Oral Cancer News – Page 327 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

Dentist who told mouth cancer victim to gargle with Listerine allowed to carry on practising

Source: Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk) Author: staff A dentist who told a patient suffering from mouth cancer to gargle with Listerine will be allowed to continue in practice. Nalin Dhamecha told Robin Read, 44, there was 'nothing untoward' with the ulcer on his tongue but the plumber only had a year to live. Mrs Read said: 'If he had been referred to a specialist and diagnosed, Robin's chances would have been so much greater.' 'It may have been that the cancer would have come back after treatment but at least he would have had a longer life. That's why this is not fair.' The GDC panel decided to allow Dhamecha to continue to practice, subject to conditions, describing him as a 'dedicated and valuable member of the dental profession'. It was ruled that Dhamecha's failure to spot the sore did not contribute to Mr Read's death. Panel Chair Dr John Gibson told the dentist even if you had detected the lesion on the tongue, the outcome would have been no different. Mr Read, who has a teenage daughter, first consulted Dhamecha at the Aberdeen House Dental Practice in Surrey, on two occasions in May 2006. The plumber had been visiting the surgery near his home since he was a child and began seeing Dhamecha when the previous dentist retired. Dhamecha suggested he use Bonjela and Listerine mouthwash to ease the ulcer, and took no history of Mr Read's smoking. When his mouth had still not healed by October that year, he [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-08T11:51:22-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Erbitux aims for first-line head, neck cancer use

Source: www.reuters.com Author: Ransdell Pierson ImClone Systems Inc. on Wednesday said it had asked U.S. regulators for permission to market its Erbitux medicine as a first-line treatment for head and neck cancer. The company's flagship product, which it sells in partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb Corp, is already approved to treat colorectal cancer and patients with head and neck cancer who previously had failed to benefit from chemotherapy. ImClone said it had asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant its marketing application a priority review, a designation that would ensure an answer from the agency within six months instead of the customary 10-month review period. The New York-based drugmaker said its application was based on successful results of a late-stage trial involving 442 patients with previously untreated head and neck cancer. The trial showed that Erbitux, when added to current standard platinum-based chemotherapy, significantly increased the overall survival time for patients. Note: 1. Reporting by Ransdell Pierson, editing by Maureen Bavdek

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-04T16:24:01-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Azaya licenses Health Science Center technology to treat cancer

Source: San Antonio Business Journal (www.bizjournals.com) Author: staff Azaya Therapeutics Inc. has licensed a technology that could be beneficial in treating head and neck cancers, the company said Wednesday. The technology involves the use of liposomes to deliver radiation into the head and neck tumors through a direct injection. Company officials say they may be able to shrink the tumor, delay recurrence and avoid collateral tissue damage that often accompanies other forms of radiation therapy. Liposomes are small, bubble-like particles that are made of the same material as cell membranes. They were engineered decades ago by the pharmaceutical industry. The company is planning to begin a phase I clinical trial in early 2010. Azaya is licensing the technology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Scientists have been developing the radiation-infused liposome technology for the past six years. Azaya President and CEO Michael T. Dwyer says this is a good collaborative opportunity for the company and the university. “They have more than 15 years of expertise working with liposomes and a patent-pending method of using them to deliver radiation to a very specific tumor location,” Dwyer says. “And Azaya has a patented system for producing liposomes quickly and efficiently.” Dwyer adds that this treatment has the potential for addressing other forms of cancer as well, including prostate, breast and brain cancer. Azaya is a San Antonio-based pharmaceutical company with a novel drug delivery platform. Its proprietary Protein Stabilized Nanoparticles technology platform is designed to address the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-03T18:54:06-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Queens County dentists to screen for oral cancer at Mets game

