8/23/2006 Chicago, IL John Otrompke www.docguide.com Exposure to second-hand smoke can lead to a 21% increased risk of mortality in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) among former and present smokers, according to a poster presented here at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS). Out of 135 patients who enrolled in the study, 74% of those who completed it had been exposed to second-hand smoke, said study presenter Jason Chau, MD, resident, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A second primary cancer was identified at the age of 59 years in 16% of subjects with no exposure to second-hand smoke, compared with the age of 55 in 25% of subjects with exposure to second-hand smoke. Thirty percent of those with no exposure had a recurrence of their cancer, compared with 40% in the exposed group, and mortality in the non-SHS group was 39% compared with 60% in the exposed group. "Out of the 124 patients who completed the trial, all were smokers when we met them, and 60% continued smoking," Dr. Chau said during his presentation on August 18th}. "Our study didn't look only at the role of second-hand smoking," Dr. Chau said, and noted that while the institution enrolled the patients in smoking cessation groups, "we didn't aggressively involve the families in the study, and it's harder to get the family to be as honest in learning whether the patient is exposed to [second-hand smoke] in the home." Eighty- to [...]

8/23/2006 Las Vegas, NV staff www.klastv.com Most doctors agree that tobacco smoke, either first or second-hand, contributes to heart disease. But chewing tobacco is now considered a risk factor as well. The Eye on Health team spoke with a local cardiologist. It's no secret that smoking is detrimental. A number of serious medical conditions, including lung cancer and emphysema, are a result of smoking. And it's also a risk factor for heart disease. But if you think that your heart is safe from smokeless tobacco, Las Vegas cardiologist Robert Wesley says think again. Dr. Wesley explained, "All forms of nicotine exposure are associated with risk. Whether you're a non-smoker and receiving secondary smoke, or receiving nicotine through chewing tobacco, the risk is still there. And it's substantial." In the case of chewing tobacco, Dr. Wesley says the cardio damage stems from the immediate absorption of nicotine through the tongue or pharynx. "The nicotine goes immediately into circulation and causes constriction of the coronary vessels, causes instability on the walls of the vessels, leading to plaque formation," Dr. Wesley continued. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women. One study says that chewing tobacco increased the risk two-fold. But kicking the habit is difficult. Even with an ever-growing body of knowledge on the detriments of tobacco use. Dr. Wesley said, "You would think that that would be sufficient motivation in and of itself alone. But this is unfortunately a testament to the addictive nature of [...]

8/23/2006 Cambridge, MA press release biz.yahoo.com The OmniGuide fiber, a revolutionary hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber used for minimally invasive CO2 laser surgery and developed by OmniGuide, Inc. (http://www.Omni-Guide.com), was featured in the July 2006 issue of the Laryngoscope, a leading medical journal. The Laryngoscope is the official publication of the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society Inc., also known as the Triological Society. The peer-reviewed publication focuses on the use of OmniGuide's FDA cleared fiber technology for the management of head and neck cancer. The paper discusses three cases illustrating various applications of the OmniGuide fiber in CO2 Laser Head and Neck Surgical Oncology. The cases were led by Dr. Chris Holsinger of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and will be presented this Saturday, August 19, in a satellite symposium at the annual meeting of the American Head and Neck Society (http://www.ahns.info/meetings/index.php), of which OmniGuide is a Platinum Sponsor. The OmniGuide fiber offers, for the very first time, a flexible delivery system for CO2 lasers. Currently, the CO2 laser, enabling high precision cutting of soft tissue with tight control over penetration depth, is delivered via cumbersome articulated arms which greatly restrict their surgical utility. OmniGuide's fibers have been used in over 120 surgeries to date in over 10 leading teaching institutions across the US. The technology offers new surgical capabilities in head and neck surgery, reduces overall surgical time and cost, and enables easier access to the treated site. Dr. Chris Holsinger, Assistant Professor in the Department [...]

