Oral Cancer News – Page 325 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Do we need more intense radiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancers? Results from a large randomized trial from the GORTEC

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff The objective of the trial was to test new therapeutic approaches in patients with locally advanced head and neck carcinomas. These cancers are generally treated with conventional radiotherapy (RT), con¬comitant with chemotherapy (CT), which is a well accepted standard therapeutic approach. The main question was whether giving more intense RT using a marked acceleration of RT was able to increase the tumour control? For this purpose, 3 regimens were compared in a large randomised trial including 840 patients with locally advanced head and neck carcinoma. The first was a very intense, accelerated RT without CT (very intense RT), the second was a combination of accelerated RT + CT (intense-RT + CT) and the last regimen was a combination of conventional RT + CT (Classical RT +CT). The distribution of the main characteristics of the patients and tumours was well balanced between the 3 treatments arms. The tolerance of the 3 different regimens was relatively close, although a trend was observed in favour of classical RT + CT. With a median follow-up of 4.6 years, no significant difference was seen between the 2 RT-CT arms in survival, tumour control and survival without disease progression. On the other hand the very intense RT was inferior to classical RT + CT in terms of survival without cancer progression. This study was the first to test whether a more intense RT can improve the outcome of patients with head and neck carcinoma, when the patients are treated with concomitant RT-CT. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-28T21:29:33-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Concern over mouth cancer checks

Source: news.bbc.co.uk Author: staff Many dental surgeries do not routinely provide appointments within a week for patients suffering from symptoms of mouth cancer, a survey suggests. The Facial Surgery Research Foundation, Saving Faces, telephoned almost 250 NHS dental surgeries in London. Almost a third of dental receptionists did not offer a prompt consultation when given common oral cancer symptoms. The Department of Health said urgent appointments should have been given in such cases. Early diagnosis and treatment can increase a patient's chances of survival from just below 50% to around 90%. Consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon Professor Iain Hutchison, who is chief executive of Saving Faces, says the situation must improve. "The longer you leave the cancer the greater the likelihood of it spreading which means the chances of curing it are less." New contracts New dental contracts introduced in April 2006 were intended to increase access to NHS dentists. Charges were simplified and Primary Care Trusts were given the responsibility to allocate the amount of NHS work a dentist can do. But Professor Hutchison believes the new rules may be acting as a barrier to patients getting an emergency appointment. In the survey, 6% of all the receptionists contacted told the researchers that the practice could not see any new NHS patients because they had used up the quota allocated by the PCT. Professor Hutchison said this is "a new phenomenon... and clearly an inappropriate response to someone who may have mouth cancer." Symptoms Mouth cancer kills about 1,700 [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-28T21:29:48-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

FTC warns of bogus cancer cure claims

Source: CNN Money.com WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Trade Commission charged five companies with making false and misleading claims for cancer cures and said Thursday that it has reached settlements with six others. "As long as products have been sold there has been somebody out there selling snake oil to consumers," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection. She said the agency, along with the Food and Drug Administration and Canadian authorities, is launching a consumer education campaign warning about bogus claims for cures. "There is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind," said Parnes. The products the companies marketed include essiac teas and other herbal mixtures, laetrile, black salve - a corrosive ointment - and mushroom extracts. Douglas Stearn of the FDA said his agency is concerned that people may forego effective cancer treatments when choosing these products. In addition, he said, some of these unproven products may have dangerous interactions with other drugs. "We would urge folks to talk to their doctors," said Stern. Parnes said more than 100 warning letters were sent out and many advertisers dropped or changed their claims. Of the complaints resolved by settlements, she said companies paid restitution ranging from $9,000 to $250,000. The remaining five complaints of false and deceptive advertising will go before administrative law judges, she said. Those cases are Omega Supply, San Diego, Calif.; Native Essence Herb Company, El Prado, N.M.; Daniel Chapter [...]

