8/3/2006 New Zealand press release Scoop News (www.scoop.co.nz) Survey results are something to chew on. New Zealanders lag behind the world when it comes to looking after our mouths, a new international survey reveals. But the upside is, we’re better than the Aussies in a few categories! The Colgate Oral Health Month Survey completed in 29 European and Australasian countries reveals only 58 per cent of us clean our teeth at least twice a day. Across the ditch they are even more lax – only 54 per cent of our Aussie cousins brush twice a day or more. At nearly 40 per cent, we also have the lowest rate of visiting the dentist on a regular annual basis. The average percentage of people across all countries doing so once a year or more was 62 per cent. The main reason? The perceived expense. Among people who had not visited a Dentist in last 12 months, we had the highest rate of participants citing this reason, at 55 per cent. The average number in the survey citing expense as a reason was 24 per cent. Dr Theresa Madden, Colgate Senior Lecturer in Periodontology at Otago University says despite these results, New Zealanders get good value for money from the dental profession. She fears that New Zealanders are taking unnecessary risks. If mouth cancer, gum disease and dental decay are not detected early, the consequences may be devastating, and much more expensive to treat. “Dentists have never been as well equipped or [...]

8/3/2006 Keith D. Hunter et al. Cancer Research 66, 7405-7413, August 1, 2006 Most head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients present with late-stage cancers, which are difficult to treat. Therefore, early diagnosis of high-risk premalignant lesions and incipient cancers is important. HNSCC is currently perceived as a single progression mechanism, resulting in immortal invasive cancers. However, we have found that 40% of primary oral SCCs are mortal in culture, and these have a better prognosis. About 60% of oral premalignancies (dysplasias) are also mortal. The mortal and immortal tumors are generated in vivo as judged by p53 mutations and loss of p16INK4A expression being found only in the original tumors from which the immortal cultures were derived. To investigate the relationships of dysplasias to SCCs, we did microarray analysis of primary cultures of 4 normal oral mucosa biopsies, 19 dysplasias, and 16 SCCs. Spectral clustering using the singular value decomposition and other bioinformatic techniques showed that development of mortal and immortal SCCs involves distinct transcriptional changes. Both SCC classes share most of the transcriptional changes found in their respective dysplasias but have additional changes. Moreover, high-risk dysplasias that subsequently progress to SCCs more closely resemble SCCs than nonprogressing dysplasias. This indicates for the first time that there are divergent mortal and immortal pathways for oral SCC development via intermediate dysplasias. We believe that this new information may lead to new ways of classifying HNSCC in relation to prognosis. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(15): 7405-13) Authors: Keith D. Hunter1,2, Johanna [...]

8/2/2007 web-based article Carol M. Bareuther www.the-triton.com You’ve heard the warning: If you want to prevent skin cancer, lather up with a lotion that has a high sun protection factor. But what you eat can play an equal role in the development or prevention of this potentially deadly disease that can be a real occupational hazard to those who work full-time aboard yachts. Why worry about skin cancer? According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 1.5 million skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the United States alone. That’s more new cases of skin cancer each year than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. What’s more, one in five Americans (including one in three Caucasians) will develop some type of skin cancer in the course of a lifetime, and one person dies every hour from skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which usually show up on sun-exposed areas of the body, are easy to cure. However, if left untreated, these cancers can spread to other areas of the body. Melanoma, on the other hand, is more aggressive and has the potential to turn deadly. So what can you do diet-wise? First, eat your veggies. In a study reported in the International Journal of Cancer last year, Australian researchers randomly selected 1,056 people living in the sunny subtropics and followed them for 10 years. The result? Those who had the highest intake of green leafy vegetables (dark romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, kale, beet greens, Swiss chard, [...]