8/23/2006 Iowa City, IA staff CancerConsultants.com According to the results of a study conducted in Denmark, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) does not appear to reduce the risk of developing oral cancer. These results were published in the British Journal of Cancer. Oral cancer refers to cancer that involves the mouth, lips, or tongue. A majority of cases of oral cancer are linked with tobacco use. High alcohol intake also increases the risk of oral cancer. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are used to reduce inflammation and pain. NSAIDS include drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Studies have suggested that NSAIDS may reduce the colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, and esophageal cancer, but results for oral cancer have been mixed. To assess whether NSAID use reduces the risk of oral cancer, researchers conducted a study among residents of North Jutland County, Denmark. The study involved more than 400,000 individuals. Information about NSAID use was collected from pharmacy records. Roughly 170,000 of the study participants had filled at least two prescriptions for NSAIDS during the study period. -Between 1991 and 2002, 185 cases of oral cancer were diagnosed among study participants. -Among NSAID users, oral cancer developed in six out of 100,000 people each year. Among non-NSAID users, oral cancer developed in five out of 100,000 people each year. These rates were not significantly different. -Among those with the greatest amount of NSAID use (10 or more prescriptions), there was still no evidence of protection against oral cancer. Because smoking information was [...]

8/23/2006 Gliwice , Poland Jarosław Juszkiewicz Polskie Radio (www.plskieradio.pl) The first tongue reconstruction surgery has been performed by the Silesian surgeons. The patient is a 23 year old cancer patient. Although this kind of tumor is not very frequent it can completely destroy patient’s life. Usually oncologists have to excise the whole tongue, a part of oral cavity and lymphatic nodes. After such massive surgery patients are usually not able to function independently. Talking and normal eating are not possible. But not this time. The patient who was transported to the Oncology Institute in Gliwice a few weeks ago was suffering. The removal of the tongue seemed unavoidable, but the doctors decided to perform the reconstruction. During the surgery they’ve taken a piece of skin with muscles, blood vessels and nerves from the upper part of his leg. After a modeling process they’ve formed a substitute for the tongue. Prof. Ron Yo from the United States participated in the surgery. He is one of the best reconstruction surgeons in the world. “The tongue reconstruction is one of the most difficult medical operations.” – He says – “especially when we compare it to the reconstruction of the breast. After the operation 50 percent of patients are able to swallow and talk clearly enough to be understood not only by family members but also by people the meet on the street.” – says prof. Yo. This was not the first pioneering surgery performed by specialists from Gliwice. Last month they reconstructed a [...]

8/23/2006 Chicago, IL John Otrompke www.docguide.com Presurgical radiochemotherapy may offer promising results to patients with advanced head and neck cancer, according to a poster presented here at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS). "Carboplatin and cisplatin are the most often used drugs for this disease, and paclitaxel has been used for 8 to 10 years for head and neck cancer, and because of the new drugs belonging to the taxane group, we're seeing more and more studies in this area," said Andre Eckardt, MD, PhD, head and neck surgeon, University Hospital, Hanover, Germany, who presented the poster on August 19th. In the study, 51 previously untreated patients were given paclitaxel and carboplatin in addition to radiation, followed by tumor resection. Forty-five patients were male, 41 had cancer of the oral cavity, and the median age upon presentation was 54 years. One-year survival was 83% and 6-year survival was 67%. After 6 years, 67.3% of the patient population was still alive with no disease, while 18 patients were dead, according to the poster. However, in 9% of the patients, second primary tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract were diagnosed. "We need a randomized phase 3 trial to compare these results to the old regimen -- carboplatin and cisplatin," said Eckardt, noting that quality of life and organ function would also probably be part of the next trial. Although patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck present with locally-advance disease in 40% to [...]

