Oral Cancer News – Page 265 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

A 25-year analysis of veterans treated for tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma

Source: Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, November 1, 2009; 135(11) Authors: JJ Jaber et al. Objective: To determine the recurrence and survival outcome based on treatment date, type of treatment, stage of disease, and comorbidity and the recurrence and survival differences based on smoking status as a surrogate for human papillomavirus status in veterans treated for tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Design: Outcome cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. Patients: A consecutive sample from 1981 through 2006 of 683 patients treated for oropharyngeal SCC was screened, and 141 patients with tonsillar SCC without distant metastatic spread and a minimum of 2 years of follow-up were included. Main outcome measures: Disease-free survival (DFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS). Results: Disease-free survival was significantly better in cohort II (treated during or after 1997) compared with cohort I (treated before 1997) (2- and 5-year DFS, 82% vs 64% and 67% vs 48%; P = .02). Disease-specific survival was better in the surgical vs nonsurgical group (2- and 5-year DSS, 77% vs 46% and 67% vs 30%; P

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-28T08:01:30-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Fentanyl buccal soluble film (FBSF) for breakthrough pain in patients with cancer: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Source: Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp541 Author: R. Rauck et al. Background: Fentanyl buccal soluble film (FBSF) has been developed as a treatment of breakthrough pain in opioid-tolerant patients with cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of FBSF at doses of 200–1200 µg in the management of breakthrough pain in patients with cancer receiving ongoing opioid therapy. Patients and methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-crossover study that included opioid-tolerant adult patients with chronic cancer pain who experienced one to four daily episodes of breakthrough pain. The primary efficacy assessment was the sum of pain intensity differences at 30 min (SPID30) postdose. Results: The intent-to-treat population consisted of 80 patients with 1 post-baseline efficacy assessment. The least-squares mean (LSM ± SEM) of the SPID30 was significantly greater for FBSF-treated episodes of breakthrough pain than for placebo-treated episodes (47.9 ± 3.9 versus 38.1 ± 4.3; P = 0.004). There was statistical separation from placebo starting at 15 min up through 60 min (last time point assessed). There were no unexpected adverse events (AEs) or clinically significant safety findings. Conclusions: FBSF is an effective option for control of breakthrough pain in patients receiving ongoing opioid therapy. In this study, FBSF was well tolerated in the oral cavity, with no reports of treatment-related oral AEs. Authors: R. Rauck1, J. North1, L. N. Gever2, I. Tagarro3 and A. L. Finn4 Authors' affiliations: 1 Carolinas Pain Institute, Winston-Salem, NC 2 Meda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Somerset, NJ, USA 3 Meda Pharmaceuticals, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-28T07:38:27-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Uninsured have higher mortality from head and neck cancer than insured

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have reported that patients with “Medicaid/uninsured and Medicare disability were at increased risk of death after the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) when compared with patients with private insurance.” The details of this study were published online on November 20, 2009 in Cancer.[1] Unfortunately, underinsured or uninsured patients are reportedly at risk for impaired access to care, delays in medical treatment, and in some cases, substandard medical care. A recent article in the journal Cancer suggests that patients who are uninsured or those who receive Medicaid benefits may be at greater risk for developing postoperative complications and dying after surgery for colorectal cancer. Researchers from the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control and the Kentucky Cancer Registry have previously documented survival differences in patients with and without private health insurance. These findings were reported in the October 13, 2003 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The current study evaluated outcomes of 1,231 patients with head and neck cancer treated at the University of Pittsburgh. Patients were divided into those with Medicaid and uninsured status plus those with Medicare disability versus patients with private insurance. The hazard ratio for survival was 1.50 for patients defined as Medicaid/uninsured versus private insurance. The hazard ration for survival of Medicare disability patients was 1.69 compared with patients with private insurance. These increased rates of death were presented and then corrected for competing risk factors such as alcohol [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-28T07:28:18-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Should your son get the HPV vaccine?