8/1/2006 Memphis, TN staff CancerConsultants.com Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (a part of the World Health Organization) located in Lyon, France have reported the findings of a meeting of seventeen scientists from eight countries concerning the evidence that smoking cessation has definable health benefits. The details of this summary were reported in the July 29, 2006, issue of The Lancet. Smoking is the cause of 85% or more of all lung cancers. Smoking also increases the incidence of other cancers such as cancer of the head and neck, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, kidney, urinary bladder, cervix, ovaries and breasts. Factors determining a smoker’s risk for cancer include the number of years the person has been smoking, as well as the number of cigarettes smoked each day. Previous studies have shown that men who quit smoking can significantly reduce their risk of developing lung cancer. The benefit of quitting has been observed even if the men waited until middle age to do so. The following observations were made with regard to smoking cessation and cancer: - Although persons lower their risk of lung cancer by stopping, they always have a higher risk than never smokers. - Risk for laryngeal cancer decreases with time with reductions of over 60% at 10-15 years. - Risk for oral and pharyngeal cancers decreases over time but remains higher than non-smokers. - Risk for stomach cancer decreases with time after cessation, but little is known about long term benefits after smoking cessation. [...]

8/1/2006 Washingtn, D.C. staff United Press Interenational (www.upi.com) The new vaccine that can prevent about 75 percent of cervical cancer should be given to men, boys and even women already exposed to the virus that causes the disease, researchers said Monday. Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been approved for women aged 9 to 26, Bradley Monk, in a commentary to be published in the August issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, argued that more widespread use of the vaccine may improve the chances that most of cervical cancer can be banished. "We need to work together to implement this huge breakthrough by widespread vaccination of young people, both genders without regard to risk," Monk, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California-Irvine, told United Press International. HPV, a sexually transmitted disease, is ubiquitous in the United States, with about 20 million men and women currently infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moreover, the agency says that about 80 percent of U.S. women by age 50 will be exposed to one of the 100 strains of HPV, known to cause genital warts and cervical, vulva and vaginal cancer in women. The newly approved vaccine called Gardasil -- developed by Merck -- protects against transmission of virus Types 6 and 11, which are believed responsible for 90 percent of disfiguring and difficult-to-treat genital warts, and against Types 16 and 18, responsible for 70 percent to 75 percent of cervical cancer -- a disease [...]

8/1/2006 Glasgow, Scotland staff BBC News (news.bbc.co.uk) Mouth cancer can develop in two specific ways, researchers have found. Doctors had previously understood that all cases of mouth cancer developed in the same way. The work by a team at Glasgow's Beatson Institute for Cancer Research provides clues about how the different forms of cancer could be detected early. The findings, published in the journal Cancer Research, may also help identify patients with the more aggressive form of the disease. Around 1,600 people die each year in the UK from mouth cancer. The most common indicators of mouth cancer are persistent sores, ulcers, red or white patches and unexplained pain in the mouth or ear. People can also have lumps in their necks, a persistent sore throat or difficulty swallowing. 'Valuable findings' In this study, researchers took samples from the mouths of 19 people with pre-cancerous lesions, or spots, 16 patients with mouth cancer and the mouths of four healthy people. They then compared the samples, which each contained thousands of cells. They found two distinct genetic patterns in the samples from patients with cancers and lesions. In those with the most aggressive form of tumour, faults were found in the p53 gene, which should act to stop damaged cells dividing and so stop cancers growing, and no expression of the p16 gene which controls cell regulation. Cells in this form of mouth cancer were dubbed "immortal", because they keep on dividing, making them more likely to spread and to cause [...]

7/30/2006 Dallas, TX Associated Press Sam Myers, best known as a blues vocalist and harmonica player, had been with The Rockets as their featured vocalist since 1986. Myers, along with The Rockets, collectively won nine W.C. Handy awards, the blues community's equivalent to the Grammy awards. The Laurel, Miss., native had performed since his late teens dating back to the early 1950s. He moved to Dallas in the 1980s. Myers was a former drummer with blues great Elmore James from 1952 to 1963 and had performed with countless others. Myers got started in music while living in Jackson. He became skilled enough at playing the trumpet and drums that he received a non-degree scholarship from the American Conservatory School of Music in Chicago. Myers attended school by day and at night frequented the nightclubs of Chicago's South Side, meeting and sitting in with Jimmy Rogers, Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, and Little Walter. In 1956, Myers wrote and recorded what was to be his most famous single, “Sleeping In The Ground,” a song that has been performed by Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and others. From the early 1960s until 1986, Myers worked the clubs in Mississippi. He toured Europe with Sylvia Embrey and the Mississippi All-Stars Blues Band. In 1986, Sam met Anson Funderburgh, from Plano, Texas, and joined Funderburgh's band, The Rockets. Their last album was 2003's “Which Way is Texas?” Myers' final release was his 2004 solo album, “Coming from the Old School.” His last appearance in Mississippi came [...]

