4/16/2006 New York, NY press release prnewswire (www.prnewswire.com) This week is Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week and there is a new major league effort to help Americans get screened. This year more than 30,000 people will be diagnosed with cancers of the head and neck region. These cancers kill 7,000 each year, but, if caught early, they can be highly treatable. Retired Major Leaguer and cancer survivor Brett Butler is teaming up with MLB.com and the Yul Brynner Head And Neck Cancer Foundation to encourage the public to see a doctor or dentist to get screened for oral, head and neck cancer. The Yul Brynner Foundation is sponsoring a web page on MLB.com, featuring a videotaped message from Butler and information. It also has a directory of sites throughout the U.S. that will be offering free examinations by physicians and dentists on Friday, April 21st. The most effective prevention strategy is stopping risky behaviors like smoking, using chewing tobacco and drinking excessively. More than 85 percent of head and neck cancers are related to tobacco use. The nationwide free exams are for anyone and are recommended especially for those at higher risk. Log on to www.headandneck.org or ybf.mlb.com to find the free screening site nearest to you.

4/6/2006 Los Angleles, CA Noh Jin Park et al. Clinical Chemistry 10.1373/clinchem.2005.063206 Background: We have previously shown that human mRNAs are present in saliva and can be used as biomarkers of oral cancer. In this study, we analyzed the integrity, sources, and stability of salivary RNA. Methods: We measured the integrity of salivary RNA with reverse transcription followed by PCR (RT-PCR) or RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). To study RNA entry sites into the oral cavity, we used RT-PCR analysis of salivary RNA from the 3 major salivary glands, gingival crevice fluid, and desquamated oral epithelial cells. We measured stability of the salivary -actin mRNA by RT-qPCR of salivary RNA incubated at room temperature for different periods of time. We measured RNA association with other macromolecules by filtering saliva through pores of different sizes before performing RT-qPCR. To assess RNA-macromolecule interaction, we incubated saliva with Triton X-100 for different periods of time before performing RT-qPCR. Results: In most cases, we detected partial- to full-length salivary mRNAs and smaller amounts of middle and 3' gene amplicons compared with the 5'. RNA was present in all oral fluids examined. Endogenous salivary -actin mRNA degraded more slowly than exogenous -actin mRNA, with half-lives of 12.2 and 0.4 min, respectively (P <0.001). Salivary RNA could not pass through 0.22 or 0.45 µm pores. Incubation of saliva with Triton X-100 accelerated degradation of salivary RNA. Conclusions: Saliva harbors both full-length and partially degraded forms of mRNA. RNA enters the oral cavity from different sources, and association with [...]

4/11/2006 Philadelphia, PA staff Biocompare (news.biocompare.com) Using transparent zebrafish embryos, researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have shown that a microscopic nanoparticle can help fend off damage to normal tissue from radiation. The nanoparticle, a soccer ball-shaped, hollow, carbon-based structure known as a fullerene, acts like an "oxygen sink," binding to dangerous oxygen radicals produced by radiation. The scientists, led by Adam P. Dicker, M.D., Ph.D., and Ulrich Rodeck, M.D., see fullerenes as a potentially "new class of radioprotective agents." Dr. Dicker, recently appointed Vice-Chair for Translational Research of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, is associate professor of radiation oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. Dr. Rodeck is professor of dermatology at Jefferson Medical College. They will present their team's results April 5, 2006 at the annual meeting of American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. While chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the standard treatments for cancer, they take their respective toll on the body. Radiation can damage epithelial cells and lead to permanent hair loss, among other effects, and certain types of systemic chemotherapy can produce hearing loss and damage to a number of organs, including the heart and kidneys. Some other side effects include esophagitis, diarrhea, and mouth and intestinal ulcers. To date, only one drug, Amifostine, has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, to help protect normal tissue from the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Researchers would like to develop new [...]