Source: www.nbc-2.com Author: staff TAMPA: David Hastings is back to helping his wife Jo at their Cuban restaurant outside Saint Petersburg. He's grateful to be here after a very close call. "One morning I was shaving and I noticed this side of my neck was swollen," Hastings explained. The diagnosis: stage four oral cancer. Until then, David was a healthy non-smoker who exercised regularly. "Picture a male drinking and smoking everyday for years and years. That's who gets my cancer. I kept saying people, that's not me." It turns out David's cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV, a virus he didn't even know he carried. Nancy: "So David's case is not rare?" Dr. Anna Giuliano: "No! Not at all!" From her office at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, Dr. Anna Giuliano is leading an international study on HPV in men. Right now the virus is best known for causing cervical cancer in women. But that is about to change. "Cervical cancer is going down and HPV related head and neck cancer is going up," she explained. Dr. Giuliano says every year between 6 and 8 thousand head and neck cancers in men are HPV-related. "Now we have very definitive evidence that HPV causes cancer in men; the most important being head and neck cancers, penile cancer and anal cancer," she told NBC2. In October, the FDA approved the use of the HPV vaccine Gardasil in males ages 9-26. But Dr. Giuliano worries misinformation will keep young [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-28T07:19:04-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

After being diagnosed, Zenk Pinter is an oral cancer spokesperson

Source: www.acorn-online.com Author: Susan Wolf Colleen Zenk Pinter of Redding, an actor who stars as Barbara Ryan on As the World Turns, has partnered with the Oral Cancer Foundation, Yale New-Haven Hospital and Roswell Park Cancer Institute to be a spokesperson for oral cancer. Ms. Pinter was diagnosed with oral cancer in March 2007 and is now cancer-free. “I had no risk factors for this ‘old man’s cancer,’ she said, but her doctors said hers was probably due to human papilloma virus (HPV), which is most often associated with cervical cancer. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the country, and it is estimated that about 70% of American men and women will be infected at some point in their lives. According to Ms. Zenk Pinter, a growing number of women are being diagnosed with oral cancer, from one in 10 to now a 50-50 split. “The difference is HPV,” she said. She is a proponent of the Gardasil® vaccine against HPV for both girls and boys. It doesn’t help if only half of the population (girls) is being vaccinated. Why boys? “Simple. HPV is sexually transmitted.” Physicians and researchers advocate that the vaccine be given to both sexes, Ms. Zenk Pinter said. During her speech at New York University School of Dentistry graduation, where she received the 2009 Harry S. Strusser Memorial Award for Public Service and Outstanding Contributions to Public Health, Ms. Zenk Pinter implored the graduating doctors and surgeons to thoroughly check their patients for [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-28T07:11:44-07:00November, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Dental hygiene students screen for oral cancer

Source: uscnews.usc.edu/health Author: Beth Dunham Members of the USC School of Dentistry’s Dental Hygiene Class of 2010 provided oral health screenings and tobacco cessation advice for USC students, staff members and visitors during the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout on Nov. 19. Marked every November with outreach events across the nation, the American Smokeout is designed to help smokers find effective methods to help them quit smoking and highlight the benefits of giving up tobacco. Better oral health and dramatically decreased risk of deadly oral cancer is one huge benefit, said dental hygiene student Allison Clark. Just outside of Bovard Auditorium, the student manned a table stocked with information on oral cancer - including shocking photographs of the damage caused by the disease - and helpful advice on how to successfully quit smoking. Dental hygiene student Lauren Levine said that smokers who turned in at least one cigarette received a prize pack that included a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste, as well as smoking cessation supplies such as gum and information on quitting resources and techniques. They also received a raffle ticket for a chance to win an electric toothbrush. Dental hygiene students conducted oral health screenings at both the USC Pharmacy and School of Dentistry on the University Park campus. Even nonsmokers took the opportunity to receive a free oral health checkup. Staff member Todd Henneman said he thought having a screening was a good idea even though he doesn’t smoke. “I figured that I might as well [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-23T14:41:49-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

American Cancer Society, ENT and Allergy Associates once again partner to fight smoking, especially among teens

