10/21/2007 Orlando, FL By Rabiya Tuma, Ph.D., MedPage Today Staff Writer MedPageToday.com A therapeutic vaccine against nicotine significantly improved smokers' ability to quit cigarettes and avoid lighting up for six months, researchers reported here. However, the vaccine was only effective in patients who achieved a strong antibody response to monthly injections of the vaccine, Swiss investigators said over the weekend at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. There was no statistically significant difference between the two trial arms when all patients who were available for follow-up and stayed on protocol were evaluated. Of those patients, 64 of 159 in the vaccine arm and 25 of 80 in the placebo arm (40% versus 31%; p>0.05 but the specific number was not provided) abstained from cigarettes for five months. However, when the researchers split the participants in the vaccine arm into three equal groups, according to the intensity of their antibody response, significantly more of the individuals in the top group quit smoking compared with those in the placebo arm. Thirty of the top 53 responders (57%) abstained from cigarettes for 24 weeks, compared with 25 of the 80 patients (31%) in the placebo arm (p=0.004). Because only strong responders gained clinical benefit, the team is now looking for ways to boost the antibody responses by altering the vaccination schedule, dosing, and vaccine adjuvant preparation, said Philippe Müller, M.D., of Cytos Biotechnology AG in Zurich, the company developing the vaccine. Müller was an author on the vaccine study. When the investigators [...]

10/17/2007 Hong Kong, China Tan Ee Lyn Reuters.com Lupeol, a compound in fruits like mangoes, grapes and strawberries, appears to be effective in killing and curbing the spread of cancer cells in the head and neck, a study in Hong Kong has found. An experiment with mice showed lupeol worked most effectively with chemotherapy drugs and had almost no side effects, scientists at the University of Hong Kong said in a report published in the September issue of the journal Cancer Research. "It can suppress the movement of cancer cells and suppress their growth and it is found to be even more effective than conventional drugs (eg. cisplatin)," said Anthony Yuen, a professor at the University of Hong Kong's surgery department. "It's even more effective if we combine it with chemotherapy drugs, and has very little side effects," he said. The team plans another round of animal test and hopes to proceed eventually to human clinical trials, though it would not commit itself to a timeframe. Head and neck cancers involve cancers of the nose, oral cavity, throat, voice box, thyroid and salivary glands and they more commonly afflict Asians than Westerners. Some of the risk factors include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, chewing betel nut and diets rich in preserved foods, like salted fish. Such cancers are difficult to treat. Fifty percent of victims are typically diagnosed in advanced stages, when cure rates would be so low they would be considered inoperable. Surgeries on the head and neck are always [...]

10/21/2007 web-based article X Huang et al. Clin. Cancer Res., October 15, 2007; 13(20): 6099-106. Purpose: Application of ultrasensitive diagnostics has shown that small numbers of p53 mutation-positive cells may signify the presence of residual tumor in histologically normal tissues after resection of squamous cell carcinomas arising in the head and neck area. To date, most studies in this area have focused on analysis of tissues at the mucosal aspect of the resection and highlighted the importance of molecular changes in the field with respect to the risk of recurrence. Experimental Design: In the present investigation, we analyzed normal tissues from mucosal and deep surgical margins, referred to as "molecular margins," for the presence of the signature p53 mutation identified for each tumor. Results: The p53 mutation status of these carcinomas did not correlate with clinical or histopathologic variables, but these mutations provided an excellent target for ultrasensitive analysis of margin status. We found that 11 of 16 (68%) of cases with histologically tumor-free (including 9 without dysplasia), but with p53 mutation-positive molecular margins, developed recurrence. The probability of developing local recurrence was significantly higher for the group with p53 mutation-positive margins when compared with the group with clear margins (P = 0.048) and more strongly associated with p53 mutation-positive deep molecular margins than mutation-positive mucosal molecular margins or positivity at both sites (P = 0.009). Conslusions: This shows that although persistent mucosal fields may contribute to recurrence, clonal p53 mutations in deep tissues are an important cause of treatment [...]