4/11/2006 Mississippi staff Biocompare (news.biocompare.com) University of Mississippi researchers say they have created the first-ever mammalian model of how alcohol consumption spurs tumor growth, showing that even moderate drinking resulted in larger and more robust tumors. The research provides the first mammalian model of the links between alcohol, VEGF, and tumor growth, said Wei Tan, the study's lead author. The study increases understanding of how alcohol over-stimulates production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -- a substance that the body needs, but which can be harmful when there is too much of it. The new mouse model could lead to a way to block VEGF over-production, a step that could reduce the incidence of cancer and has important implications for cancer education and prevention. Wei Tan, Megan Shparago, Amelia P. Bailey and Jian-Wei Gu of the University of Mississippi Medical Center will present "Moderate alcohol intake stimulates tumor angiogenesis and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a mouse model," at the Experimental Biology Conference 2006, April 1-5 in San Francisco. The study earned Tan a Caroline tum Suden/Frances A. Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award from the American Physiological Society (APS) for exemplary research. The presentation was part of the scientific program sponsored by APS. *Paper presentation: "Moderate alcohol intake stimulates tumor angiogenesis and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a mouse model," 12:45 p.m. - 3 p.m. Monday April 3, Angiogenesis and Vascular Growth, 462.3 /board # C264. On view 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Convention Center [...]

4/10/2006 Washington, DC press release NIH News (www.nih.gov/news) Researchers supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, report today their initial success using a customized optical device that allows dentists to visualize in a completely new way whether a patient might have a developing oral cancer. Called a Visually Enhanced Lesion Scope (VELScope), this simple, hand-held device emits a cone of blue light into the mouth that excites various molecules within our cells, causing them to absorb the light energy and re-emit it as visible fluorescence. Remove the light, and the fluorescence of the tissue is no longer visible. Because changes in the natural fluorescence of healthy tissue generally reflect light-scattering biochemical or structural changes indicative of developing tumor cells, the VELScope allows dentists to shine a light onto a suspicious sore in the mouth, look through an attached eyepiece, and watch directly for changes in color. Normal oral tissue emits a pale green fluorescence, while potentially early tumor, or dysplastic, cells appear dark green to black. Testing the device in 44 people, the results of which are published online in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, the scientists found they could distinguish correctly in all but one instance between normal and abnormal tissue. Their diagnoses were confirmed to be correct by biopsy and standard pathology. “The natural fluorescence of the mouth is invisible to the naked eye,” said Dr. Miriam Rosin, a senior author on the paper and a cancer biologist [...]

4/8/2006 Iowa City, IA staff CancerConsultants.com According to an article recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, therapy with low-dose isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) does not reduce the rate of developing subsequent cancers in patients with head and neck cancer. Approximately 40,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every year. Cancers of the head and neck comprise several types of cancers affecting the nasal cavity and sinuses, oral cavity, nasopharynx (upper part of throat, behind ear), oropharynx (middle part of throat, including soft palate, base of tongue, and tonsils), and other sites throughout the head and neck. In 2005 the American Cancer Society estimated that 11,000 people would die from head and neck cancer. Patients with early head and neck cancer, or cancer that has not spread far from its site of origin, may be susceptible to developing another cancer (second primary tumor) in the head and neck area or in another area in the body. Research continues in an effort to reduce these patients’ risk of developing a second primary tumor. Isotretinoin is a derivative of vitamin A. Results from studies evaluating high doses of isotretinoin have produced some encouraging results. These results prompted researchers from several medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada to conduct a trial to evaluate low doses of isotretinoin in patients with early head and neck cancer. This trial included 1,190 patients with early head and neck cancer who had been treated with surgery and/or radiation therapy. [...]

