7/1/2006 Washington, D.C . Becky Ham Health Behavior News Service (www.hbns.org) Dentists and physicians who take advantage of routine checkups to screen their high-risk patients for oral cancer may be the most cost-effective guard against the disease, at least in the United Kingdom. The new analysis suggests that screening of high-risk patients by dentists could save anywhere from 2,000 British pounds to 12,000 British pounds (roughly $3,600 to $21,700 in U.S. dollars) in health-care costs for each additional healthy year of a patient’s life. The review is published in the latest issue of Health Technology Assessment, the international journal series of the Health Technology Assessment program of the National Health Service for the United Kingdom. Dr. Paul Speight of the University of Sheffield in England and colleagues collected data on resources and costs in oral cancer treatment from two hospitals, as well as information from published studies and expert clinicians. They tested a variety of screening scenarios—from no screening at all to screening at all physician visits — on a hypothetical population of Britons age 40 and older. Screening high-risk patients — those who smoke or who drink heavily — brought about the most significant results. However, Speight said the estimate assumes that treating precancerous lesions in the mouth lessen the chance that the lesions will become malignant. The review of the medical literature “revealed that there is little evidence that this is the case,” Speight said. But Dr. Michael Kahn, an oral pathologist with Tufts University and member of [...]

7/1/2006 Manchester, England H. C. Kitchener et al. British Journal of Cancer (2006) 95, 56-61 To evaluate the effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in primary cervical screening: This was a cross-sectional study from the recruitment phase of a prospective randomised trial. Women were screened for HPV in addition to routine cervical cytology testing. Greater Manchester, attendees at routine NHS Cervical Screening Programme. In all, 24 510 women aged 20-64 screened with liquid-based cytology (LBC) and HPV testing at entry. HPV testing in primary cervical screening. Type-specific HPV prevalence rates are presented in relation to age as well as cytological and histological findings at entry. In all, 24 510 women had adequate cytology and HPV results. Cytology results at entry were: 87% normal, 11% borderline or mild, 1.1% moderate and 0.6% severe dyskaryosis or worse. Prevalence of HPV decreased sharply with age, from 40% at age 20-24 to 12% at 35-39 and 7% or less above age 50. It increased with cytological grade, from 10% of normal cytology and 31% of borderline to 70% mild, 86% moderate, and 96% of severe dyskaryosis or worse. HPV 16 or HPV 18 accounted for 64% of infections in women with severe or worse cytology, and one or both were found in 61% of women with severe dyskaryosis but in only 2.2% of those with normal cytology. The majority of young women in Greater Manchester have been infected with a high-risk HPV by the age of 30. HPV testing is practicable as a primary [...]

7/1/2006 Rochester, MN staff Forbes.com U.S. surgeons say they've developed a promising new method of lower jaw reconstruction for patients who've had surgery to remove large oral tumors. This new approach, first tested on rabbits, was to be outlined Wednesday at a meeting of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies in Prague, Czechoslovakia. "We think this new process can be a huge advantage for patients and a good tool for reconstructive surgeons," lead investigator Dr. Daniel Price, an ear, nose and throat surgery resident at the Mayo Clinic, said in a prepared statement. "We're excited about it. It will not completely replace the current mandible reconstruction method -- transfer of bone -- but down the road, I think that this method of reconstruction will be done regularly in patients with cancer involving the mandible," Price added. The current standard procedure for jaw reconstruction in these patients uses bone transferred from the fibula in the patient's leg, along with surrounding muscle, skin and blood vessels. This method produces good functional and aesthetic results but does have some negative aspects. For example, the surgery is costly and takes all day. Plus, the second surgery site in the leg means patients are less mobile after the operation. The new approach uses a procedure called "distraction osteogenesis" to restore the section of jaw that's lost during tumor removal surgery. With distraction osteogenesis, a cut is made at one of the remaining ends of the jawbone. Pliable soft tissue appears and a [...]

