Oral Cancer News – Page 329 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

CMS receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Atlas-based auto-segmentation software

Source: www.earthtimes.org Author: press release CMS, Inc., an Elekta Company, and worldwide leader in radiation treatment planning and workflow management solutions, has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its new Atlas-Based Autosegmentation (ABAS) product. This clearance allows CMS to immediately begin distributing Atlas-Based Autosegmentation for clinical use in the United States. Significantly reducing the amount of time spent creating and editing patient contours, ABAS is a software application that produces an estimate of the anatomy boundary contours needed to create a radiation treatment plan. Image segmentation, or contouring, is a time consuming component of the treatment planning process, and ABAS helps save clinicians time by providing a good starting point from which minimal editing is required. In addition to its time-saving benefits, ABAS distinguishes itself from competing products in several ways. A stand alone, vendor neutral product that communicates using standard DICOM file formats for both input and output, ABAS is compatible with any radiation treatment planning system that can read standard DICOM RT structure set files. ABAS also provides structure specific refinement algorithms for head and neck treatments, as well as prostate treatments, in addition to a general algorithm that allows it to be used with other treatment sites. "We are extremely proud and very pleased to receive clearance to distribute Atlas-Based Autosegmentation to the U.S. market," says Terry Wolf, Director of Research for CMS, an Elekta Company. "An embodiment of our core values, ABAS is an innovative solution delivered in a vendor-neutral platform aimed at improving the quality of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-24T07:08:02-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Do cell phones cause cancer?

Source: JusticeNewsFlash.com Author: Jana Simard Cellular telephones are everywhere. Flip phones, sliders and even the new touch screen iPhone; in every shape and every color, they have populated our planet and become the most convenient way to keep in touch no matter where your location. A cell phone beams radiofrequency energy that can penetrate the outer edge of the brain, which posed questions about cancers of the head and neck, brain tumors or leukemia. According to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), there are now more than 180 million subscribers to cellular telephone service in the United States. This has increased from 110 million users just 3 years ago. Experts estimate that by 2010, there will be 2.2 billion subscribers worldwide. With all of the rumors circling around cell phones, a vast study was conducted in order to give individuals a definite, precise answer. Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the study tracked 420,000 Danish cell phone users, including 52,000 who had been using cell phones for 10 years or more, and some who started using them 21 years ago. This is the largest study so far to find no bad news about the safety of cell phones and the radio frequency energy they emit. According to the article in the Associated Press ‘among 420,000 callers tracked through 2002, there were 14,249 cancers diagnosed — fewer than the 15,001 predicted from national cancer rates. Nor did the study find increased risks for any specific tumor type.’ [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-22T11:26:42-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Prevalence and significance of human papillomavirus in oral tongue cancer: the Mayo Clinic experience

Source: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Vol. 66, Issue 9, Pages 1875-1880 (September 2008) Authors: Xin-Hua Liang et al. Purpose Cigarette smoking and alcohol use have markedly decreased in the past 40 years. However, there has been an increasing trend in the incidence of tongue cancer, particularly in young patients without traditional risk factors. This study sought to examine the prevalence and significance of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and its clinical significance in patients with oral tongue cancer. Patients and Methods Fresh-frozen tissues from 51 patients with oral tongue cancer, treated with primary surgery from January 2004 to December 2006, were included in the study. The presence of HPV infection in tumor specimens was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction with HPV L1 consensus primers (GP 5+/GP 6+) and HPV-16-specific E6 primer pairs. Demographic and clinical data were collected to analyze patient outcomes. Results The overall frequency of HPV in oral tongue cancer in our study was 1.96% (1/51). Young patients below the age of 45 years accounted for 15.7% (8/51) of the total number of patients. Eighty-seven percent of the younger age group, including a single patient with an HPV-16-positive tumor, were alive and free from disease during the follow-up period. The overall survival of the study group was 81.4%. Conclusions Our data suggest that the incidence of HPV in oral tongue cancer is low and is unlikely to play a significant role in the etiology, pathogenesis, and clinical outcomes of oral tongue cancer. In addition, HPV is unlikely to constitute [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-21T20:39:40-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Kaiser Health Disparities Report: A Weekly Look At Race, Ethnicity And Health