Source: ReadMedia Newswire (readme.readmedia.com) Author: press release Dentists from the Queens County Dental Society (QCDS) will be offering free, two-minute oral cancer screenings at Shea Stadium before and during the Mets game on Tuesday, September 9, 2008. Screening stations will be set up on all levels of the stadium and will offer health care information as well as a drawing for free prizes, including a David Wright Mets jersey for those who are screened. "Screenings for oral cancer are quick, painless and can save lives," says Dr. Stuart Kesner, chairman of the event. "Early diagnosis is the key to surviving this disease," adds Dr, Kesner who notes that oral cancer currently kills more than 7,000 Americans each year and, if caught early, can be prevented. He thanks the Mets organization for the opportunity to partner with them in bringing this public health service to the team's fans. In recognition of the event, Dr. Kesner and Dr. Viren Jhaveri, President of QCDS, will be presented with a "Spirit Award" from the New York Mets prior to the game. Dr. Mark Feldman, President of the American Dental Association, Dr. Stephen Gold, President of the New York State Dental Association and the Honorable Jose Peralta, New York State Assemblyman, will be in attendance during the award ceremony. The Queens County Dental Society is a not-for-profit chapter of the American Dental Association, comprised of more than 1,000 members dedicated to promoting good oral health and oral cancer awareness throughout the community. This event is [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-03T18:49:46-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

CU finds supplement could help treat some cancers

Source: cbs4denver.com Author: Libby Smith Researchers in Colorado have found that a natural supplement called Resveratrol may help in treating certain cancers. Many people swear by Resveratrol because it's been shown to have anti-aging benefits and prevent cancer in some animals. Now local researchers are finding that Resveratrol may make radiation more effective in treating head and neck cancers. The study is currently in the lab at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, but researchers are hoping to eventually try their therapy on humans. "What we're trying to do is exploit what we know about Resveratrol to use in therapy," said Dr. Robert Sclafani, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. " Sclafani and Dr. David Raben, a radiation oncologist, are working together studying head and neck cancer cells grown in the laboratory and treating them with Resveratrol. "This compound or these types of compounds seem to have a lot of activity in stopping head and neck cancer cells from growing," Raben said. They've found Resveratrol fools the cancer cells into thinking their DNA has been damaged, much like radiation, but without damaging normal cells. By treating cancer with both Resveratrol and radiation, the radiation may be more effective and have fewer side effects. "It fools cancer cells into thinking that its DNA has been damaged very much like radiation does but without the toxicity," Sclafani said. "One of the other areas interesting about this particular compound is that we may even be able to prevent secondary head and neck cancers [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-03T06:48:38-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Study says smoking may hurt women more than men

Source: apnews.myway.com Author: Maria Cheng Women who smoke may develop heart disease at almost the same age as male smokers, wiping out the natural difference between the sexes, doctors said Tuesday. In research presented to the European Society of Cardiology, Norwegian researchers said that women who smoke have heart attacks nearly 14 years earlier than women who don't smoke. For men, the figure is about six years. "This is not a minor difference," said Dr. Silvia Priori, a cardiologist at the Scientific Institute in Pavia, Italy. "Women need to realize they are losing much more than men when they smoke," she said. Priori was not connected to the research. Dr. Morten Grundtvig and colleagues from the Innlandet Hospital Trust in Lillehammer, Norway, looked at data from 1,784 patients admitted for a first heart attack at a hospital in Lillehammer. They found that the men on average had their first heart attack at age 72 if they didn't smoke, and at 64 if they did. The women had their first heart attack at age 81 if they didn't smoke, and at age 66 if they did. After adjusting for other heart risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes, researchers found that the difference for women was 14 years and for men was six years. Previous studies looking at whether there is a difference between the genders in the risks of smoking have been inconclusive. Doctors have long suspected that female hormones protect women against heart disease. Estrogen is thought to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-02T08:20:07-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

The neglected epidemic and the Surgeon General’s report: a call to action for better oral health

Source: www.redorbit.com Author: Myron Allukian The first US surgeon general's report on oral health will be released soon. Oral diseases have been called a "neglected epidemic," 1-4 because, although they affect virtually the entire population, they have not been made a priority in our country. The surgeon general's report can help educate and sensitize policymakers and health leaders about the importance of oral health and the need to make oral health an integral component of all health programs. In the words of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, "You're not healthy without good oral health." We must seize this unprecedented opportunity to ensure that the mouth becomes reconnected to the rest of the body in health policies and programs. It makes no sense that children, diabetic persons, or senior citizens with an abscess on their leg can receive care through their health insurance or a health program, but if the abscess is in their mouth, they may not be covered. For vulnerable populations and the "have-nots," the barriers to dental care are even greater. Although we have made much progress in improving oral health since the 1970s as a result of fluoridation, fluorides, new technology, changing attitudes, and increased use of services, oral diseases are still a neglected epidemic. The facts speak for themselves. Seventy-eight percent of 17-year-olds have had tooth decay, with an average of 7 affected tooth surfaces (C. M. Vargas, unpublished estimates, Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2000), and 98% of 40- to 44-year-olds have [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-02T08:12:45-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Make oral cancer exams a priority

