Oral Cancer News – Page 318 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Study suggests Merck’s Gardasil is effective in males

Source: money.cnn.com Author: Peter Loftus A new study suggests Merck & Co.'s (MRK) Gardasil vaccine, which is primarily given to prevent cervical cancer in girls and women, may also be effective in preventing genital warts and penile cancer when given to males. Merck hopes the company-funded study will support roughly doubling the target population for the vaccine, which could help jump-start sagging sales. The Whitehouse Station, N.J., company said it remains on track to apply by year end for Food and Drug Administration approval to market Gardasil to boys and men ages 9 to 26 for prevention of external genital lesions caused by certain viral strains. "This is groundbreaking data," said Anna Giuliano, professor of medicine and epidemiology at University of South Florida, who co-authored the study. "To demonstrate that Gardasil prevents infection and disease at a very high level in males - that's the other half of the world." It was the first study to demonstrate Gardasil's effectiveness in males - prior studies had shown it could produce a positive immune response in males. The vaccine, which was launched in 2006, is currently approved in the U.S. for girls and women ages 9 through 26 to prevent cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers, as well as genital warts and other lesions caused by certain viral strains. These diseases, in both males and females, share the same cause: Human papillomavirus, or HPV, which is transmitted through sexual contact. The cancers in men caused by HPV, however, are rarer than cervical cancer. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-13T16:09:00-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Does surgical resection of pulmonary metastases of head and neck cancer improve survival?

Source: Annals of Surgical Oncology 15:2915-2926 (2008) Author: Hauke Winter, MD et al. Background: The prognosis of patients with metastasized head and neck cancer is poor. Limited experience exists with the benefit of resection of lung metastases and systematic mediastinal and hilar lymph node dissection on survival of patients with head and neck carcinoma. Methods: Eighty patients undergoing metastasectomy for pulmonary metastases of primary head and neck cancer entered the study. Multivariate analysis was performed by Cox regression analysis. Survival differences between patients operated and those not operated on were analyzed by matched pair analysis. Results: From 1984 until 2006, pulmonary metastases were diagnosed in 332 patients treated for head and neck cancer; 80 of these were admitted to our department for resection. Metastases of the primary head and neck tumor were confirmed histologically in 67 patients. The median overall survival after resection of lung metastases was 19.4 months and was statistically significantly better compared with patients who were not operated on (P < .001). The multivariate analysis after metastasectomy revealed that incomplete resection of pulmonary lesions, complications associated with surgery, and adjuvant therapy of the primary tumor are independent negative prognostic factors for survival. We observed a trend to improved survival in patients without hilar or mediastinal lymph node metastases. Conclusion: The survival rate of patients operated on was statistically significantly higher than that of patients with conservative treatment. Even patients with multiple or bilateral pulmonary lesions after curative treatment of a primary tumor should be operated on if [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-13T16:05:15-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

World renowned HPV expert joins OSU cancer program

Source: media-newswire.com Author: press release Leading human papilloma virus ( HPV ) expert Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, will join The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute on Jan. 1 as a professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology and a member of the Cancer Control and Viral Oncology Programs in Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. She will hold the Jeg Coughlin Chair in Cancer Research. Focusing on the role that HPV plays in the development of head and neck cancers, Gillison was the first to identify HPV infection as the cause of certain oral cancers and identified multiple sex partners as the most important risk factor for these cancers. At Ohio State, Gillison plans to build a program focused on identifying associations between infections and cancers, with the ultimate goal of applying discoveries to prevent and treat cancer. A frequent guest on national network newscasts and quoted extensively in cancer trade and national consumer publications, Gillison was recruited from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she was an associate professor and a member of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. The American Society of Clinical Oncology named Gillison’s research on HPV-associated head/neck cancers as one of six major clinical cancer advances for 2007. “Recruiting Dr. Gillison is part of our aggressive and ongoing strategy to recruit the world’s best and brightest cancer researchers and clinicians to The Ohio State University,” said Dr. Michael Caligiuri, director of Ohio State’s [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-13T16:00:01-07:00November, 2008|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Younger people suffering from mouth cancer