7/1/2006 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Scott Fields FoxNews.com A hand-held light may soon help dentists and physicians find oral cancer faster and more reliably. That's important because in America alone each year 30,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer, and only half of them will survive more than five years, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. And people who do survive oral cancer may do so at the cost of painful and disfiguring surgery, as chunks of tongue, jaw or palate are carved from the patient's mouth. The problem, says Miriam Rosin, a cancer biologist at the British Columbia Cancer Research Center in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is not only that dentists and general practitioners don't do frequent enough inspections, but that when they do, they usually inspect the mouth under ordinary light. Ordinary light doesn't highlight what has turned out to be a reliable indicator of some cells' health: their natural fluorescence. In the right environment, specifically under a specialized blue light, cells can flash their condition like a lighthouse warning of a submerged reef. This new device, called a Visually Enhanced Lesion Scope, or "VELScope," (combined with program of regular oral checkups, Rosin cautions) could reveal early evidence of the fast-spreading disease, which is most common in smokers and heavy drinkers. Used correctly, the device can spotlight cells that have turned to the dark side, literally, as well as those that are teetering on becoming cancerous. "You shine a blue light on the tissue [...]

7/1/2006 Kansas City, MO Randy Covitz The Witchita Eagle (www.kansas.com) It started with an aching wisdom tooth. The pain throbbed in the right side of Bobby Hamilton's jaw, but because it's hard to smile for the television cameras and do postrace interviews with sore gums, he put off having the tooth pulled until the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series season concluded last November. When the swelling in his neck persisted, Hamilton was examined in early February. And after competing in the first three trucks races of the season, Hamilton received the dreadful news. Hamilton had head and neck cancer embedded in the right side of his neck. "Cancer is a strange deal," said Hamilton, 49. "We've learned when it starts up around the head area, it travels downward toward the right side of your body. It just stayed in my neck. It froze there." Before embarking on a series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Hamilton, a four-time winner on the Nextel Cup circuit and the 2004 Craftsman Trucks Series champion, faced some major decisions. As owner of Bobby Hamilton Racing, he was responsible for operating two other racing teams. So Hamilton imported his son Bobby Hamilton Jr. from Bobby Dotter's Green Light Racing and put him -- and the future of BHR -- in the seat of his Dodge. Bobby Hamilton Jr. will be in the field for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 on Saturday at Kansas Speedway, but his thoughts will be with his father, who is recuperating at his [...]

7/1/2006 New York, NY Mike Stobbe Forbes.com Taking up a sensitive issue among religious conservatives, an influential government advisory panel Thursday recommended that 11- and 12-year-old girls be routinely vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also said the shots can be started for girls as young as 9, at the discretion of their doctors. The committee's recommendations usually are accepted by federal health officials, and influence insurance coverage for vaccinations. Gardasil, made by Merck & Co., is the first vaccine specifically designed to prevent cancer. Approved earlier this month by the Food and Drug Administration for females ages 9 to 26, it protects against strains of the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which causes cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers and genital warts. Health officials estimate that more than 50 percent of sexually active women and men will be infected with one or more types of HPV in their lifetimes. Vaccine proponents say it could dramatically reduce the nearly 4,000 cervical cancer deaths that occur each year in the United States. The vaccine is considered most effective when given to girls before they become sexually active. About 7 percent of children have had sexual intercourse before age 13, and about a quarter of boys and girls have had sex by age 15, according to government surveys. The committee's vote was unanimous, with two of the 15 members abstaining because of they have worked on Merck-funded studies. The committee also voted to [...]