Source: www.dentaleconomics.com Author: Louis Malcmacher Oral cancer. These are two words that every dentist hopes he or she will never have to say to a patient. Oral cancer kills one American every hour of every single day. There have even been a number of famous people that have become victims of oral cancer. They include Babe Ruth, Sigmund Freud, Bill Blass, and Jack Klugman. As dental professionals, we know that when a lesion is found in the mouth that may be squamous cell carcinoma, there is a 50% to 70% chance that the patient may not live past the next five years. When you look at other cancer awareness programs, some organizations have done an outstanding job at creating a very high awareness for certain types of cancer. Every woman knows how to do a breast cancer self-exam and have routine mammograms, and everyone over the age of 50 knows it's time for a colonoscopy. These types of self-exams and screenings have helped save many lives. An established self-exam for oral cancer would be a huge help in finding abnormalities or incipient oral cancer lesions early. This kind of self-exam, much like a breast or skin exam, is easy to do, does not require any special equipment, and will help familiarize people with their own mouths. The primary benefit is early detection of any unusual lesions in the patients' mouths, and the secondary benefit is consumers becoming more familiar with their mouths, which encourages them to receive treatment for oral [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-02T16:54:24-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Piramal Life to start phase-2 trial for cancer molecule

Source: www.thehindubusinessline.com Author: staff Piramal Life Sciences, which has developed a Cancer molecule P276 for treatment of head and neck cancer, will shortly begin Phase 2 clinical trials in India. “This week, we will start the Phase 2 clinical trial of our head and neck cancer molecule following the Drug Controller's approval,” Piramal Life Sciences Executive Director, Ms Swati Piramal said. The molecule has undergone successful Phase 1 clinical trial in Canada. Phase 1 trial is the first stage of testing in humans. This phase includes trials designed to assess the safety and tolerability of a drug. Phase-2 trials are performed on a larger group and are designed to asses how well the drug works as well as to continue Phase 1 safety assessments on a larger group of volunteers and patients. “We have been ready since February to start Phase 2 trial, but the go ahead came just now,” Ms Piramal said. In developed countries, approvals come in 28 days, she said, adding that in India, it has taken six months.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-02T06:57:29-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Radiation treatment breaks and ulcerative mucositis in head and neck cancer

Source: The Oncologist, Vol. 13, No. 8, 886-898, August 2008 Authors: Gregory Russo et al. Unplanned radiation treatment breaks and prolongation of the radiation treatment time are associated with lower survival and locoregional control rates when radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy is used in the curative treatment of head and neck cancer. Treatment of head and neck cancer is intense, involving high-dose, continuous radiotherapy, and often adding chemotherapy to radiotherapy. As the intensity of treatment regimens has escalated in recent years, clinical outcomes generally have improved. However, more intensive therapy also increases the incidence of treatment-related toxicities, particularly those impacting the mucosal lining of the oral cavity, pharynx, and cervical esophagus, and results in varying degrees of ulcerative mucositis. Ulcerative mucositis is a root cause of unscheduled radiation treatment breaks, which prolongs the total radiation treatment time. Alterations in radiotherapy and chemotherapy, including the use of continuous (i.e., 7 days/week) radiotherapy to ensure constant negative proliferative pressure, may improve efficacy outcomes. However, these approaches also increase the incidence of ulcerative mucositis, thereby increasing the incidence of unplanned radiation treatment breaks. Conversely, the reduction of ulcerative mucositis to minimize unplanned breaks in radiotherapy may enhance not only tolerability, but also efficacy outcomes. Several strategies to prevent ulcerative mucositis in radiotherapy for head and neck cancer have been evaluated, but none have demonstrated strong efficacy. Continued investigation is needed to identify superior radiation treatment regimens, technology, and supportive care that reduce unplanned radiation treatment breaks with the goal of improving clinical outcomes in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-01T09:36:49-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|