Webmaster2008-09-20T17:13:51-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Winnipeg schools pick religion over HPV vaccine

Source: www.canada.com/vancouversun Author: Jen Skerritt, Winnipeg Free Press At least four Winnipeg private schools have opted not to vaccinate Grade 6 girls against a sexually transmitted infection linked to cervical cancer for "religious reasons." The decision comes weeks before Manitoba Health officials roll out the controversial Gardasil vaccine in schools across the province. Dr. Carol Kurbis, medical officer of health for the Winnipeg region, confirmed public health nurses will not attend at least four city private schools to vaccinate 11 and 12-year-old girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) next month. "We don't have any ability to force them into the program and those schools have actually been co-operative in still distributing information out to parents," Kurbis said. "There's four or five, and they're relatively small schools." The province's $10.8-million HPV vaccine program is set to launch in Winnipeg schools the first week of October. Researchers still have no idea when the immunity against HPV wears off and some critics believe mass promotion could lead some women to believe they're protected against other sexually transmitted infections, like the potentially deadly HIV. Some parent groups worry the vaccine sends the wrong message and may encourage preteen girls to engage in sexual activity. Robert Praznik, director of education for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, said he can't understand why certain schools would opt out of the vaccination program. Praznik said the Archdiocese has directed the 14 local Catholic elementary schools to leave the question of whether to vaccinate preteen girls against HPV up to parents. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-20T08:24:06-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Storylines featuring cancer, violence and HIV among finalists for 2008 Sentinel for Health Awards

Source: Annenberg News (annenberg.usc.edu) Author: staff Hollywood, Health & Society, a joint project of the Norman Lear Center at USC Annenberg and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced 13 finalists for the Sentinel for Health Awards on Sept. 15. In its ninth year, the Sentinel for Health Awards recognizes exemplary achievements of television storylines that inform, educate and motivate viewers to make choices for healthier and safer lives. Six categories of storylines will be recognized – daytime drama, primetime drama, primetime comedy, primetime drama minor storyline, Spanish-language telenovela and children’s programming. The 13 finalists received the highest scores in a field of 31 eligible entries that were reviewed by topic experts at the CDC and partner organizations. Health topics addressed in the storylines include lung cancer, teen sexual health, HIV and pregnancy, drug addiction, gang violence, oral cancer, sexual abuse, and alcoholism. All finalists will be recognized in an awards ceremony followed by a panel discussion with the writers on Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Writers Guild of America, West, in Los Angeles. "We're delighted to shine a spotlight on television writers and producers who both entertain viewers and at the same time provide them with accurate information," says Martin Kaplan , holder of the Norman Lear Chair in Entertainment and director of the Lear Center. "Our hope is that the storylines we honor with this award will spur other TV writers to recognize and use responsibly the awesome power they wield." Hollywood, Health & Society works [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-20T07:52:57-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

As The World Turns cancer storyline nominated for award

Source: www.soaps.com Author: staff Congratulations to the cast and crew of As The World Turns for their nomination for a 2008 Sentinel for Health Award! The Barbara/Cancer storyline was nominated. The Sentinel for Health awards recognize television storylines, both Primetime and Daytime, that inform, educate and motivate viewers to make choices for healthier and safer lives. A panel of experts from the Centers for Disease Control, National Cancer Institute and partner organizations evaluate the nominees to develop a list of finalists. The finalists are then chosen based on entertainment value and benefit to the viewing audience. The awards are part of the Norman Lear Center, a research center which studies the impact of entertainment on society. Barbara's oral cancer storyline was actually brought about because of Colleen Zenk Pinter's (Barbara) real life battle with oral cancer. Last fall, after weeks of fans asking about the change in her speech patterns, Colleen announced that she had been battling oral cancer for months; when she was diagnosed, doctors found that she had stage two oral cancer. Colleen underwent three surgeries and actually had part of her tongue removed and reconstructed. She has been in remission for a year now. On the show, Barbara has been battling the same cancer with rounds of chemotherapy. One of her doctors recently told Babs she was responding well and she has returned to her life before the diagnosis. However, she has also been very preoccupied with Paul's money problems, Meg's current pregnancy and has been ignoring [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-20T07:35:53-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Doctors in the US and Netherlands using fast RapidArc radiotherapy technology to help fight cancer are now treating tumors of the head and neck