Source: Kaiser Network (www.kaisernetwork.org) Author: staff Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell on Tuesday discussed the efforts of two young black dentists in Chicago who are seeking to improve the oral health of black men. Mitchell notes that according to the American Dental Association, more than 50% of black men have untreated dental decay and black men are less likely than other men to have decayed teeth repaired. Black men also have the highest rate of oral cancer and the lowest survival rate from the disease of any other group, Mitchell writes. In an interview with Mitchell, Patrick Smith, a graduate of Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, said, "The reason why the statistics are so alarming is men don't go in for check-ups, even though oral cancer is more prevalent in the African-American community," adding, "By the time we as black men have oral cancer, it is advanced." Patrick Smith has partnered with Ozzie Smith, a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, to open up a dental office in the Hyde Park community of Chicago. Patrick Smith added that the "sad part" of the issue surrounding black men and oral health is that "many of them have insurance and they just don't go either because of fear or preconceived notions or complete ignorance about what goes on in a dentist's office." Patrick Smith said that when black male patients come into a dental office and "see how things work and how much better it is, they realize [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-20T11:26:34-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

NYC bus workers file suit against diesel makers

Source: Newsday (www.newsday.com) Author: staff A group of New York City bus workers claim in a lawsuit that diesel exhaust from idling buses exposed them to severe illnesses, including lung and throat cancer. The lawsuit, filed in state court on Monday, names 13 diesel engine manufacturers, including General Motors, Northrop Grumman and Orion Bus Industries. The workers, bus drivers and mechanics employed by NYC Transit, claim buses sometimes idled all night in depots. The lawsuit says the companies knew "the belching of these fumes was a dangerous byproduct." The workers are seeking unspecified damages. Several companies reached for comment declined to comment, saying they had not seen the lawsuit or would not speak on pending litigation.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-20T04:43:22-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Randomized clinical trial with two omega 3 fatty acid enhanced oral supplements in head and neck cancer ambulatory patients

Source: Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, May 1, 2008; 12(3): 177-81 Authors: DA de Luis et al. The aim of our study was to investigate whether oral ambulatory nutrition of post surgical head and neck cancer patients with recent weight loss, using two different omega 3 fatty acids enhanced diets could improve nutritional variables as well as clinical outcome. A sample of 65 ambulatory post surgical patients with oral and laryngeal cancer and recent weight loss was enrolled. At Hospital discharge post surgical head and neck cancer patients were asked to consume two cans per day of either a specially designed omega 3 fatty acid enhanced supplement with a high ratio of omega3/omega6 (I) or a omega 3 fatty acid enhanced supplement with a low ratio of omega3/omega6 (II). Serum albumin, prealbumin and transferrin concentrations improved with both enhanced formula. Weight stabilization was reached with both formulas. Gastrointestinal tolerance (diarrhea episodes) with both formulas was good (6.45 vs 5.88%: ns). The postoperative infectious complications were similar in both groups (29 group I vs 15.7% group II: ns). No local complications were detected in surgery wound. In conclusion, at dose taken, omega 3 enhanced formulas with different omega3/omega6 ratios improved serum protein concentrations in ambulatory postoperative head and neck cancer patients with good tolerance. Authors: DA de Luis, O Izaola, R Aller, L Cuellar, MC Terroba, and T Martin Authors' affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Medicine School and Unit of Investigation Hospital Rio Hortega, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-19T07:59:42-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Quality assessment of english and spanish oral cancer websites

