11/1/2006 Quebec, Canada press release Biology Net News (www.biologynews.net) New research here suggests that hormones produced as during periods of stress may increase the growth rate of a particularly nasty kind of cancer. The study showed that an increase in norepinephrine, a stress hormone, can stimulate tumor cells to produce two compounds. These compounds can break down of the tissue around the tumor cells and allow the cells to more easily move into the bloodstream. From there, they can travel to another location in the body to form additional tumors, a process called metastasis. The research also suggests the same hormone can also stimulate the tumor cells to release another compound that can aid in the growth of new blood vessels that feed cancer cells, hastening the growth and spread of the disease. The work was reported in the latest issue of the journal Cancer Research. "This opens up an entirely new way of looking at stress and cancer that's different from current interpretations," explained Ronald Glaser, a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, and director of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University . Glaser and Eric Yang, a research scientist in the same institute, focused on the role of these three compounds. Two of them, both matrix metalloproteinases -- MMP-2 and MMP-9 -- play a role in breaking down the scaffolding that cells attach to in order to maintain their shape. The third compound, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is important in the [...]

11/1/2006 Pittsburgh, PA Anita Srikameswaran Post-Gazette.com State health authorities are today launching a media campaign intended to get teenagers to chew on a few grim realities about smokeless tobacco. According to Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson, manufacturers are on the verge of introducing new products with fruit flavors and chew that can be swallowed instead of spat, which could entice youngsters into the addictive habit. "With these kinds of things on the horizon, we really wanted to get ahead of the curve and ... be aggressive about putting other information out there," Dr. Johnson said. A person who uses eight to 10 dips per day gets about the same amount of nicotine as a person who smokes 30 to 40 cigarettes daily. "That's a two-pack-a-day person," the health secretary explained. "That's considered a heavy smoker." Rather than lecture young people about the down-the-road risks of oral cancer, the campaign's television spots, radio ads and Web components will focus on the early, unpleasant consequences of using spit tobacco, including foul breath and stained teeth. After all, "what kid wants to try to get a prom date with teeth missing from their mouth?" Dr. Johnson pointed out. "Those immediate things, such as discoloration, bad breath and loss of teeth, seem to have more of a persuasive effect on the kids." According to the health department, 11.5 percent of high school students in Pennsylvania are smokeless tobacco users. The practice is more common among white males and in rural areas. Pediatric [...]

10/26/2006 USA staff www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com Danish biotech firm Genmab has initiated a phase I/II study of HuMax-EGFr in combination with chemo-radiation as first line treatment of head and neck cancer. The study will include a total of 36 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The objective of the study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of HuMax-EGFr in combination with chemo-radiation as first line treatment of patients with advanced head and neck cancer. "We welcome the expansion of the HuMax-EGFr program, which we hope will benefit earlier stage patients," said Lisa Drakeman, CEO of Genmab. The study consists of an initial dose-escalation part and a subsequent parallel group design. In the dose-escalation part of the study, three dose levels of HuMax-EGFr will be tested in combination with conventional fractionated radiotherapy and cisplatin. The safety of the dose levels will then be evaluated before dosing is continued at the next level. In the following parallel group design part of the study, HuMax-EGFr will be tested in combination with cisplatin and three different regimes of accelerated radiotherapy.

10/30/2006 Seoul, Korea staff EurekAlert.com Researchers have shown that targeted overexpression of heat shock protein 25 prevents radiation-induced damage to salivary glands, a common consequence of treatment for head and neck cancer. The related report by Lee et al., "Radioprotective effect of HSP25 on submandibular glands of rats," appears in the November issue of The American Journal of Pathology. Patients with head and neck cancer often receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment. However, the salivary glands, which frequently reside within the irradiation field, can become damaged at the same time. The resulting salivary dysfunction may involve dry mouth, oral infections, dental caries, and difficulty eating, some of which persist long after treatment ends, even permanently. Dr. Yun-Sil Lee and colleagues examined whether salivary glands could be protected by heat shock proteins (HSPs), which are expressed by cells in an effort to counteract environmental stressors such as heat, hypoxia, and ionizing radiation. Using adenoviral vectors, the researchers specifically overexpressed HSP25 and HSP70i in submandibular salivary glands of rats. Rat salivary glands were then irradiated and monitored for radiation-induced changes. In treated rats, HSP25 protected salivary gland function by maintaining gland weight, salivary flow rate, and salivary fluid composition, whereas HSP70i significantly protected only salivary flow rate. When specific damage to the glands was assessed, HSP25 and HSP70i both greatly diminished scarring, nuclear damage, and cell death (apoptosis), but HSP70i was slightly less effective. Finally, HSP25 and HSP70i preserved expression of aquaporin 5, which is important for water transport in [...]