10/16/2007 Memphis, TN staff CancerConsultants.com Researchers from MD Anderson have recommended vaccination of boys and girls against human papilloma virus (HPV) for prevention of squamous cell cancers of the head and neck (SCCHN) as well as for prevention of cervical cancer. The details of this study were reported in the October 1, 2007 issue of Cancer.[1] Human papilloma viruses are probably the sole cause of cancers of the cervix and have been associated with cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis and rectum. Epidemiologic and molecular biology studies have also suggested that HPV infection may be associated with cancers of the head and neck. The relationship between HPV infection and head and neck cancer was reviewed in 1998 by researchers from the University of North Carolina. They reported that the overall frequency of HPV in benign and precancerous lesions ranged from 18.5% to 35.9%, depending upon the detection methodology. Researchers affiliated with an international study have also reported that oral infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) is associated with the development of head and neck cancers. These authors concluded that HPV infection increased the risk of oropharyngeal cancer in alcohol and tobacco users and non-users. These authors also suggested that the more prevalent practice of oral sex may explain the increased incidence of tonsillar and base of the tongue cancers since 1973. Researchers involved in the current study documented the decline in SCCHN over the past 20 years due to the decline in smoking which began 40 years ago. They attribute [...]

10/15/2007 Memphis, TN staff CancerConsultants.com Infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) appears to contribute to the development of oropharyngeal cancer, and HPV vaccination of both boys and girls may reduce the occurrence of this disease. This was the conclusion of a review published in the journal Cancer. Oropharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer. The oropharynx is the part of the throat that includes the soft palate, the base of the tongue, and the tonsils. Exposures that are known to increase the risk of oropharyngeal cancer include tobacco and alcohol use. Research has also suggested that infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) may also play a role. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) consist of more than 100 different viruses. Some types of HPV cause warts on the hands or feet; others cause genital warts; and some have been linked with cancer, most notably cervical cancer. The types of HPV that account for a majority of cases of cervical cancer are HPV 16 and HPV 18. Vaccines that prevent infection with high-risk types of HPV have the potential to greatly reduce the occurrence of cervical cancer as well as other HPV-related cancers. The HPV vaccine that is currently on the market is Gardasil®, which targets HPV types 6 and 11 (which are linked with genital warts) as well as the cancer-associated types 16 and 18. The vaccine is approved for use in girls and women between the ages of nine and 26 years. To build the [...]

10/15/2007 New York, NY Denise Grady New York TImes Death rates from cancer have been dropping by an average of 2.1 percent a year recently in the United States, a near doubling of decreases that began in 1993, researchers are reporting. “Every 1 percent is 5,000 people who aren’t dying,” said Dr. Richard L. Schilsky, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “That’s a huge sense of progress at this point.” Much of the progress comes not from miracle cures, but from more mundane improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment of some of the leading causes of cancer death — lung, colorectal, breast and prostate tumors. Years of nagging and pleading by health officials are finally beginning to pay off, experts say, in smoking cessation and increased use of mammograms, colonoscopies and other screening tests for colorectal and prostate cancer. But the new statistics also contain bad news: American Indians and Alaska Natives in some regions are not benefiting from the same improvements as the rest of the population and have higher rates of preventable cancers and late-stage tumors that would have had a better prognosis had they been detected sooner. Some groups within those populations have high rates of smoking. Researchers attribute the problems to poverty, lower education levels and lack of insurance and access to medical care. About 1.8 million of the 3.3 million American Indians and Alaska Natives receive their medical care through the Indian [...]