Source: www.earthtimes.org Author: press release The American Cancer Society and ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP (ENTA) are once again teaming up to bring a strong and relevant anti-smoking message to teens and ENTA patients through a strategic partnership that includes outreach to local high schools and patient education. “The most effective way for us to fight cancer is to partner with systems in our communities to reach the largest number of people possible,” said Dee McCabe, Executive Vice President, American Cancer Society. “ENTA has been a great partner, reaches thousands of people a day, and truly is committed to improving health of their patients.” “At ENTA, we see far too many patients-each and every week-afflicted with cancer…so our partnership with the American Cancer Society allows us to educate people about the dangers of smoking, and point them toward smoking cessation and cancer prevention” said Dr. Wayne Eisman, President of ENT and Allergy Associates. “We are delighted to do everything we possibly can to help the ACS fight smoking, particularly among young people.” A key part of the alliance is ENTA’s support of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, held on November 19th. Throughout the month of November, ENTA will offer patients materials on how to quit smoking in its 30 offices throughout the Greater New York and New Jersey area. Also, several ENTA doctors will speak at local high schools to teens about the dangers of smoking, how to deal with peer pressure, and how the tobacco industry targets [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-18T16:31:56-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Early PET-CT predicts treatment response of head and neck cancer

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: staff In patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, negative findings on post-treatment positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) predict a good treatment response, researchers say. In 31 patients with clinical stage III and IV tumors treated with cisplatin and concurrent external beam radiotherapy, PET-CT was performed 6 to 8 weeks after therapy was completed, along with a comprehensive physical examination of the head and neck, as reported by Dr. James P. Malone, from the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, Springfield, and colleagues in the November Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery. Seventeen patients had evidence of persistent disease on physical exam, CT, and/or PET-CT, and these individuals had surgery for further evaluation. Fourteen patients had complete clinical responses, including no evidence of FDG uptake on PET-CT; these subjects were observed with routine follow-up. According to the researchers, all but one of these 14 patients remained disease free at the primary tumor site during a median follow-up of 26 months. Thus, the authors point out, the sensitivity of PET-CT was 83%, and its negative predictive value was "excellent" at 92% for detection of persistent disease at the primary tumor site. Because of a high false-positive rate, specificity was low at 54%, with a positive predictive value of 31%. Dr. Malone's group attributes the high false-positive rate to inflammation related to recent treatment. The investigators also note that 5 of 16 patients with abnormal FDG update developed local disease. "For patients with abnormal [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-18T16:19:03-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Distinct population of highly malignant cells in a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line established by xenograft model

Source: Journal of Biomedical Science Author: Staff The progression and metastasis of solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), have been related to the behavior of a small subpopulation of cancer stem cells. Here, we have established a highly malignant HNSCC cell line, SASVO3, from primary tumors using three sequential rounds of xenotransplantation. SASVO3 possesses enhanced tumorigenic ability both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, SASVO3 exhibits properties of cancer stem cells, including that increased the abilities of sphere-forming, the number of side population cells, the potential of transplanted tumor growth and elevated expression of the stem cell marker Bmi1. Injection of SASVO3 into the tail vein of nude mice resulted in lung metastases. These results are consistent with the postulate that the malignant and/or metastasis potential of HNSCC cells may reside in a stem-like subpopulation. Authors: Chi-Yuan ChenShih-Hwa ChiouChih-Yang HuangChia-Ing JanShu-Chun LinMing-Long TsaiJeng-Fan Lo Source: Journal of Biomedical Science 2009, 16:100

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-19T10:02:44-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Presence of rash associated with improved survival in patients receiving adjuvant Erbitux® for locally advanced head and neck cancer

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff A multicenter randomized trial has shown that patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer receiving adjuvant Erbitux® (cetuximab) and radiotherapy who develop a rash have a better survival than patients receiving this therapy who don’t develop a rash. The details of this five-year follow-up of a Phase III randomized study were published early online in the Lancet Oncology on November 7, 2009.[1] Standard treatment for head and neck cancer is largely determined by the stage and by the specific locations within the head or neck area where the cancer has spread. The patient’s overall medical condition is also a deciding factor. Treatment typically consists of radiation therapy, chemotherapy with surgery, or surgery alone. Erbitux is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the epithelial growth factory receptor (EGFR) and inhibits the receptor’s effects on cellular replication. Erbitux is currently FDA-approved for treatment of head and neck cancer. Researchers involved in an international study have previously reported that the addition of Erbitux to radiation therapy improves survival over radiation therapy alone in the treatment of head and neck cancer. The results of this randomized trial with a 54-month follow-up were published in the February 9, 2006, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. This trial included 424 patients; approximately half were treated with Erbitux plus high-dose radiation therapy, and the other half received high-dose radiation therapy alone. This study now has a follow-up of more than five years. The Following table summarizes some of the findings [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-17T19:52:44-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|