10/30/2006 web resource, no city listed Yael Waknine Medscape.com On October 13, the French regulatory authority Agence Francaise de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits de Santé (AFSSAPS) approved miconazole Lauriad 50-mg bioadhesive buccal tablets (Loramyc, made by BioAlliance Pharma SA) for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in immunodepressed patients, particularly those with head and neck cancers who have undergone radiotherapy and those infected with HIV. Miconazole Lauriad is designed with proprietary technology (Lauriad) that ensures an early and extended release of the active component at the site of infection, maintaining therapeutic levels of the drug (saliva concentration > 1 µg/mL) while reducing the risk for drug interactions and systemic effects. In contrast with other topical treatments such as gels, rinses, or lozenges that require multiple daily dosing, the product is applied once daily on the upper gum. According to a company news release, approval of miconazole Lauriad was based on data from 2 European phase 3 clinical trials. The first of these was conducted in 25 HIV-positive patients at 11 clinical sites in France. Results showed clear evidence of efficacy (success rates at day 7 and 15 were 89.5% and 94.7%, respectively) and the study was therefore terminated early. The second study was a comparative, multicenter, randomized study in 306 French and North African patients with head and neck cancer treated by radiotherapy and presenting with candidiasis and low saliva levels (dry mouth). Results at day 14 confirmed the noninferiority of the miconazole Lauriad 50-mg tablet applied once daily compared with [...]

10/28/2006 Pennsylvania, PA Matthew T Moyer et al. Gastrointest Endosc, November 1, 2006; 64(5): 789-792 BACKGROUND: Esophageal occlusion is typically caused by cancer or postradiation changes; it is difficult to treat, with poor surgical outcomes. The combined antegrade retrograde dilation (CARD) method has been used to endoscopically restore the esophageal lumen after complete occlusion by cancer or postradiation changes, with good preliminary results. Reproducing this technique and improving its speed and convenience would be advances in treating this difficult clinical problem. Objective: A demonstration of 2 alternative endoscopic techniques for treating complete esophageal obstructions. Design: The CARD method was performed in 2 patients with unresectable cancer and complete esophageal occlusion. In the first patient, a needle knife was used to cut through the obstruction, instead of removing it piecemeal with biopsy forceps before over-the-wire dilation. In the second patient, an EUS needle was used to cross a particularly long obstruction, which allowed subsequent dilation and recanalization. Setting: A tertiary referral center. Patients: Two patients with complete esophageal obstruction secondary to head and neck cancer, with associated radiation therapy. Results: In both cases, this method resulted in successful recanalization of the occluded lumen in a relatively short amount of time, without complications. Limitations: The small number of patients in this series. Conclusions: The CARD needle-knife method may be a safe, effective, and efficient approach to complete esophageal occlusion. In addition, the CARD-EUS needle method may be an preferable technique to cross long obstructions quickly; however, more experience will be required. Authors: [...]

10/28/2006 Belgium D Dequanter et al. Acta Otolaryngol, December 1, 2006; 126(11): 1225-8 Background: We retrospectively reviewed the outcome of 28 patients with N2-N3 disease treated initially with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients and methods: A neck dissection was performed for all patients with residual disease in the neck. Results: A CCRR in the neck was achieved in 25 of 28 patients. The remaining three patients with residual neck mass underwent a salvage neck dissection: the pathological examination confirmed the persistence of tumoral disease. No regional failure was observed in these three patients. In 25 patients considered to have CCRR in the neck, 5 patients (20%) developed regional recurrence. Successful salvage approach was not possible for any of these patients. Conclusion: A complete clinical and radiological response observed following chemotherapy and radiotherapy is not predictive of the absence of residual disease. Moreover, salvage neck surgery does not always seem to be an effective strategy. Consequently, early neck dissection should be advised for patients with complete clinical and radiological response (CCRR) after chemoradiotherapy for tumors with N2-N3 disease. Authors: D Dequanter, P Lothaire, A Awada, Y Lalami, T Hien Nguyen, M Lemort, L Vandevelde, and G Andry Authors' affiliation: Institut Jules Bordet, Bruxelles, Belgium.

