Oral Cancer News – Page 286 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Low prevalence of HPV infection may be tied to poor prognosis for blacks with head and neck cancer

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: public release Groundbreaking study seeks to explain major disparity in survival between blacks and whites Researchers at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer have found that head and neck cancer patients who test positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV) have much better survival rates than patients who don't have the virus, according to a new study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. The researchers also discovered that blacks in the study had a very low rate of HPV infection, and consequently worse survival, which may explain why African-American patients traditionally have had a poor prognosis for head and neck cancer. "For the first time, we have evidence that the major difference in survival between black and white patients with head and neck cancer appears to be the rate of HPV infection. We found an astounding difference in prognosis between patients who are HPV-positive and those who are HPV-negative," says the study's senior author, Kevin J. Cullen, M.D., director of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center and professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Scott Lippman, M.D., chairman of the Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, called the study, "practice-changing." "Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is one of the fastest growing cancers, and this study gives us a new way to assess prognosis for our patients," says Dr. Lippman, who is editor-in-chief of Cancer Prevention Research, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-29T19:36:35-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Study suggests VELscope System helps reduce recurrence of oral cancer

Source: www.prweb.com Author: press release LED Dental Inc. announced today that a recent study suggests that its VELscope screening system can help surgeons reduce the recurrence rate for oral cancer following surgery. The article, "Tracing the 'At-Risk' Oral Mucosa Field with Autofluorescence: Steps Toward Clinical Impact," was just published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. It was authored by Catherine F. Poh, Calum E. MacAulay and Miriam Rosin of the BC Cancer Agency and Lewei Zhang of the University of British Columbia. The study was prompted by numerous previous studies showing that oral cancer recurs in a significant percentage of patients following oral cancer surgery. The study examined the experience of 60 oral cancer surgery patients between 2004 and 2008. Their cancerous lesions were treated with surgical excision alone, with a minimum follow-up time of 12 months. For 38 of the 60 patients, the surgeon used a surgical margin that was 10 mm beyond the tumor edge defined by the VELscope exam. Because the VELscope system utilizes fluorescence visualization, or FV, technology, these patients are described in the article as having had FV-guided surgery. The remaining 22 patients--the control group--did not have FV-guided surgery; instead, the surgeon used a surgical margin that was 10 mm beyond the tumor edge defined by the standard white-light exam. White light exams rely on visual inspection with the naked eye, whereas the VELscope system allows clinicians to discover cancerous and precancerous tissue that might not be apparent to the naked eye. Four years into [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-26T11:09:58-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Oral use of Swedish moist snuff (snus) and risk for cancer of the mouth, lung, and pancreas in male construction workers: a retrospective cohort study

Source: www.thelancet.com Author: Juhua Luo, MSc et al. Background: Although classified as carcinogenic, snuff is used increasingly in several populations. Scandinavian moist snuff (snus) has been proposed as a less harmful alternative to smoking, but precise data on the independent associations of snus use with site-specific cancers are sparse. We aimed to assess the risks for cancer of the oral cavity, lung, and pancreas. Methods: Detailed information about tobacco smoking and snus use was obtained from 279 897 male Swedish construction workers in 1978—92. Complete follow-up until end of 2004 was accomplished through links with population and health registers. To distinguish possible effects of snus from those of smoking, we focused on 125 576 workers who were reported to be never-smokers at entry. Adjusted relative risks were derived from Cox proportional hazards regression models. Findings: 60 cases of oral, 154 of lung, and 83 of pancreatic cancer were recorded in never-smokers. Snus use was independently associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer (relative risk for ever-users of snus 2·0; 95% CI 1·2—3·3, compared with never-users of any tobacco), but was unrelated to incidence of oral (0·8, 95% CI 0·4—1·7) and lung cancer (0·8, 0·5—1·3). Interpretation: Use of Swedish snus should be added to the list of tentative risk factors for pancreatic cancer. We were unable to confirm any excess of oral or lung cancer in snus users. Authors: Juhua Luo MSc a, Weimin Ye MD a, Kazem Zendehdel MD a c, Johanna Adami MD a b, Prof Hans-Olov Adami MD [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-26T11:02:58-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Give Gardasil to boys too, experts say

