restrictions on smoking in public places, escalations in cigarette taxes, reduced access to cigarettes, and an increased public awareness on the health issues related to smoking have all helped steadily decrease the number of smokers in the U.S. since the mid 1950’s; however, little measurable information exists in regards to the amount lung cancer deaths have diminished in association with the decline in smoking. In order to determine the effect that reduced tobacco smoking has had on lung cancer mortality in the U.S., Suresh H. Moolgavkar, M.D., Ph.D., of the Program in Biostatistics and Biomathematics at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington and colleagues built independent models based on cohort, case-control, or registry data and adjusted to overall mortality to estimate the number of lung cancer deaths prevented between 1975–2000. The data were distinguished by sex and birth decade (1890–1970), and the prevalence of smoking and lung cancer deaths were considered based on actual tobacco control (ATC), historical changes in smoking rates, no tobacco control (NTC), predicted smoking [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-04T09:10:41-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

The 795 Thousand and Ending a Century of Tobacco

Source: Oxford Journals Tonight, a grandfather will read his grandson a soothing bedtime story. Yesterday, a mother saw her son perform a brilliant violin solo. Tomorrow, a grandfather will see his granddaughter complete the first unassisted triple play in their community's t-ball league history. What do these vignettes have in common? They represent just three of the 795 851 people––the 795 thousand––whose premature deaths from lung cancer were averted in the United States through aggressive tobacco control policies and interventions between 1975 and 2000, as determined by a series of consortium-based sophisticated modeling techniques and reported by Moolgavkar et al. (1) in this issue of the Journal. Sometimes, we become inured to the sheer number of deaths caused by tobacco—for example, a predicted 1 billion tobacco-caused deaths this century, 100 million people killed by tobacco in the 20th century, 6 million deaths per year globally, 443 000 deaths per year in the United States, etc. But, despite these enormous, and even numbing, numbers, we need to remember that every one of these 1 billion, 100 million, 6 million, or 443 000, was a father, mother, brother, sister, son, or daughter who, if tobacco had not intervened, would have enjoyed, and shared, a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life. How did this happen? How did we allow tobacco, over the past 100 years, to kill and cause disease with such abandon? And, more important, how have we begun to turn the tide against the tobacco tsunami and how can we continue to learn from [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-04T08:27:45-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Head And Neck Cancer Chemotherapy Efficacy Boosted By Human Virus

Source: MedicalNewsToday.com Preliminary data from a trial published in Clinical Cancer Research shows that a harmless human virus that occurs naturally could potentially boost the effects of two standard chemotherapy drugs in some cancer patients. Oncolytics Biotech Inc. developed a new drug, RT3D that will be marketed under the trade name of Reolysin. The drug is based on a virus, i.e. reovirus type 3 Dearing that is commonly found in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of almost every adult without causing any symptoms. RT3D can grow and kill certain types of cancer cells, but it does not grow in normal cells. Earlier trials whereby patients were injected with only the virus displayed limited effectiveness, however, the team discovered that the effects of platin and taxane-based chemotherapy on tumor cells seemed to be magnified by RT3D. Dr Kevin Harrington and his team decided to start a clinical trial in which they examined intravenous RT3D in combination with chemotherapeutics carboplatin and paclitaxel in 31 patients with advanced cancers that had become unresponsive to standard treatments. They conducted an initial Phase I study in patients with a variety of advanced cancers, which demonstrated that the drug combination was safe, with generally mild side effects that were consistent with chemotherapy alone. The best responses were observed in patients with head and neck cancers, including tumors of the nasal cavity, eye, tongue, gums, lip, cheeks, voice box and esophagus. Worldwide, each year about 650,000 people are diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the head and [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-03T10:50:41-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

