Oral Cancer News – Page 335 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

On a long trip to beat cancer

Source: timesleader.com Author: Mike McGinley Dr. Loren Grossman and nine of his friends have ridden more than 6,000 miles in the past 10 years – all for a good cause. The area professionals – ranging from lawyers and doctors to retirees – began participating in the American Cancer Society Bike-a-Thon as a way to have fun with friends while helping to raise money to help find a cure for the disease. “You come home and you feel good about what you did,” Grossman said. “Everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer.” The bike-a-thon, which takes place in Philadelphia, begins on the Ben Franklin Bridge and ends nearly 70 miles away at Buena Vista Camping Park in Buena, N.J. This year, Grossman said he’ll ride for all those having some type of oral cancer, because he’s a dentist who practices in Kingston. “A lot of people ride for someone,” he said. “Two years ago, my dad had a brain tumor, so we rode for him.” Because oral cancer is typically treatable if caught in the early stages, Grossman considers it a worthy cause. “We either ride for a survivor or someone suffering right now.” The other locals who ride include Leo Gutstein, Frank Hoegen, Bob Borwick, Ira Grossman, Monte Grossman, Bruce Lefkowitz, John Panzitta, Gerald Mihalik, Dan Fierman and Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton, who doesn’t participate in the group’s weekend activities, but makes the trip to Philadelphia for the bike ride. The men were scheduled to depart this morning; [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-07-24T21:07:29-07:00July, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Doctors praise Advexin in analyst call

Source: statesman.com Author: Lilly Rockwell Doctors who have used Advexin, a new head-and-neck cancer drug developed by an Austin biotechnology company, say the gene therapy that has yet to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration works, shrinking tumors in some patients that used the experimental therapy. In a conference call with industry analysts Thursday, Introgen Therapeutics Inc. defended its clinical trial data, saying Advexin is designed to work only on patients with the right genetic profile. Several doctors who have used the drug in clinical trials praised Advexin for successfully treating tumors, with one saying he has a patient who is now in remission after receiving Advexin for eight years. "Advexin was found to be an effective treatment that will have important implications for patients with head-and-neck cancer," said John Nemunaitis, a principal investigator of Introgen's phase III study and medical director at a cancer center in Dallas. Introgen has been developing Advexin for 14 years. The drug is designed to target the p53 tumor suppressor gene, boosting its levels in patients who don't have mutations in the gene. If approved, it would be used to treat patients with recurrent head-and-neck cancer. Eventually, Introgen said, the Advexin therapy could be used to treat diseases such as lung cancer. Introgen applied for FDA approval of Advexin on June 30. It is the first gene therapy drug submitted for FDA approval. The company has asked for priority review status, which could give Introgen an answer in less than six [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-07-11T03:51:30-07:00July, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Loyola cures cancer with cold

Source: westsuburbanjournal.com Author: Nicole Trottie A new treatment at Loyola Medical Center freezes throat cancer in its tracks. The new procedure, called cryospray ablation, demonstrated by nurses Tuesday and Loyola, uses nitrogen to freeze the inside of the throat and destroy cancer cells in Barrett’s esophagus, a rapidly increasing type of cancer. Patricia Carlson can’t remember ever feeling as optimistic about the future as she does today. Having a family history of cancer and being a long-time sufferer of Barrett’s esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition largely caused by acid reflux disease, Carlson worried for years about developing esophageal cancer, the fastest growing cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. “My reflux was so bad that I’d drink water and it wouldn’t go down. It would hang up and it would come right back up within minutes,” said Carlson about her condition in which acid from her stomach flows into her esophagus, dangerously altering its lining. “I was really afraid I was going to get esophageal cancer.” “I’m really happy with it,” said Carlson, whose Barrett’s was more than 77 percent eliminated after an initial treatment. “It’s given me a great sense of relief that something can actually be done that will be more permanent and complete than the other treatments.” Overall patients prefer the treatment over heat therapies previously used to treat Barrett’s. Angeline Johnson, of Woodridge, said the cold therapy was painless and “really is better.” Other previous methods of treatment included [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-07-10T21:28:29-07:00July, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer Connections – Head and neck cancers present special challenges

