Oral Cancer News – Page 283 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Three clinical studies give GSK’s cancer vaccine an edge

Source: EH News Bureau Author: Staff GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited (GSK) recently shared the results of three recently published clinical studies, conducted for its cervical cancer vaccine—Cervarix. Said Dr Hasit Joshipura, Vice President, South Asia and Managing Director, GSK India, "The findings confirmed that the vaccine offers protection against five of the most common cancer-causing virus types, generates significantly higher immune response compared to the other available vaccine Gardasil and provides high and sustained antibody levels for at least 7.3 years till date." The clinical studies involved 18,644 women and was published in The Lancet. The study confirmed that Cervarix is not only highly effective at protecting against the two most common cervical cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) types, 16 and 18, but also provides additional cross-protection against HPV types 31, 33 and 45, the three most common cancer-causing virus types beyond 16 and 18. This additional efficacy could translate into approximately 11-16 per cent extra protection against cervical cancer over and above the protection afforded by efficacy against HPV 16 and 18 alone. In India, the same five HPV types are responsible for almost 90 per cent cervical cancer cases. "These results amply demonstrate that preventive vaccination is one of the most effective methods of primary prevention of HPV infection, the necessary cause of cervical cancer. In tandem with screening tests, it is perfectly positioned to lend a decisive edge against this deadly cancer. Extending the scope of protection beyond types 16 and 18 will allow prevention of the vast majority [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-08-21T04:48:45-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Involvement of potential pathways in malignant transformation from oral leukoplakia to oral squamous cell carcinoma revealed by proteomic analysis

Source: 7thspace.com Author: staff Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common forms of cancer associated with the presence of precancerous oral leukoplakia. Given the poor prognosis associated with oral leukoplakia, and the difficulties in distinguishing it with cancer lesion, there is an urgent need to elucidate the molecular determinants and key signal pathways underlying the malignant transformation of precancerous to cancerous tissue, and thus to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic target. Results: We have utilized two dimensional electrophoresis followed by ESI-Q-TOF-LC-MS/MS to identify proteins differentially expressed in six pairs of oral leukoplakia tissues with dysplasia and oral squamous cancer tissues, each pair from the same patient. Approximately 85 differentially and constantly expressed proteins (>two-fold change, P>0.05) were identified, 52 up-regulated and 33 down-regulated. Gene ontological methods were employed to identify the biological processes that were over-represented in this carcinogenic stage. Potential biological networks were also constructed to reveal the link between those protein candidates. Among those proteins, three homologs of proteosome activator PA28 a,b and g were shown to have up-regulated mRNA levels in OSCC cells relative to oral keratinocytes. Conclusions: Amounts of differentially expressed proteins involved in the malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia. Their expression level, bioprocess, interactions networks could be analyzed by bioinformatics approach. All the three homologs of PA28 may be shown to play an important role in the malignant transformation. Our study is an example of a systems biology study, in which functional proteomics was constructed to help to elucidate mechanistic aspects [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-20T05:54:53-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Snuff and chewing tobacco linked to increased risk of fatal MI or stroke

Source: WebMD Author: Marlene Busko Lyon, France - Smokeless tobacco—such as snuff and chewing tobacco—is not harmless when it comes to heart health, according to a new meta-analysis [1]. A review of 11 studies from Sweden and the US, almost entirely in men, showed that smokeless-tobacco users had an increased risk of death from MI or stroke. The study, by researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC), is published online August 18, 2009 in BMJ. Contrary to common belief that smokeless tobacco has very little effect on health, these products have been shown to increase cancer risk, coauthor and IARC researcher Dr Kurt Straif (Lyon, France) told heartwire. "There is sufficient evidence for a causal association between smokeless tobacco and oral and pancreatic cancer [2] and probably also esophageal cancer [3]," he said. "Now, this study adds evidence that smokeless tobacco causes death from cardiovascular diseases," Straif summarized. Widespread, growing use of snus Types of smokeless tobacco used in North America and Europe include dry snuff that is inhaled, as well as moist snuff (called snus in Sweden) and chewing tobacco (or spit tobacco), which are sucked inside the cheek. These products have been around for centuries, and after a decline in consumption for most of the 20th century, use has rebounded in the past few decades, the authors write. In 2000, 23.9% of men and 4.1% of women in Sweden reported using snus daily or occasionally. In the same year, in the US, 4.4% of men and 0.3% of women were [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-08-19T12:14:50-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Taste and smell disorders caused by cancer or treatments add to patients’ problems