10/12/2007 web-based article Peter Kessler et al Science Direct (sciencedirect.com) Introduction: Recently new concepts for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) have been developed, which include preoperative simultaneous neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) and one stage operation with excision of the tumour and reconstruction. When we consider long-term survival, we find substantial evidence that combined treatment based on neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy is superior to adjuvant treatment including operation and postoperative radiation. Patients and methods: We studied two groups consisting of 74 patients given neoadjuvant treatment and 54 treated surgically. Ninety-nine patients suffered from stage III and IV diseases according to the UICC-criteria. Long-term survival was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Neoadjuvant treatment increased the prospect of a long-term survival free of tumour. Kaplan–Meier curves estimated a 5-year tumour-free survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma category T1 as 83% in the neoadjuvant group and 70% in the adjuvant group; the corresponding figures for T2 were 79% and 57%, for T3 68% and 33% and for T4 51% and 30%, respectively. The difference for T1, T2 and T4 tumours were significant. The preoperative radio- and chemotherapy were shown to be effective by the fact that pathohistologically resection specimens were free of tumour in 28 patients in the neoadjuvant group. Four patients died during the preoperative combination treatment. Of the patients, 65% in the adjuvant group and 72% in the neoadjuvant group survived the observation period. Conclusion: The neoadjuvant treatment results in better 5-year-survival rate than adjuvant treatment. Authors: Peter Kessler(a), Gerhard Grabenbauer(b), [...]

10/12/2007 Bangalore, India Bijoy Koyitty Reuters.com CuraGen Corp said it would discontinue the development of its oral mucositis drug candidate, velafermin, after a mid-stage trial failed to meet its main goal. CuraGen shares fell about 35 percent to 94 cents in morning trade Thursday on the Nasdaq. The primary endpoint was a decrease in the incidence of severe oral mucositis in patients receiving a single dose of velafermin compared to placebo, the biopharmaceutical company said in a statement. Oral mucositis is a common side effect of certain types of cancer therapy. The company said it would now continue to focus on belinostat, its drug candidate used to treat solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

10/12/2007 Memphis, TN staff DentalEconomics (www.dentaleconomics.com) A case report published in Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research showed that hyperbaric oxygenation therapy could improve the success of dental implant treatment in patients who have undergone radiation treatments. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a method of delivering high concentration of oxygen to the body. A side effect of radiation treatment is reduced blood supply, resulting in lower oxygen levels in the areas receiving radiation. This leads to problems with the healing of bones and tissues, and can possibly lead to bone death. Thus, surgical procedures such as dental implantation can be very risky. The case report described a 45-year-old patient who wanted dental implants five years following radiation treatments for head and neck cancer. The patient received HBO treatments before and after implantation surgery. These treatments resulted in a successful implant, without complications such as infection or rejection. This case report shows that HBO treatments in disease-free patients can result in successful dental restoration. Such restoration can greatly improve the patient's quality of life.

10/11/2007 India Sanchita Sharma, Hindustan Times (www.hindustantimes.com) Buying cigarettes may not be a pleasant experience from December 1 as grim pictures of cancerous tumours or an ailing infant will be printed on the packet of your favourite brand. Despite pressure from the bidi and gutkha industries, the pictures have been included as part of a government campaign against tobacco. They will be used on packets of all tobacco products. “The revised Packaging and Labelling Rules, 2007, have been notified for the smoking and non-smoking forms of tobacco,” said Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. Following recommendations from a group of ministers – Pranab Mukherjee, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, Oscar Fernandes, Kamal Nath, Jaipal Reddy and Ramadoss himself made up the panel – set up to review the “merits and demerits” of pictorial warnings, the skull-and-crossbones sign was dropped as also was the idea to give a picture of a dead body. These were found too offensive. A tobacco product will now carry the warning “tobacco kills” along with a picture that shows one of the following - smoking causes cancer, your smoking kills babies, tobacco causes painful death and tobacco causes mouth cancer. Over 250 million people in the country use tobacco products like gutka, cigarettes and bidis. Tobacco kills at least 10 lakh people in India every year, said the Indian Council of Medical Research. One in two Indian men and one in seven women uses tobacco, which causes 40 per cent of all cancers. "Pictures definitely have an impact. Pictorial [...]