Source: www.rochdaleonline.co.uk Author: staff People in their 20s are being urged to look out for the symptoms of mouth cancer. The disease is usually found in older people who have smoked and drunk alcohol over a long period of time. Now mouth cancer specialists are reporting cases of people in their 20s and 30s with non-healing ulcers, white and red patches or a lump, which are all possible signs and symptoms of the disease. Mr Andrew Baldwin, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, believes that there is still a lack of awareness about mouth cancer in the general population. “People who smoke and drink alcohol for a number of years tend to be those who suffer the most from mouth cancer. However, in the last few years we have seen a minority of people in their mid 20’s developing the disease. There can also be other causes so people who don’t necessarily smoke and drink heavily but have the symptoms should not dismiss mouth cancer.” Mr Robert Woodwards, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, insists early detection of the disease prevents people from being permanently disfigured. “Whilst typically associated with smoking and drinking can be related to other causes and the key to a successful outcome for treatment for mouth cancer is to catch the disease when it is early and the lesion is small. “Smaller mouth cancers are much easier to treat and the results of surgery can be limited so that alteration in a patient’s appearance is not [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-12T08:19:14-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Searching for molecular markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) by statistical and bioinformatic analysis of larynx-derived SAGE libraries

Source: BMC Medical Genomics 2008, 1:56 (11 November 2008) Authors: Nelson JF Silveira et al. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignancies in humans. The average 5-year survival rate is one of the lowest among aggressive cancers, showing no significant improvement in recent years. When detected early, HNSCC has a good prognosis, but most patients present metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, which significantly reduces survival rate. Despite extensive research, no molecular markers are currently available for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. Methods: Aiming to identify differentially-expressed genes involved in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) development and progression, we generated individual Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) libraries from a metastatic and non-metastatic larynx carcinoma, as well as from a normal larynx mucosa sample. Approximately 54,000 unique tags were sequenced in three libraries. Results: Statistical data analysis identified a subset of 1,216 differentially expressed tags between tumor and normal libraries, and 894 differentially expressed tags between metastatic and non-metastatic carcinomas. Three genes displaying differential regulation, one down-regulated (KRT31) and two up-regulated (BST2, MFAP2), as well as one with a non-significant differential expression pattern (GNA15) in our SAGE data were selected for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a set of HNSCC samples. Consistent with our statistical analysis, quantitative PCR confirmed the upregulation of BST2 and MFAP2 and the downregulation of KRT31 when samples of HNSCC were compared to tumor-free surgical margins. As expected, GNA15 presented a non-significant differential expression pattern when tumor samples [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-12T08:10:45-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer hope after cell discovery

Source: The Press Association (ukpress.google.com) Author: staff Scientists have announced they had identified a "new route" for messages to cells in fruit flies which could lead to the growth of breast, ovarian, head and neck cancer in people. The team at the University of Liverpool found signals from a molecule called Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) on the surface of a cell are fed through a protein called pico in flies, which has a similar protein in humans called Lamellipodin. This process controls and regulates cell growth and division and its discovery has been described as "important basic research" by the charity Cancer Research UK. The EGFR molecule sends signals that drive the growth of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and cancers of the head and neck in people. Lead author of the study and Cancer Research UK scientist Dr Ekaterina Lyulcheva, who is based at the University of Liverpool, said: "Before now, scientists knew about the presence of these molecules and their possible link to cancer, but no-one knew how they talked to each other, to ultimately control tissue growth. "We know EGFR is linked to cancer but we have not shown that Lamellipodin is used to drive the growth of cancer in humans. Lamellipodin is a similar protein to pico in fruit flies that has similar functions." Dr Lyulcheva said that although Lamellipodin and pico had similar functions more research in humans would need to be undertaken to discover if Lamellipodin was used to drive the growth of the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-12T08:03:20-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Smokeless tobacco becomes a target

Source: Winston-Salem Journal (www2.journalnow.com) Author: Richard Craver In bars and restaurants, theaters and stadiums, malls and offices, tobacco manufacturers are trying to reassert their presence in the market with innovative smokeless products such as snus and dissolvable products. "We're meeting the adult tobacco consumer where they are in society today," said Maura Payne, a spokeswoman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. But health-advocacy groups, having won the day with bans on smoking in most public venues after a 16-year fight, are gearing up their efforts and rhetoric to try to prevent those products from taking root. "These smokeless products are likely to discourage smokers from quitting by sustaining their nicotine addiction in the growing number of places where smoking is not allowed," said Matthew Myers, the executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The evolution of the health-advocacy groups from anti-smoking to anti-tobacco is ratcheting up the moralistic aspect of buying and consuming a legal product. It also is pitting more health-care and anti-smoking officials on both sides of the smokeless debate since it's unclear whether smokeless tobacco equals reduced risk, particularly involving cancer. There have been mixed findings from the few studies that have been conducted on snus. What is clear is that the major U.S. tobacco manufacturers are putting more emphasis on smokeless products, such as snuff and snus, to gain market share and sales as the smoking rate among adults declines. Government figures show that fewer than 44 million Americans smoke, down from a peak of 53.5 million [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-11T13:49:31-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