Source: AMIA Annu Symp Proc, January 1, 2007; 987 Author: JY Irwin, T Wali, S Fernando, and T Schleyer Authors' affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Based on the morbidity and mortality due to oral cancer, it is essential that oral cancer information available on the Internet be usable, organized and credible. We evaluated the information quality of 24 English-language and 25 Spanish-language oral cancer websites. English-language sites scored 74.7 out of 100 points on the Information Quality Tool scale, while Spanish-language sites scored 48.8. Developers of oral cancer websites should improve the design, organization and credibility of the information presented.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-19T07:54:50-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Tumour therapy drug to be reviewed

Source: PharmacyEurope (www.pharmacyeurope.net) Author: staff The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) is to review a drug targeted at the treatment of recurrent cancer of the head and neck. Advexin is designed to restore the tumour suppressing gene p53 that is blocked in the majority of tumours. If approved, it will be the first gene therapy product approved for use in Europe. "This acceptance of the Advexin Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) by the EMEA marks an historic point in the growth of personalised medicine, and the treatment of head and neck cancer," said Max Talbott, senior vice president of worldwide commercial development at the drug's developer, Introgen Therapeutics. "This action by the EMEA underscores the rapidly increasing importance of biomarkers, in the development and regulatory approval processes for targeted therapeutics. We look forward to working with the EMEA during the Advexin review process, which we hope will lead to the first gene therapy product in Europe." The MAA follows a phase III study of Advexin in patients with recurrent, refractory squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. It successfully achieved its goal, which was survival or tumour response in patients

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-19T05:39:23-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Paltrow spearheads cancer campaign

Source: ShanghaiDaily.com Author: Marc Karimzadeh Raising money to fight cancer is very close to Gwyneth Paltrow's heart - which is why she was happy to become the sixth Oscar-winning actress to champion a major cause, writes Marc Karimzadeh. Gwyneth Paltrow is painfully familiar with cancer. Her father, Bruce, died of complications from the disease in 2002, and the actress says many of her friends have been diagnosed with cancer. Some are still fighting it. So Paltrow jumped at the chance when the Entertainment Industry Foundation approached her to become the 2008 ambassador for its annual Key to the Cure campaign in conjunction with Saks Fifth Avenue. "If there is anything I can do to help raise money, especially with a charity like this, I will," Paltrow said. "I read about the charity and how aggressively they are trying to find a cure, not only for women's cancers but also for other cancers. They support people who are coming up with innovative ideas to cure cancer." Paltrow added that the initiative will also donate money to the Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund. She is the sixth Oscar-winning actress to become the ambassador to the KTTC program. This year, Karl Lagerfeld created a special T-shirt to benefit the initiative. The 2008 effort also marks a milestone for Saks Fifth Avenue. It's the 10th anniversary of Saks' charity shopping event, which, in conjunction with its vendors and partners, has raised more than US$28 million for cancer institutions. Saks first partnered with the Council [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-17T17:10:46-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Helping Tumor Cells Not To Stick To The Wound During Surgical Removal

Source: Science Daily (www.sciencedaily.com) Author: staff Sometimes during surgery to remove a tumor, cells become detached from the bulk of the tumor. In a small number of cases, these tumor cells stick to cells at the site of the surgical wound and go on to form a secondary tumor, having an enormous negative impact on the survival and quality of life of the patient. New data, generated by Marc Basson and colleagues, at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center and Wayne State University, Detroit, using a mouse model of surgery to remove a colon cancer tumor, suggest that perioperative treatment with a drug known as colchicine might decrease the incidence of tumor formation at the site of the surgical wound. When colon cancer tumor cells are exposed to high pressure they exhibit an increased ability to stick to other cells. In the study, to mimic the conditions of surgery, the authors removed colon cancer cells from one mouse, exposed them to high pressure in vitro, and then transplanted them into a second mouse that they monitored for the development of tumors at the site of the surgical wound. The most important observation made was that if the mice from which the colon cancer cells came from were treated perioperatively with colchicine there was a dramatic decrease in the number of tumors that formed at the site of the surgical wound in the second mouse. As in vitro exposure of tumor cells from breast and head and neck cancers to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-08-15T21:45:53-07:00August, 2008|Oral Cancer News|