8/22/2006 Chicago, IL John Otrompke Poster 160 - AHNS Human papilloma virus (HPV), the condition which has been suggested as a causative agent in cervical cancer, has also been linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), according to a paper presented here at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS). "The prevalence of HPV is rising worldwide," noted study presenter Jose-Francisco Gallegos-Hernandez, MD, surgeon, head and neck department, Oncology Hospital, Mexico City, Mexico. The poster presented on August 19th reported the results of a study of 118 head and neck cancer patients which found unusually high prevalence of two types of HPV, in particular, HPV type 16 and type 18. HPV type 18 is associated with the development of leucoplasia as a preneoplastic lesion, while type 16 has been associated with a better prognosis in head and neck cancer patients. The researchers identified some strain HPV in 42% of the cases. Of those, HPV type 16 was present 70% of the time. "Some authors say that patients with HPV have a better prognosis, maybe because alcohol and tobacco use are not present in as many patients with HPV," said Gallegos-Hernandez. While the study looked for a link between alcohol and tobacco use (two other oft-cited factors in head and neck cancer) and sexual practices and HPV, none was found, he said. Fifty percent of patients with laryngeal cancer had HPV, he said. HPV type 16 was present in 20% of those with mouth [...]

8/9/2006 Adelaide, Australia editorial staff AdelaideNow (www.news.com.au) ThE impact of cigarette smoking on personal health and on the community cost is staggering. The Cancer Council of Australia lists tobacco smoking as the largest single preventable cause of death and disease in Australia. Governments and private health groups have a responsibility to do whatever they can to reduce the incidence of smoking and alert people to the possible health implications of cigarette use. Yesterday, the State Government quite properly announced it was banning smoking in cars to protect passengers, particularly children, and tightening point-of-sale advertising. It is therefore astonishing that dozens of people have complained about the graphic anti-smoking advertisements promoted by Quit which depict a woman with mouth cancer. The advertisements are shocking but because they are confronting they work. In the first week the advertisements were shown on television the calls to Quitline – the special service designed to help people give up smoking – jumped from 220 to 422. People who complain that children might see the ads miss the point. This is the very target audience which should be exposed to the undeniable dangers of smoking. As a society we cannot afford to be precious about a social habit which is claiming – according to Cancer Council figures – 19,000 lives a year. This is 11 times the number of people killed in road accidents. Smoking leads to a wide range of diseases including many types of cancer, heart disease and strokes, chest and lung illnesses and [...]

8/8/2006 Boston, MA staff United Press International (www.upi.com) U.S. researchers say folates and select antioxidants are involved in complex relationships with oral cancer and smoking. Researchers at Tufts University have not found a causal link, but their results provide early insights into the complex relationships of oral cancer, smoking and two groups of nutrients. Folate levels are different in smokers and non-smokers, according to Dr. Joel Mason, who analyzed the diets and studied blood and cheek cells of 56 men and women between 30 and 80 years of age. Approximately half of the subjects were chronic smokers who smoked at least 10 cigarettes daily for at least the past year. "Regardless of dietary intake, smokers had lower levels of folate in both blood and cheek cells, compared with non-smokers," says Mason. "However, based on our findings, it does not appear that folate depletion induced by smoking is a major avenue for the formation of the genetic aberrations that increase risk of oral cancer." It's possible that diminishing folate in cells may cause the cellular milieu to change, inducing the formation of cancerous cells, according to Mason. The findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

8/8/2006 England staff Telegraph.co.uk Mouth cancer may have changed the way property tycoon Elliott Bernerd looks but it won't diminish him, he tells Elizabeth Grice Up-front is a term that could have been invented for Elliott Bernerd, the property tycoon who refused to hide away after his face was mutilated by mouth cancer. Two colossal operations left him with much of his chin missing and his speech impaired but he returned to a life of active wheeling and dealing as if it were something his doctors had prescribed. Wearing the white surgical mask that has become his trademark, he addressed a public gathering at the Royal Society in London last month. "I hope you can hear me," he rasped. "It's not my choice I'm this way." Courage is the word that comes to mind, but it doesn't begin to do justice to the combative streak that has played a big part in his resumption of public life and entrepreneurial chutzpah - probably even to his survival. "It depends on willpower," he says, "on the sheer determination not to be pushed to one side in society - and why should I be?" His greeting to me is as much a challenge as an introduction: "I'm Elliott Bernerd. I've a sore mouth from my operation. If you don't understand me, there's nothing I can do." It takes concentration at first because his tongue and lip movements are so restricted but Bernerd is a man used to making himself understood. He has just [...]