4/6/2006 Phoenix, AZ staff News5Phoenix (www.kpho.com) Results from preclinical studies show that the anti-cancer compound AV-412 -- a EGFR/HER2 kinase inhibitor -- demonstrated anti-tumor activity against tumors that were both sensitive and resistant to Tarceva (erlotinib) and Iressa (gefitinib). The findings were announced Tuesday by AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. During the preclinical studies, the drug was tested in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines and in mice. The company says AV-412's mechanism of action may prove beneficial to patients with non-small cell lung cancer, metastatic breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, and hormone refractory prostrate cancer. The drug is slated to enter clinical trials this year to test i6s safety and efficacy in treating solid tumors.

4/6/2006 Bethesda, MD Press Release - Ariel Whitworth Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 98, No. 7, 425, April 5, 2006 Taking a vitamin A derivative called isotretinoin did not reduce the risk of second primary tumors or improve survival in patients with stage I or II head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC), according to a study in the April 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In addition, current smokers had an increased risk of second primary cancers and death. HNSCCs are the fifth most common cancers and sixth leading cause of cancer related death today. In 2002, there were 600,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide. Some studies have suggested that vitamin A derivatives called retinoids may halt or even reverse growth of head and neck tumors. A clinical trial of high doses of a retinoid called isotretinoin, widely used to treat cystic acne, in patients with HNSCC found that those receiving isotretinoin developed fewer second primary tumors, particularly smoking-related tumors. However, there were substantial side effects among those who received the high-dose isotretinoin, and subsequent studies of the compound have shown mixed results. To assess the effect of lower, more tolerable doses of isotretinoin on the development of second primary tumors and survival among patients with early-stage HNSCC, Fadlo R. Khuri, M.D., of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted a randomized clinical trial of 1190 patients diagnosed with stage I or II HNSCC. Patients were randomly assigned to receive [...]

4/6/2006 Adelaide, Australia Christopher Russell The Advertiser (www.theadvertiser.news.com.au) Adelaide medical research company Bionomics will proceed to human clinical trials of an anti-cancer drug after receiving a $3.7 million grant from the Federal Government. "The Bionomics project has the potential to become a significant new weapon in the fight against cancer," federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said in announcing the Commercial Ready grant yesterday. Bionomics is developing a drug which shuts down the blood supply to a tumour, starving it of oxygen and nutrients. Bionomics chief executive Deborah Rathjen said yesterday patients in the trial would "have a variety of solid tumours such as breast, colon, head and neck cancers". "Our drug has a fairly broad use because it can be used to treat anything that is a solid tumour," she said. "Solid tumours need a lot of blood vessels to grow and spread." The drug was a "breakthrough in the treatment of solid tumours". Bionomics will lodge applications to conduct the trials in the U.S. and Australia - probably in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide - from next year. If the trials and subsequent commercial development are successful, the drug could be in use by patients within five to seven years. The company will match at least dollar for dollar the $3.7 million grant which Dr Rathjen said was "one of the largest biotech grants awarded under Commercial Ready".

4/6/2006 London, England M. Pitchers and C. Martin British Journal of Cancer (2006) 94, 955-958 Squamous carcinoma of the oropharynx presents with symptoms common to many benign diseases, and this can cause delay in referral to secondary care. We investigate delay in referral, defining this as the time from symptom-onset to date of general practitioners referral letter to secondary care, and the effect of that delay, using a retrospective case notes based study of patients presenting at our institution with oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma between 1995 and 2005. Using correlation analysis and ordinal regression, we examined the relationship between increased referral delay from primary care, clinical stage at presentation, and survival. Increasing time from symptom onset to referral to secondary care was positively correlated with more advanced disease stage at presentation (rs=+0.346, P=0.004). This was confirmed with ordinal regression modelling (delay estimate=0.045, P=0.042). Patients with delay of less than 6 weeks had significantly improved survival compared to those with a delay of greater than 6 weeks (P=0.032). For every 1 week of delay in referral, we estimate that the stage of presentation will progress by 0.045 of 'a stage'. Authors: M Pitchers1 and C Martin2 Authors' affiliations: 1School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK 2Department of Oncology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Norwich, UK