10/28/2006 Seoul, Korea HY Kim et al. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod, November 1, 2006; 102(5): 625-31 Objectives: To assess knowledge of oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC) clinical signs and risk factors, the association between the risk factors and OPC, and the experience with OPC screening between newly diagnosed OPC patients and controls among a population of veterans in North Carolina. Study Design: A case-control study with 31 OPC cases and 30 frequency-matched controls recruited from 2003 to 2004. Bivariate analysis using chi-square statistics and multivariate logistic regression was implemented to estimate the association with OPC. Results: Only 34% of respondents knew 1 clinical sign and 4 or 5 risk factors for OPC. The lifetime accumulation of tobacco had a significant relationship with OPC (>20 pack-years; OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.01-10.3). Many respondents had not had an oral cancer examination within 3 years, mostly through ignorance. Most VA OPC patients were diagnosed by physicians, rather than by dentists. Conclusions: A considerable knowledge deficit on OPC was found among North Carolina veterans. Use of tobacco was a risk factor for OPC in this population. Authors: HY Kim, JR Elter, TG Francis, and LL Patton Authors' affiliation: Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

10/28/2006 Philadelphia, PA Amy F Ziober et al. Clin. Cancer Res., October 15, 2006; 12(20): 5960-5971 Purpose: Oral cancer is a major health problem worldwide and in the U.S. The 5-year survival rate for oral cancer has not improved significantly over the past 20 years and remains at approximately 50%. Patients diagnosed at an early stage of the disease typically have an 80% chance for cure and functional outcome, however, most patients are identified when the cancer is advanced. Thus, a convenient and an accurate way to detect oral cancer early will decrease patient morbidity and mortality. The ability to noninvasively monitor oral cancer onset, progression, and treatment outcomes requires two prerequisites: identification of specific biomarkers for oral cancers as well as noninvasive access to and monitoring of these biomarkers that could be conducted at the point of care (i.e., practitioner's or dentist's office) by minimally trained personnel. Experimental Design: Here, we show that DNA microarray gene expression profiling of matched tumor and normal specimens can identify distinct anatomic site expression patterns and a highly significant gene signature distinguishing normal from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissue. Results: Using a supervised learning algorithm, we generated a 25-gene signature for OSCC that can classify normal and OSCC specimens. This 25-gene molecular predictor was 96% accurate on cross-validation, averaging 87% accuracy using three independent validation test sets and failing to predict non-oral tumors. Conclusion: Identification and validation of this tissue-specific 25-gene molecular predictor in this report is our first step towards developing [...]

10/28/2006 Seattle, WA JC Kois and E Truelove Dent Today, October 1, 2006; 25(10): 94, 96-7 The VELscope is an important aid in patient assessment, and when added to a well-thought out clinical assessment process that takes into consideration the age of the patient and risk factors that include tobacco, alcohol, and immunologic status, it increases the clinician's ability to detect oral changes that may represent premalignant or malignant cellular transformation. False positive findings are possible in the presence of highly inflamed lesions, and it is possible that use of the scope alone may result in failure to detect regions of dysplasia, but it has been our experience that use of the VELscope improves clinical decision making about the nature of oral lesions and aids in decisions to biopsy regions of concern. Where tissue changes are generalized or cover significant areas of the mouth, use of the scope has allowed us to identify the best region for biopsy. As with all clinical diagnostic activities, no single system or process is enough, and all clinicians are advised to use good clinical practice to assess patients and to recall and biopsy lesions that do not resolve within a predetermined time frame. Lesions that are VELscope-positive and absorb light need to be followed with particular caution, and if they do not resolve within a 2-week period, then further assessment and biopsy are generally advised. It is much better to occasionally sample tissue that turns out to be benign than to fail to diagnose [...]