Source: www.abc.net.au Author: Dina Rosendorff Recent evidence shows the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer in women, is poised to become one of the leading causes of oral cancer in men because of changing sexual behaviours. The findings have reignited the debate over whether boys should be given the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil. A visiting British virologist, Professor Margaret Stanley, says governments around the world need to examine the long-term economic and health benefits of immunising boys and young men. The head of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital, Professor Suzanne Garland, says Australia is leading the way in the rollout of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, which immunises against HPV. "We are in our third year of rolling out the vaccine and we are in the order in the school-based group, in the high 70s, whereas in many other countries, they have only got 30 per cent who have been vaccinated," she said. But now the vaccination debate has switched genders. There are growing calls from the medical community for boys and young men to also be vaccinated against HPV. Advocates include one of Britain's top cervical cancer specialists, Professor Margaret Stanley from Cambridge University, who says a cervical cancer jab in the arms of boys would not just be for the sake of girls. "These HPVs don't just cause cancer in women. They cause it in men as well. Cancer in the mouth, cancer in the anus and those cancers are very hard [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-25T15:19:10-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Radiological balloon dilatation of post-treatment benign pharyngeal strictures

Source: J Laryngol Otol, July 16, 2009; 1-4 Author: L R Williams et al. Aims: To assess the technical success, clinical outcomes and complications of radiologically guided balloon dilatation of benign strictures developing after treatment for head and neck cancer. Materials and methods: Forty-six balloon dilatations were performed in 20 patients. All dilatations were performed over a guidewire. Results: Technical success was 100 per cent. Fifteen of the 20 patients demonstrated clinical improvement in dysphagia scores. Improvement in dysphagia was temporary in all patients (median 102 days), with multiple dilatations usually required (total dilatations ranged from one to seven). Immediate complications were encountered in six of the 46 (13 per cent) dilatations and were all minor. Late complications occurred after two procedures (4 per cent): localised perforation (later complicated by secondary infection) and recurrence of a previous, small, pharyngo-cutaneous fistula. Conclusion: Radiologically guided balloon dilatation is straightforward to perform and is well tolerated, but there is a small risk of perforation. Relief of symptoms is likely to be temporary, requiring multiple subsequent dilatations. A minority of patients will obtain no symptomatic relief.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-24T12:49:39-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

FDA approves fentanyl buccal film for breakthrough cancer pain

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Yael Waknine The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a fentanyl buccal film (Onsolis, Aveva Drug Delivery Systems under license from BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc) for the management of breakthrough pain in patients with cancer aged 18 years and older who receive around-the-clock opioid therapy and are able to safely use high doses of additional opioid agents. Because fentanyl is subject to abuse and misuse, the product was approved with a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy that includes a restricted distribution program requiring registration of prescribers, pharmacies, and patients. The program emphasizes the need for clinician and pharmacist education and patient counseling regarding the attendant risks of fentanyl therapy. "Onsolis can provide strong pain relief to patients who are opioid tolerant. But for patients who are not opioid tolerant, it can lead to overdose, sudden serious breathing difficulties and death," said Bob Rappaport, MD, director, Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Rheumatology Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in an agency news release. "For this reason, Onsolis should be prescribed only under the safeguards provided by the FDA-required [risk evaluation and mitigation strategy] and by health care professionals knowledgeable about Onsolis and the use of potent opioid medications." A boxed warning in the prescribing monograph for fentanyl buccal film advises that the product should not be used for the management of migraines, dental pain, or postoperative pain or in patients who use opioids intermittently on an as-needed basis. The fentanyl buccal film [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-24T12:46:13-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Effects of antioxidant supplements on cancer prevention: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Source: Ann. Onc., July 21, 2009 Author: S-K Myung et al. Background: This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of antioxidant supplements on the primary and secondary prevention of cancer as reported by randomized controlled trials. Methods: We searched Medline (PubMed), Excerpta Medica database, and the Cochrane Review in October 2007. Results: Among 3327 articles searched, 31 articles on 22 randomized controlled trials, which included 161 045 total subjects, 88 610 in antioxidant supplement groups and 72 435 in placebo or no-intervention groups, were included in the final analyses. In a fixed-effects meta-analysis of all 22 trials, antioxidant supplements were found to have no preventive effect on cancer [relative risk (RR) 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-1.03). Similar findings were observed in 12 studies on primary prevention trials (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.97-1.04) and in nine studies on secondary prevention trials (RR 0.97; 95% CI 0.83-1.13). Further, subgroup analyses revealed no preventive effect on cancer according to type of antioxidant, type of cancer, or the methodological quality of the studies. On the other hand, the use of antioxidant supplements significantly increased the risk of bladder cancer (RR 1.52; 95% CI 1.06-2.17) in a subgroup meta-analysis of four trials. Conclusions: The meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials indicated that there is no clinical evidence to support an overall primary and secondary preventive effect of antioxidant supplements on cancer. The effects of antioxidant supplements on human health, particularly in relation to cancer, should not be overemphasized because the use of those might be [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-24T04:48:57-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