Source: Ithaca Journal (www.theithacajournal.com) Author: Bob Ritter Every type of cancer presents its own set of problems, but people being treated for head and neck cancers experience some of the most unique and daunting challenges. Head and neck cancers refer to cancers of the mouth, tongue, throat, larynx, sinuses, tonsils, and similar structures. Some 40,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. Treatment usually consists of surgery and/or radiation therapy, with chemotherapy used in certain situations. The side effects of treatment can be significant: difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking; losing the sense of taste; and a terrible sore throat that can last for months. Speaking and eating are such fundamental human functions that we take them for granted. When was the last time you gave any thought to your salivary glands? They produce saliva which enables us to swallow. These glands can be affected by radiation treatment for head and neck cancer. If the salivary glands don't work, eating becomes a major challenge. Surgery for head and neck cancers can affect how you look. I had breast cancer and can cover my scar with my shirt. If cancer surgery affects your face or neck, it may be impossible to hide. Surgical techniques have improved dramatically, but any surgery involving your most visible body parts has the capacity to affect your sense of self. I've known several people with head and neck cancers and they've impressed me with their tenacity. Some have relearned how to swallow, others have relearned [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-07-10T21:19:39-07:00July, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

New Loyola treatment freezes cancer in its (gastrointestinal) tracts

Source: Daily Herald (www.dailyherald.com) Author: Robert McCoppin A new treatment at Loyola Medical Center fights throat cancer by using liquid nitrogen to freeze the inside of the throat. The procedure not only helps prevent the most rapidly increasing type of cancer in the United States, but may be used someday to treat other types of cancer. Nurses demonstrated the procedure Tuesday at the hospital in Maywood, where patients swore by it as a vast improvement over other therapies. Compared to a previous heat treatment that left her throat burning for ten days, Angeline Johnson of Woodridge said the cold therapy was painless and "really is better."The new approach, called cryospray ablation, treats Barrett's esophagus, a condition in which abnormal cell growth can lead to cancer.The condition is most prevalent among those with acid reflux, in which acid from the stomach irritates the esophagus. A rise in acid reflux is believed to be a factor in the sixfold increase in throat cancer in the U.S. since the 1970s, according to Dr. Jack Leya, who helped bring the cryotherapy to Loyola. An estimated 50 million people in the United States suffer from acid reflux, and 7 million - mostly white men, for unknown reasons - have Barrett's esophagus.Previously, the most common treatment for Barrett's esophagus was surgery to cut out a section of the throat, a severe and difficult option.In recent years, radio frequency treatment uses heat to burn off abnormal cells, but it's painful and requires multiple treatments.The cold therapy also [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-07-09T11:33:00-07:00July, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Impact of graphic anti-smoking photos burning out

Sarah Schmidt Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Canada.com Graphic health warnings on cigarette packages are failing to move the majority of smokers to quit, a new government survey has found. Over the last five years, the percentage of smokers who say the warnings are ineffective at getting them to try to kick the habit has increased, according to the newly released Health Canada poll. More than half - 57 per cent - say they are unmoved by these graphic warnings, up five points from five years earlier. Among potential quitters - smokers who are seriously thinking of quitting - the percentage who characterize the campaign as not very effective or not at all effective in getting them to try to quit has also increased in this period, to 43 per cent from 40 per cent. Only 14 per cent of smokers and 20 per cent of potential quitters said the health warnings are very effective at getting them to try to quit smoking, also down from five years ago, when 18 per cent of smokers and 25 per cent of potential quitters described the campaign in these terms. Health Canada commissions the annual Environics poll to track the effectiveness of health warning messages on cigarette packages. In 2001, Canada became the first country in the world to require tobacco companies to put photos of cancerous lungs, diseased hearts and mouth cancer among others on cigarette packages with text messages such as "Cigarettes Cause Lung Cancer" and "Cigarettes Cause Strokes." The photos and [...]

Webmaster2008-07-09T11:27:10-07:00July, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Saving lives… All in a day’s work

Author: Jo-Anne Jones, RDH Source: 'Oral Health Journal (www.oralhealthjournal.com) If you have ever had a diagnosis from a medical doctor that leaves your life temporarily hanging in the balance, you will truly appreciate the emotional impact the diagnosis of oral cancer has on an individual. For those that unfortunately receive this type of news, death may be very prolonged and extremely painful both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, this is the second year in a row in which there has been an increase in the number of occurrences, this time of about 11% over the previous year. 1 Here are the facts... the five-year survival rate from oral cancer has not significantly improved in the past 30 years, remaining at approximately 50-59% More than 34,000 (35,310 cases estimated in 2008 involving the oral cavity and pharynx2)Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly one person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 34,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in 5 years. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers which we hear about routinely, such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, endocrine system, thyroid, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma). If you expand the definition of oral cancers to include cancer of the larynx, for which the risk factors are the same, the number of diagnosed cases [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-07-08T22:01:10-07:00July, 2008|OCF In The News|