Source: www.earthtimes.org Author: press release Doctors at cancer treatment centers in the United States and the Netherlands are now treating head and neck cancer using RapidArc(TM) radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems. RapidArc was used to deliver ultra-precise image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) significantly faster than was previously possible with conventional IMRT. The RapidArc treatment plans for these cases also did a better job of protecting surrounding normal tissues and organs. "Traditional IMRT has been a gold standard for several years in radiotherapy when it came to avoiding healthy tissue and targeting the tumor mass," said Ben Slotman, MD, PhD, professor and chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, Netherlands. "We have been so satisfied with the faster treatment planning and the faster delivery with RapidArc that we plan to treat all of our head and neck IMRT candidates using this technology." Slotman and his colleagues recently treated a 46-year old male with throat cancer. "The RapidArc plan showed better and more even tumor coverage, compared with a standard 7-field IMRT plan," said Slotman. "With RapidArc, we were also able to spare more of the organs at risk than with IMRT," he added. When treating a tumor in the head or neck it is important to avoid the highly sensitive organs nearby, such as the spinal cord, eyes, brainstem, and other vital areas of the central nervous system. At the Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills, Henry Yampolsky, MD, recently used RapidArc [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-18T06:56:45-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Health scores after 1 year may predict survival in head and neck cancer patients

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: staff Changes in patients' physical health status during the year after being diagnosed with head and neck cancer appear to predict survival at five years, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The TNM staging system for cancer (based on the tumor, involvement of lymph nodes and any distant spread) is effective in predicting whether cancer patients will die of their disease, according to background information in the article. However, it considers only factors directly related to cancer and not information about other medical conditions or the patient's overall health status. "These factors may have a meaningful effect on the management of patients with head and neck cancer from the initial assessment through treatment selection and management of complications," the authors write. Mark J. Jameson, M.D., Ph.D., then of the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, and now of the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, and colleagues studied 403 patients (64 percent men, average age 58.7) who were diagnosed with head and neck cancer between 1995 and 2005. Participants completed general physical health assessments when they were diagnosed and again three, six, nine and 12 months later and then were followed up for five years. Among all patients, scores on the health assessments decreased between diagnosis and the three-month point. Those who died during the second or third year exhibited no recovery in their scores, while those who died within the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-16T08:43:58-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Mouthwash or hogwash?

Source: Times Online (www.timesonline.co.uk) Author: Peta Bee Waking up with the unpleasant hum of dog breath is far from uncommon. Whether it is the after-effects of a curry, or a more lingering problem of sewer-scented oral odour, around 95 per cent of Britons suffer bad breath at some time in their lives. Such is the social embarrassment that £350 million a year is spent on products that promise to sweeten breath. But is it money well spent? An increasing number of medical experts think not, with some going as far as to caution that swilling with a mouthwash can cause more problems than it purports to cure. Central to the debate about the efficacy of mouthwashes is that many contain exceptionally high levels of alcohol. Some varieties - such as the UK's bestselling brand Listerine - contain 26.9 per cent alcohol, double the amount in wine and more than five times that in beer. It is not just that the alcohol in these products is risky to young children who might get hold of them. According to some critics, it may also render a mouthwash useless. Alcohol can dry out the mouth by drawing moisture from the tissues and slowing the flow of saliva. With limited saliva to flush away or dilute bacteria, it is suggested that rinses that contain alcohol cause germs to become more, not less, concentrated in the mouth - making smelly breath possibly worse. Dr Philip Stemmer, a dentist who runs the Fresh Breath Centre in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-15T22:18:18-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Erbitux – first treatment in 30 years to prolong survival in 1st-line recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff Data presented at the 33rd European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Stockholm demonstrate that the addition of Erbitux® (cetuximab) to platinum-based chemotherapy increases overall survival (OS) compared to chemotherapy alone in the 1st-line treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).1 Furthermore the data showed the significant benefits of Erbitux were achieved without any detrimental impact on quality of life (QoL).2 "These data are incredibly exciting as they represent the first advance in the 1st-line treatment of head and neck cancer in this setting for three decades. For the first time since the introduction of platinum-based chemotherapy we are able to increase the overall survival time for recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer patients," said Professor Jan B. Vermorken, lead investigator of the EXTREMEa trial and head of the Department of Medical Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium. The EXTREME study was a multicenter, randomized, controlled, Phase III trial involving 442 patients, designed to assess the efficacy of Erbitux combined with cisplatin or carboplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) versus chemotherapy alone in the 1st-line treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN.1 Patients treated with Erbitux plus chemotherapy experienced the following improvements, compared to chemotherapy alone:1 - Increased median overall survival of nearly 3 months (10.1 vs. 7.4 months; p=0.04), equating to a 20% risk reduction of death (HR: 0.80) during the study period - A 70% increase in median progression-free survival (5.6 vs. 3.3 months; p<0.001) [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-15T22:10:24-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|