7/1/2006 Helsinki, Finland staff Health24.com A chewing gum with the amino acid cysteine aimed at reducing the risk of alcohol and tobacco smoking related cancers is expected to launch to market this year, following extensive research at the University of Helskinki. The gum, called XyliCyst, is to be introduced by Finnish company Biohit Oyj, which holds the patents to the preparations to use I-cysteine to eliminate the carcinogen acetaldehyde after drinking or smoking. It is not yet known which markets the gum will be launched in, but a spokesperson for the company said that the plan is for it to be available in mainstream shops, not just pharmacies – although this will depend on individual countries’ regulations. I-cysteine has been understood for many years to have the ability to bind to acetaldehyde, or ethanal, a toxic chemical compound that forms in saliva, especially with alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking. Increase in acetaldehyde According to Finnish researchers Professors Mikko Salaspuro and Martti Marvola, epidemiological statistics indicating that 80 percent of cancers of the mouth, pharynx and oesophagus are linked to smoking and drinking could be explained by increased exposure to acetaldehyde in the upper digestive tract. According to Cancer Research UK, oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common form of the disease in the UK, almost 7 500 new cases diagnosed every year. In 2002 there were 4 405 new cases of mouth cancer; 32 percent of mouth cancers are in the oral cavity, and 25 percent in the oropharynx, priform [...]

7/1/2006 Wheeling, WVa staff Wheeling News-Register (www.theintelligencer.net) The West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation is assisting a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs researcher in securing a company to commercialize software that can help diagnose a medical condition affecting millions of Americans. With one in four U.S. residents now considered obese, the medical community and others are spending countless hours and millions of dollars to get the country back in shape. New drugs, diets and exercise regimens are hitting the market faster than consumers can snap them up. Everyone, it seems, is looking for the perfect prescription to prevent over-eating. But what if you couldn’t eat? For the 15 million Americans with swallowing disorders — a number growing by 1 million more annually — this is a nightmare come true. And it is a problem that doesn’t receive enough attention, according to Roxann Diez Gross, a research speech-language pathologist for the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System. “Our lives are centered around food,” Gross said. “It’s not just life-sustaining; it’s how we meet, how we celebrate, how we get to know each other. Try to think of any special event that doesn’t involve food. Now try to imagine being told you may never be able to eat or drink again.” Swallowing disorders, or oropharyngeal dysphagia — which can result from a stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, brain injury, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, head and neck cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and even more diseases — constitute “a neglected medical problem,” said [...]

7/1/2006 Columbus, OH staff TheWBALChannel.com If you’re in the habit of skipping dessert to try and eat healthier, you may want to reconsider. Scientists continue to find more evidence that sweet, mouth-watering berries are more than a summertime treat. They’re also potent cancer fighters, and whether it’s in a cobbler, a pie or fresh off the vine, there is one berry in particular that’s worth the indulgence. Mike Melson has an appreciation for the past. He runs an antique store, and looks back fondly on the warm summer days of his childhood. “My grandmother had the guy we called the berry man that came to the house during the berry season, and we bought our fresh raspberries straight off the berry farm,” Melson said. Dr. Gary Stoner at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center said berries are packed with ellagic acid, which helps give them their color and their power. “We found that there’s a little bit of it in many fruits, but the most abundant amount was in berries. As it turns out, the highest amount was in black raspberries,” said Stoner. Stoner and his team at The Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital have found that the more black raspberries we eat, the more they can protect us from developing cancer. But what about patients like Melson who already have cancer? “The down side of oral cancer after surgery is that about 20 percent of those individuals in 18 months will come back to the James with [...]

7/1/2006 Memphis, TN staff CancerConsultants.com ImClone Systems Incorporated has received FDA approval for their monoclonal antibody Erbitux (cetuximab) in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Erbitux is the first and only monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of head and neck cancer. The new indication includes the use of Erbitux in combination with radiation therapy for the treatment of locally or regionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, or as a single agent in the treatment of metastatic or recurrence squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that has failed prior platinum-based therapy. The prior indication for Erbitux was its use in combination with Camptosar® (irinotecan) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to irinotecan-based therapy in EGFR-expressing cancers, and as a single agent for the treatment of EGFR-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer in patients who were not able to tolerate irinotecan therapy.