U.S. reported 25,000 cases of HPV-related cancers annually

Source: health.usnews.com Author: staff An estimated 25,000 cases of cancers associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) occurred in 38 states and the District of Columbia between 1998 and 2003, U.S. officials reported Monday. HPV is a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different types, more than 30 of which can be sexually transmitted. Most people with HPV infections don't develop symptoms or health problems, but some HPV types can cause cancer. In its report, which covers the period before the HPV vaccine was available, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the most common sites for HPV-associated cancers were the cervix, head and neck, anus, vulva, penis and vagina. HPV-associated cancers occur most often in the cervix -- about 10,800 per year. Black and Hispanic women had higher rates of cervical cancer than white and non-Hispanic women, the CDC said. There were almost 7,400 HPV-associated head and neck cancers per year. These types of cancers increased 3 percent a year during the period examined in the study. Among the other findings: There were more than 3,000 HPV-associated anal cancers per year; about 1,900 occurred in women and 1,100 in men. Whites had the highest rates among women, while blacks had the highest rates among men. There were 2,300 cases of HPV-associated vulvar cancer each year. White women had higher rates than black and Asian/Pacific Islander women. HPV-associated penile cancer was diagnosed in about 800 men a year. Hispanic men were more likely than non-Hispanic men [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-09T18:45:16-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Virus accomplice helps drugs fight cancer

Source: www.newscientist.com Author: Andy Coghlan A virus that harmlessly infects most people at some time in their lives appears to help anti-cancer drugs destroy tumours, or at least keep them in check. Known as a reovirus, it destroys tumour cells because they lack the cellular machinery that keeps the virus in check in healthy cells. Results released last week from two studies in which patients with head and neck cancer were injected with the virus alongside anti-cancer drugs reveal that cancers either stopped growing or shrank in almost all recipients. Furthermore, the patients had cancers that had become resistant to all existing therapies. "Some patients had very aggressive tumour shrinkage of as much as 95%," says Brad Thompson, CEO of Canadian company Oncolytics Biotech, which has been developing the virus as a product called Reolysin. In one trial, led by Kevin Harrington at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, 8 out of 9 patients responded positively after the virus plus two standard anti-cancer drugs, paclitaxel and carboplatin, had been infused into their bloodstream. In four, tumours stopped growing, and in another four, tumours shrank dramatically. In the other trial, also near London at the Royal Surrey Hospital, 9 out of 11 patients responded well after receiving the virus plus the anti-cancer drug docetaxel. Genetic flaw Taken together, the results suggest the virus does help in some way. "Usually, only 10% of patients respond when the cancer comes back and they're having their second course of treatment," says Thompson. The virus [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-07T14:05:54-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

FDA accepts priority review for new indication of Erbitux – update

Source: www.rttnews.com Author: staff Imclone Systems Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. announced that the supplemental biological license application seeking expanded approval of Erbitux for first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck has been accepted for priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Priority review implies that the FDA will review the application in six months. Erbitux is marketed by ImClone and Bristol-Myers Squibb in the U.S. and by German drug and chemical maker Merck KGaA outside the U.S. Bristol-Myers holds 61% of the North American sales rights to Erbitux, while Merck KGaA owns 90% of the drug's international distribution rights. Under the existing agreement with Bristol-Myers, ImClone receives a distribution fee based on a flat rate of 39% of net sales of Erbitux in North America. The companies had sought expanded approval for Erbitux based on data from the randomized Phase 3 EXTREME (ERBITUX in first-line Treatment of REcurrent or MEtastatic head and neck cancer) study1 investigating the efficacy of Erbitux in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. According to the study, which was conducted by Merck KGaA, Erbitux, in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, resulted in a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival time compared with chemotherapy alone. If approved, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma will be the third U.S. indication for Erbitux in head and neck cancer. Erbitux was initially approved to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-06T19:54:40-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|