7/29/2006 Alexandria, VA David G. Pfister et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 24, No 22 (August 1), 2006: pp. 3693-3704 Purpose: To develop a clinical practice guideline for treatment of laryngeal cancer with the intent of preserving the larynx (either the organ itself or its function). This guideline is intended for use by oncologists in the care of patients outside of clinical trials. Methods: A multidisciplinary Expert Panel determined the clinical management questions to be addressed and reviewed the literature available through November 2005, with emphasis given to randomized controlled trials of site-specific disease. Survival, rate of larynx preservation, and toxicities were the principal outcomes assessed. The guideline underwent internal review and approval by the Panel, as well as external review by additional experts, members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Health Services Committee, and the ASCO Board of Directors. Results: Evidence supports the use of larynx-preservation approaches for appropriately selected patients without a compromise in survival; however, no larynx-preservation approach offers a survival advantage compared with total laryngectomy and adjuvant therapy with rehabilitation as indicated. Recommendations: All patients with T1 or T2 laryngeal cancer, with rare exception, should be treated initially with intent to preserve the larynx. For most patients with T3 or T4 disease without tumor invasion through cartilage into soft tissues, a larynx-preservation approach is an appropriate, standard treatment option, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy therapy is the most widely applicable approach. To ensure an optimum outcome, special expertise and a multidisciplinary team are necessary, and [...]

7/28/2006 Baltimore, MD Kellye Lynne wjz.com Two experimental vaccines could someday extend life and improve the quality of it for people with head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancers include those of the throat, mouth, voice box, sinuses and skin. They can be hard to treat and have a high risk of recurrence. Healthwatch Reporter Kellye Lynn spoke to patients who suffer from the disease, and to the University of Maryland doctors testing the vaccines that could help them live longer. This year about 40,000 people in the United States will learn they have head and neck cancer. Lisa Harrigan got the diagnosis in 1999. Now, the cancer that started in her throat has spread to other parts of her body. "This is my last chance because I've had everything. There's not much more you can do," Harrigan told Healthwatch Reporter Kellye Lynn. A scan of Lisa's brain shows a mass which doctors say cannot be treated by existing therapies. Her only hope is an experimental therapy being tested at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The vaccine, which is in its first phase of testing, is designed to stimulate the body's immune response against cancer. It works by targeting the proteins linked to Squamos Cell Carcinoma, the most common form of oral cancer. "It's a way to try to turn on the immune response so it recognizes the tumor but not the tissues around the tumor," said Doctor Scot Strome, who is testing the vaccines. Patients receive four [...]

7/28/2006 Richland, WA press release Genetic Engineering News (www.genengnews.com) A powerful new medical isotope -- Cesium 131(TM) -- is providing a fast and effective treatment option for prostate cancer patients nationwide. Offering significant advantages over other medical isotopes now in use, Cesium-131 represents the first major leap in seed brachytherapy in 20 years. This major advancement in seed brachytherapy will be spotlighted at booth #141 during the 48th Annual Meeting of The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), July 30-August 3, 2006 in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center. AAPM (www.aapm.org) is a scientific, educational, and professional organization of more than 6,000 medical physicists. "Brachytherapy has proven to be effective, but the introduction of Cesium-131 takes this treatment option to a new level. Attendees at AAPM will be introduced to a breakthrough option for fast and effective treatment of prostate cancer," said Chairman and CEO Roger Girard. Seed brachytherapy -- where seeds are implanted in and around a cancerous tumor -- is a proven and common treatment for prostate cancer, with 50,000 to 60,000 procedures conducted each year. Clinical data shows that patient outcomes for seed brachytherapy are superior to those for radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation, IMRT, cryotherapy and experimental procedures at far less cost and with a much higher quality of life. Now available in over 50 locations across the United States, Cesium-131 delivers its therapeutic radiation faster than other isotope seeds -- Palladium-103 and Iodine-125 -- and at a reduced risk to patients when [...]