Source: www.oncologynursingnews.com Author: Delicia Yard Although the mechanisms underlying abnormalities in the senses of taste and smell in cancer patients are unknown, such disturbances clearly decrease quality of life for the majority of cancer patients—and clinicians need to be aware of the problem in order to help a person's recovery. This is the word from a study recently published in The Journal of Supportive Oncology (2009;7:58-65). Jae Hee Hong, PhD, Pinar Omur-Ozbek, PhD, Brian T. Stanek, and coinvestigators from Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Virginia Tech's food science and technology department and biomedical engineering school conclude, “Oncologists who understand the types and causes of taste and olfactory abnormalities may be better prepared to discuss and empathize with these negative side effects.” Altered sensory perception can undermine a person's struggle against cancer by causing malnutrition and anxiety. One study cited by Dr Hong and colleagues found that malnutrition, not malignancy, was the primary cause of morbidity in 20% of cancer patients. Dr Hong and colleagues explain that disorders of taste and odor can result from cancer itself or from cancer treatments, with 68% of chemotherapy patients reporting such problems. But the specific causes of these alterations often remain unidentified. How Senses Go Bad According to the researchers, problems with taste and smell break down into 3 categories: loss of sensitivity, distorted perception, and hallucination. The abnormalities may take the following forms: • absence of taste perception (ageusia) or odor perception (anosmia) • reduced sensitivity to taste perception (hypogeusia) or [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T12:07:17-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer risks that may surprise you

Source: www.examiner.com Author: staff "I am a non-smoker; I do not need to worry about Oral Cancer... right?" Not exactly... Oral Cancer is a debilitating and frightful disease that affects 34,000 new Americans each year. Approximately one person dies of oral cancer each hour and it is estimated that 8,000 will die this year. Of the 34,000 diagnosed in 2009, less than half will live to see 2014. The mortality rate of Oral Cancer is higher than that of Cervical, Testicular and Malignant Melanoma (Skin Cancer). Although Oral Cancer is not addressed as often as other forms of cancer, it is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Many associate Oral Cancer to tobacco use, which is the main risk factor along with excessive alcohol consumption. However, 25% of new Oral Cancer patients do not possess these risk factors. Because of the aggressive nature of the disease, early diagnosis is crucial. Therefore knowing all the risk factors will enable individuals to become proactive in their oral health. Risk factors of Oral Cancer include: Tobacco: Especially "chewing" tobacco, this is thought to contribute to Oral Cancers in the young (less than forty years of age). Alcohol: Consuming three or more alcohol beverages per day increases your risk for Oral Cancer development. Diabetes: It is thought that those individuals who are diabetic are at an increased risk because of compromised immune systems. Human Papilloma Virus: HPV-16 increases the risk for Oral Cancer (it is the same form of HPV that is responsible [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T07:23:25-07:00August, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil still faces questions

Source: www.philly.com Author: Marie McCullough Three years after the world's first cervical-cancer vaccine was hailed as a public-health breakthrough, Gardasil is facing renewed questions about its safety and value. In today's Journal of the American Medical Association, federal researchers analyze 12,424 voluntary reports of post-vaccination "adverse events" ranging from headaches to deaths. They conclude that only two complaints - fainting and dangerous blood clots -- are more common than expected and may be related to the immunization. But an accompanying editorial points out that many questions about Gardasil remain - key among them, whether it really will reduce the toll of cervical cancer. Another opinion piece in JAMA looks at Merck & Co.'s marketing strategy, contending the company coopted professional medical societies to promote and recommend the vaccine. Merck - already on the defensive over Gardasil's second-quarter sales, which slumped sharply in the United States and worldwide - said in a statement that "we welcome continued study and discussion" of the product's safety. "The bottom line is that Gardasil has a very positive benefit-risk profile," Richard M. Haupt, head of Merck's clinical program for the vaccine, said in an interview. Gardasil, a series of three shots, protects against two strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause 70 percent of cervical-cancer cases. Gardasil also wards off two other HPV strains that cause 90 percent of genital warts in men and women. Next month, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to recommend expanding Gardasil's current [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T06:37:56-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Michigan health leaders target growing hookah use