MuGard data From UK study shows prevention of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients

Source: news.prnewswire.com Author: press release Access Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that its European partner, SpePharm, is collecting data from a post approval study of MuGard in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment in the UK showing prevention of oral mucositis. In a multi-center study expected to enroll a total of 280 patients, patients are provided with seven weeks of MuGard therapy, and begin using MuGard one week prior to radiation treatment and then throughout the subsequent six weeks of planned therapy. The first 140 patients being treated in this assessment study have been enrolled and treated, and as of the time of the update, none of these patients have experienced any oral mucositis. "The initial feedback from SpePharm on their experience in the UK, with the first 140 patients in the assessment study, exceeds our most positive expectations," stated Jeffrey B. Davis, Access' President & CEO. "Normally, roughly 100% of patients undergoing radiation treatment for head and neck cancer experience some level of oral mucositis. This condition varies from a low level of discomfort and pain, up to Grades 3 and 4 which are debilitating to the point of patients discontinuing therapy. To see a result where all or substantially all of the patients using MuGard, and using it prophylactically, are not getting oral mucositis is extremely important with respect to treatment regimens. We believe the final data set will show that MuGard should be used prophylactically with all radiation or chemotherapy regimens that have the potential to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-23T13:14:45-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Adjuvant therapy may improve survival in patients with early stage oral tongue cancer

Source: www.docguide.com Author: Louise Gagnon Patients with earlier stage oral tongue cancer disease may benefit from adjuvant combined modality therapy after surgery, according to a retrospective study presented at the 2nd World Congress of the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO). The study looked at 50 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral tongue, 38 of whom were newly diagnosed with the condition. The patients were all treated between 1999 and 2007 at the University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado. Of the 38 patients who were recently diagnosed, 13 had either stage I or II cancer, and 25 had more advanced stage III or IV disease. All but 1 of the 50 patients was initially treated with surgery, with the 1 patient who refused surgery being treated with chemoradiation as the primary modality. "Most of the patients received adjuvant therapy after surgery," said one of the study's authors Changhu Chen, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, at an oral abstract session here on July 9. Of the 50 patients, 42 received adjuvant radiation or chemoradiation. Seven patients with stage I or II disease did not receive adjuvant therapy. Patients were followed for a median of 29 months (range, 4-95 mo). Investigators reported that 2-year locoregional control was 58%, and freedom from distant relapse was 83%. While 2-year survival for patients with stage I or stage II oral tongue cancer was 77%, compared with 52% for patients more advanced disease, stages III or IV, the rate of 2-year [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-23T05:43:05-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

GSK partners with Enigma, Abbott on cancer immunotherapy project

Source: bioopticsworld.co Author: staff Pharmaceuticals company, Abbott (Des Plaines, IL), announced an agreement with GSK to develop an automated molecular diagnostic test, also based on RT-PCR technology, to screen non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors for expression of the MAGE-A3 antigen. GSK's MAGE-A3 ASCI (antigen specific cancer immunotherapy) candidate is currently being evaluated as an adjuvant treatment in resected NSCLC in the Phase III clinical study MAGRIT, the largest lung cancer treatment study ever conducted. Fast, accurate influenza testing The GSK-Enigma partnership aims for joint development of the Enigma ML (mini laboratory) PCR platform to deliver fully-automated results from swab samples in less than 60 minutes at the point of care--to the same accuracy standards as reference laboratories. Thus, patients can be tested for specific influenza subtypes and quickly receive appropriate treatment. Operators of the Enigma ML system will not require specialist training. A trial involving working prototypes of the ML system with front line health care providers across Europe is planned for Q4 2009. Launch of Enigma ML is anticipated in early 2011, subject to successful clinical trials and regulatory approval. Cancer immunotherapy Under terms of the GSK-Abbott agreement, the partners will develop and commercialize an RT-PCR test--designed to detect MAGE A3--for use on the Abbott m2000 automated instrument system. "This is an exciting collaboration with a leading company in cancer immunotherapy research," said Stafford O'Kelly, head of Abbott's molecular diagnostics business. "The agreement is indicative of our focus on personalized medicine and developing analytical molecular tools to identify [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-22T05:31:14-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|