Risky HPV detected in human breast milk

7/5/2008 New York, NY Karla Gale Reuters (www.reuters.com) Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16), which has been linked to cervical cancer, can be detected in human breast milk collected during the early period after a woman delivers her baby, doctors from Finland report. It is possible that HPV DNA present in breast milk may be transmitted to the infant during breast feeding, study chief Dr. Stina Syrjanen suggested in correspondence with Reuters Health. In previous research, Syrjanen, a pathologist at the University of Turku, and colleagues found evidence of transmission of HPV from an infected mother to her newborn infant. This led to the Finnish HPV Family Study, the goal of which is to elucidate the transmission modes of HPV between family members. For their current report, Syrjanen's team looked for HPV in cervical scrapings obtained from 223 mothers, and in oral scrapings from the mothers and 87 fathers prior to delivery and at 2, 6, and 12 months after delivery. They also looked for HPV in breast milk expressed on postpartum day 3. High-risk HPV DNA was detected in 10 milk samples (4.5 percent), the team reports. DNA sequencing from nine samples confirmed that the virus was high-risk HPV-16. The detection rate of high-risk HPV was 12 to 15 percent in cervical samples, 20 to 24 percent in oral samples from mothers, and 21 to 26 percent in oral samples from fathers. The team also observed a significant link between HPV in milk and the presence of high risk-HPV in [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-04-16T13:29:41-07:00July, 2008|Archive|

Advexin moves closer to market

7/4/2008 web-based article Matthew Dennis cancerdrugnewsblog.blogspot.com Introgen Therapeutics has submitted a BLA to the FDA, while simultaneously Gendux Molecular (Introgen) has submitted an MAA to the EMEA, both seeking marketing approval for Advexin (INGN 201), the company's targeted p53 tumour suppressor gene therapy, to treat recurrent, refractory head and neck cancer. INGN 201 represents the first in a new class of tumour suppressor cancer therapy and is the first of its kind to be submitted for regulatory approval in the US and Europe. Introgen has requested priority review from the FDA for INGN 201, meaning that the treatment could be on the market in early 2009. INGN 201 therapy harnesses the body's natural tumour suppression mechanisms to fight cancer, without the toxicities associated with conventional cancer treatments. Abnormalities in protective tumour suppressor p53 pathways are associated with the majority of all solid cancers. Designed to restore patients' ability to fight cancer, INGN 201 delivers large doses of the normal p53 gene to target abnormal p53 function present in tumour cells, which triggers natural tumour suppression mechanisms in cancer without harming normal cells. According to Dr Jack Roth, inventor of Advexin and professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center: "This is an important milestone in the clinical application of gene therapy for cancer patients. With the use of p53 biomarkers, Advexin will provide more effective and less toxic treatment for head and neck cancer patients who have limited treatment options." The submissions are based on pivotal Phase II [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-04-16T13:29:14-07:00July, 2008|Archive|

Impact of graphic anti-smoking photos burning out

7/4/2008 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Sarah Schmidt Canada.com Graphic health warnings on cigarette packages are failing to move the majority of smokers to quit, a new government survey has found. Over the last five years, the percentage of smokers who say the warnings are ineffective at getting them to try to kick the habit has increased, according to the newly released Health Canada poll. More than half - 57 per cent - say they are unmoved by these graphic warnings, up five points from five years earlier. Among potential quitters - smokers who are seriously thinking of quitting - the percentage who characterize the campaign as not very effective or not at all effective in getting them to try to quit has also increased in this period, to 43 per cent from 40 per cent. Only 14 per cent of smokers and 20 per cent of potential quitters said the health warnings are very effective at getting them to try to quit smoking, also down from five years ago, when 18 per cent of smokers and 25 per cent of potential quitters described the campaign in these terms. Health Canada commissions the annual Environics poll to track the effectiveness of health warning messages on cigarette packages. In 2001, Canada became the first country in the world to require tobacco companies to put photos of cancerous lungs, diseased hearts and mouth cancer among others on cigarette packages with text messages such as "Cigarettes Cause Lung Cancer" and "Cigarettes Cause Strokes." The photos [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-04-16T13:28:55-07:00July, 2008|Archive|