Source: www.detnews.com Author: Kim Kozlowski Everybody that Rola Rayes knows smokes the ornate water pipe that has become popular in Metro Detroit and around the world. But no one realizes the dangers linked to the pipe, known here as a hookah, because it is so ingrained in her Middle Eastern culture. Rayes, 17, has been trying to convince her family and friends about the personal health risks of water pipe smoke, and second-hand smoke to others. "It's a very big problem," said Rayes, a Dearborn resident who moved here in 2005 from Lebanon. "This is affecting me, it is affecting my brothers and it is affecting them." Rayes joined state and local health leaders Thursday to strategize ways to tackle a growing state problem of hookah smoking. They are trying to stop the use of hookah pipes as research about the risks continues to mount. For example, smoking the hookah for an hour can yield as much smoke as 100 or more cigarettes. It contains significantly more nicotine and carbon monoxide than cigarette smoke, and use by pregnant woman can contribute to low birth weights, according to recent studies. "It's spread and is being used widely among different age groups and across ethnicities," said Dinah Ayna, coordinator of the forum, organized by the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. No research into hookah use existed before 2002, according to Wasim Maziak, director of the Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies in the Middle East. But his center alone has [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T06:18:17-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Xenograft models of head and neck cancers

Source: 7thspace.com Author: Daisuke Sano, Jeffrey Myers Head and neck cancers are among the most prevalent tumors in the world. Despite advances in the treatment of head and neck tumors, the survival of patients with these cancers has not markedly improved over the past several decades because of our inability to control and our poor understanding of the regional and distant spread of this disease. One of the factors contributing to our poor understanding may be the lack of reliable animal models of head and neck cancer metastasis. The earliest xenograft models in which human tumor cells were grown in immunosuppressed mice involved subcutaneous implantation of human head and neck cancer cell lines. Subcutaneous xenograft models have been popular because they are easy to establish, easy to manage, and lend themselves to ready quantitation of the tumor burden. More recently, orthotopic xenograft models, in which the tumor cells are implanted in the tumor site of origin, have been used with greater frequency in animal studies of head and neck cancers. Orthotopic xenograft models are advantageous for their ability to mimic local tumor growth and recapitulate the pathways of metastasis seen in human head and neck cancers. In addition, recent innovations in cell labeling techniques and small-animal imaging have enabled investigators to monitor the metastatic process and quantitate the growth and spread of orthopically implanted tumors. This review summarizes the progress in the development of murine xenograft models of head and neck cancers. We then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T06:09:41-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Chewing tobacco may cause mouth cancer rise

Source: www.dentistry.co.uk Author: staff Tobacco chewing is causing an ‘alarming' rise in cases of mouth cancer in east London, health chiefs warned today. Chewing paan, a mixture of tobacco and areca nut, is leading to a high number of patients in the Bangladeshi community in the London borough of Tower Hamlets being diagnosed, experts at Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in Whitechapel have revealed. The findings emerged in a screening programme in the East End, led by Bart's, when 1,300 people were tested for early signs of mouth cancer. Most were from the Bengali community. One in 15 people were referred for further investigation. The findings come in the same week that figures suggest that, nationally, alcohol is largely to blame for the rise in the rate of oral cancers among men and women in their forties. The figures, released by Cancer Research UK, showed that since the mid-1990s, rates of oral cancers have gone up by 28% for men in their forties and 24% for women. Anand Lalli, a clinical lecturer in oral surgery, said: ‘In parts of south Asia where paan usage is widespread, oral cancer is one of the commonest causes of death from all cancers. If oral cancer is caught early on, there is a good chance of curing it. But it becomes far less easy to treat the longer it is left.' A team from the Centre for Clinical and Diagnostic Oral Sciences used a mobile dental unit to tour areas [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T06:03:17-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer treatment

Source: Author: A laboratory study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in Bronx, NY, suggests that an anti-cancer compound studied for treating blood cancers may also help in treating cancers of the head and neck [The Journal of Pathology, 218(4): 467-477]. Head and neck cancer refers to tumors in the mouth, throat, or larynx (voice box). Each year about 40,000 men and women develop head and neck cancer in the U.S., making it the country's sixth-most common type. Surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation are the main treatment options but can cause serious side effects. Better treatments are needed, since only about half of patients with head and neck cancer survive for five or more years after diagnosis. The study involved a new class of chemotherapy agents known as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, which affect the availability of genes that are transcribed and translated into proteins. In many types of cancer, out-of-control cell growth results from certain genes that are either too active or not active enough in producing proteins. HDAC inhibitors appear to combat cancer by restoring the normal expression of key regulatory genes that control cell growth and survival. The researchers focused on a particular HDAC inhibitor known as LBH589 that has already shown some success in clinical trials involving people with cancers of the blood. The researchers found that LBH589 succeeded in killing tumor cells that had been removed from head and neck cancer patients and grown in the laboratory. "This report shows that [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-18T19:19:21-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|