High purity zirconia improves speech valves

Source: www.onlinetmd.com Author: Elizabeth Engler Modic Morgan Technical Ceramics (MTC) worked with the UK-based University of Hull to develop a new valve used to restore vocal function for patients with throat cancer. The new tracheo-oesophageal fistula speech valve uses Zyranox biocompatible Yttria partially-stabilized Zirconia, specifically developed for surgical implant devices. The iterative design process for this innovative valve included a close collaboration, featuring consultation on materials, prototyping to test the design, and precision manufacturing to meet the extremely tight tolerances required. The patented new ceramic valve lasts at least eight times longer than traditionally used silicone valves, improving patient quality of life and decreasing overall healthcare costs. The device is to go to market via the spinout company Avoco Medical Ltd. Project Goals Avoco Medical was seeking to improve upon a commonly used speech restoration system for throat cancer patients, which uses a small silicone valve connecting the windpipe (trachea) and the throat (oesophagus). Air, powered by the lungs, diverts into the throat, which vibrates and results in fluent speech. Traditionally the valve is from silicone rubber, but the material exposure to hostile and non-sterile environments results in development of a biofilm on the surface. This biofilm causes valve performance to deteriorate, necessitating an uncomfortable and costly valve replacement procedure about every three months.[1] Precision Manufacturing The company was seeking a way to replace the silicone with ceramic, a more attractive material because of its stability, biocompatibility, and compliance. With its hard, impervious surface, ceramic is more resistant [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-03T09:21:12-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers identify a gene that predicts recurrence in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/ Author: press release Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck—which typically arises from thin, flat cells that line moist surfaces inside the mouth, nose and throat—is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide, and it has a relatively low five-year survival rate and a high recurrence rate. Recently, the disease has become even more prevalent among adults 40 years of age or younger. These statistics underscore the need for a greater understanding of the molecular underpinnings of this form of cancer. Toward this goal, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have identified a gene that predicts disease recurrence in individuals with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The new findings, which will be presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on Monday, April 2, show that patients with one common variant of a gene which encodes the cytochrome P450 (CYP1B1) protein are likely to have a longer time-to-recurrence than those with the more typical form of the gene. "This is the first study to look at the association between CYP1B1 variants and time-to-recurrence in head and neck cancer, and the findings could lead to personalized treatment strategies for patients with this type of cancer," says Fox Chase study author Ekaterina Shatalova, Ph.D., research associate in the lab of Margie L. Clapper, Ph.D., also senior investigator on the study. Shatalova, Clapper and their colleagues focused on CYP1B1 because this enzyme is known to produce carcinogens by metabolizing tobacco smoke and alcohol—substances that increase the risk of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-03T09:09:51-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer-causing chemical found in smokeless tobacco

Source: www.foxnews.com Author: staff A chemical in smokeless tobacco products has been found to cause cancer, according to a new study in animals. The chemical was a strong inducer of oral tumors, the study showed. While use of smokeless tobacco products has been strongly linked to the development of cancer, no specific chemical in the products had been identified as a strong oral-cancer causing agent until now, the researchers say. The chemical, called (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine, or (S)-NNN, "is the only chemical in smokeless tobacco known to cause oral cancer," study researcher Silvia Balbo, a cancer researcher at the University of Minnesota, said in a statement. The finding may explain how smokeless tobacco products cause cancer, Balbo said. Balbo said the findings are an affirmation that tobacco products should be avoided. Smokeless tabacco products are already required to carry warning labels saying the products can cause mouth cancer or are not a safe alternative to cigarettes, the Food and Drug Administration says. The most common type of smokeless tobacco product is moist snuff placed in the mouth. Previous studies have suggested that a group of chemicals called nitrosamines, of which (S)-NNN is a member, cause various types of cancer in animals, but no study has looked at the carcinogenicity of (S)-NNNspecifically, the researchers say. Balbo and colleagues administered (S)-NNN to 24 rats. The rats were given (S)-NNN or tap water. The total dose was approximately equivalent to the amount of (S)-NNN to which a smokeless tobacco user would be exposed from [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-03T08:59:01-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer breakthrough

Source: cancertreatmentmx.com Author: staff UCLA scientists have come up with a revolutionary new way of identifying oral cancer. Funded by the National Institute of Dental and Cranial Facial Research, they developed a simple saliva test that makes detecting oral cancer easy. No longer must patients wait until they find an unusual sore in their mouth or make a routine trip to their dentist:

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-03T08:50:11-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Strong Oral Carcinogen Identified in Smokeless Tobacco

Source: ScienceDaily.com Although smokeless tobacco products have long been linked with certain cancers, including oral cavity cancers and esophageal cancers, this is the first study to identify a specific chemical present in smokeless tobacco products that induces oral cancer in animals, according to Silvia Balbo, Ph.D., research associate at the Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. "(S)-NNN is the only chemical in smokeless tobacco known to cause oral cancer," Balbo said. "This finding provides mechanistic underpinning for the epidemiologic observations that smokeless tobacco products cause oral cancer." Balbo and colleagues administered two forms of NNN called (S)-NNN and (R)-NNN to four groups of 24 rats. The rats were given either (S)-NNN alone, (R)-NNN alone, a combination of both or tap water. The total dose was approximately equivalent to the amount of (S)-NNN to which a smokeless tobacco user would be exposed from chronic use of these products. All rats assigned to (S)-NNN alone or the combination began losing weight after one year of exposure and died by 17 months. Rats assigned to (R)-NNN or tap water were terminated at 20 months. All rats assigned to (S)-NNN had esophageal tumors and demonstrated 100 percent incidence of oral tumors including tumors of the tongue, buccal mucosa, soft palate and pharynx. In contrast, researchers found oral tumors in only five of 24 rats given (R)-NNN and esophageal tumors in three of 24 rats assigned to (R)-NNN. Twelve rats given the combination of (S)-NNN and (R)-NNN had 153 esophageal [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-02T16:22:05-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco Makers Must List Ingredients, Prove Safety Claims

Source: Businessweek.com Tobacco companies will have to begin reporting the amount of unsafe chemicals in their products and prove their so-called lower-risk alternatives to smoking such as snuff are actually safer, U.S. regulators said. The Food and Drug Administration moved today to implement pieces of a 2009 law giving the agency the authority to regulate tobacco products. The FDA released preliminary guidelines for the industry that it says can educate consumers on exactly what is in cigarettes, such as ammonia and formaldehyde, and police claims that certain tobacco products may be safer than others. The agency will share information on chemical amounts with the public within a year, Lawrence Deyton, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said in a telephone call with reporters. On the issue of less-risky tobacco items, the draft guidelines set up two categories: one with a higher evidence standard that lets companies claim less harm than cigarettes; and another with a lower standard that permits companies to market products as reducing exposure to unsafe ingredients. “We are forging new territory to ensure that tobacco companies provide accurate information and do not mislead American consumers,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement. “We are committed to stopping such practices that may cause people to start or continue using tobacco products that could lead to preventable disease and death.” 93 Chemicals The FDA released a list of 93 chemicals that tobacco makers would have to report the quantity of in their products. The FDA is studying [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-02T09:56:47-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

April: Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Source: Aspen Dental April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. According to Brian Hill, founder and executive director of the Oral Cancer Foundation, as many as 40,000 people in the United States will be told they have oral or pharyngeal cancer in 2012. Some of them may be sitting in your dental chair today. With one person dying of oral cancer every hour of every day, and more than 50% of those diagnosed not living more than 5 years, this is a reminder to screen every patient yourself, and encourage your dental hygiene staff to do the same. The Statistics About 100 people are diagnosed with oral cancer every day in the United States. Few people are aware that the death rate for oral cancer is higher than for many other types of cancers, which is because oral cancer often is not discovered until it has reached later stages. This is particularly true for human papilloma virus number 16 (HPV16)-related oral cancer, which occurs most frequently in the posterior areas of the mouth—at the base of the tongue, around the tonsils, and in the oropharynx—where it’s harder to spot without a very thorough exam. To further complicate things, HPV16-related cancer does not always present the tell-tale physical characteristics, including lesions, that are easily distinguished from healthy oral tissues. This is not good news, because HPV16 has reached epidemic levels in the United States: of the 37,000 incidences of oral cancer, about 20,000 (up to 60%) can be linked to HPV, according [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-02T09:47:20-07:00April, 2012|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|