1/30/2006 Zaire Sarah Boseley Mail & Guardian Online (www.mg.co.za) Within a few years, girls will be vaccinated against cancer. Not every cancer — at least, not yet. But the cervical cancer jab is well on its way. A couple of shots in the arm, perhaps, and young women may never have to think about it again. That is possible because cervical cancer is spread by a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). You can catch it by sleeping with somebody who has it, so women with more sexual partners are more likely to get it. The vaccine does not act against cancer per se, but protects against the virus that causes it. Which makes cervical cancer, effectively, an infectious disease. Can you really catch cancer? And if cervical cancer is caused by an infection, is it remotely possible that we might also catch breast cancer, or prostate cancer, or bowel cancer? The answer is yes and no. Certainly, catching cancers is not the same as catching a cold. HPV may trigger cervical cancer, but many women infected with it will never develop the disease. There must also be other factors. Where a virus is involved in cancer, it appears, it is one of many causes — a trigger in a chain of triggers. Along with the virus, there may have to be something in your genes that tips your chances of getting this particular cancer. Diet affects some cancers, alcohol and smoking others, and air pollution is under suspicion. But [...]

1/29/2006 Springield, IL Dean Olsen State Journal Register Online (www.sj-r.com) Lying on his back on a hard table, Michael Robinson holds himself perfectly still, closes his eyes, quietly sings gospel songs to himself and seeks guidance from above. During the next 10 to 15 minutes, a machine that looks like an oversized hair dryer from a beauty shop swivels around his head, buzzing and shooting high-energy X-rays into his mouth. "I pray, 'Lord, give me the strength to endure this, and please heal this,'" said Robinson, 56, of Jacksonville. Robinson, an account technician for the Illinois Department of Human Services, began daily radiation treatment for cancer Jan. 9 at St. John's Hospital. A routine checkup last year turned up what doctors later determined was a tumor on his right tonsil. Robinson said he feels better knowing that the painless radiation therapy represents what St. John's officials call a "giant leap" forward in treatment. For the past several months, St. John's has treated about two dozen cancer patients with radiation beams that are mapped and focused by special equipment and computer hardware and software. The hospital began offering intensity-modulated radiation therapy as part of radiation technology upgrades that cost St. John's about $2.5 million, said Dr. Bruce Shevlin, a Springfield radiation oncologist. Shevlin is working with Dr. James Wynstra, a fellow radiation oncologist, to lead the IMRT treatment team at St. John's. Memorial Medical Center is in the midst of a $4 million to $5 million technology upgrade that will allow [...]

1/27/2006 New York, NY staff Reuters (today.reuters.co.uk) A small study suggests that a few months of voice therapy may improve a person's ability to speak after treatment of early-stage glottic cancer, a form of cancer that affects the vocal cords. Past research has yielded mixed results on the effectiveness of voice therapy after treatment of tumors of the throat. In one study, patients who did not undergo voice therapy after their cancer treatment actually did better in terms of voice quality. The new study, published in the journal Cancer, looked at 23 patients who had voice impairments after laser surgery or radiation therapy for early-stage glottic cancer. Dr. Christine D. L. van Gogh and her colleagues at Vrije University Medical Center in Amsterdam randomly assigned the patients to a voice-therapy group or a comparison group that did not receive the therapy. Those who underwent voice therapy had a maximum of 24 sessions with a speech-language pathologist, focusing on voice and breathing exercises to improve their vocal quality. Overall, the patients who underwent therapy reported more improvements in their voice than the comparison group did. There were also improvements in certain objective measures of voice quality, such as vocal "jitter." Of the 177 patients approached to participate in this study, the researchers note, most refused to do so. This may be because of the fact that voice therapy is time-consuming, they speculate, but it could also reflect an assumption that vocal problems are an inevitable consequence of throat cancer treatment. They [...]

1/26/2006 London, England A. McNeill et al. Tobacco Control 2006;15:64-67; doi:10.1136/tc.2005.013011 Objective: This study examined the constituents of smokeless tobacco products available in the UK and compared them with products available in India, Sweden, and the USA Methods: even UK brands of smokeless tobacco, including a tooth cleaning powder, and four international brands of smokeless tobacco were tested for a range of toxins and known carcinogens, such as tobacco specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA), as well as nicotine availability. Results: Ten of the 11 brands tested had detectable levels of tobacco specific nitrosamines, which are proven carcinogens, and levels varied 130-fold. All had detectable levels of benzo(a)pyrene, another proven carcinogen (with around 175-fold variation) and several toxic metals (with nearly 150-fold variation). Nicotine availability varied in the UK products from 0.1 mg/g to 63.2 mg/g. All the tobacco products tested are likely to be hazardous to users’ health, but the data indicate that it should be possible to reduce key toxins to non-detectable levels. Conclusions: Smokeless tobacco products should be regulated and standards set for maximum levels of toxins and carcin Authors: A McNeill(1), R Bedi(2), S Islam(2), M N Alkhatib(2) and R West(1) Authors' affiliations: (1) Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK (2) Department of Dental Public Health, King’s College London, London, UK

1/26/2006 Ann Arbor, MI PY Chun et al. Cancer Res., January 15, 2006; 66(2): 981-8 Although the combination of gemcitabine and radiation produces a high frequency of complete responses in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer, substantial toxicity suggests that an improvement in the therapeutic index is required. The purpose of this study was to determine if gefitinib could improve the efficacy of gemcitabine and if drug schedule is important. We hypothesized that gemcitabine followed by gefitinib would be superior to the opposite order because of both cell cycle and growth factor signaling interactions. Using UMSCC-1 cells in vitro, we confirmed that gefitinib arrested cells in G(1) and suppressed phospho-epidermal growth factor receptor (p(Y845)EGFR) and that gemcitabine arrested cells in S phase and stimulated p(Y845)EGFR. The schedule of gemcitabine followed by gefitinib caused arrest of cells in S phase. Gefitinib suppressed gemcitabine-mediated p(Y845)EGFR stimulation. This schedule caused decreased p(S473)AKT, increased poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and increased apoptosis compared with gemcitabine alone. The schedule of gefitinib followed by gemcitabine also caused suppression of p(Y845)EGFR but arrested cells in G(1). This schedule in which gefitinib was used first was associated with stable levels of p(S473)AKT and minimal poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and apoptosis. These results were reflected in experiments in nude mice bearing UMSCC-1 xenografts, in which there was greater tumor regression and apoptosis when animals received gemcitabine followed by gefitinib during the first week of therapy. These findings suggest that the schedule of gemcitabine followed by gefitinib may increase the [...]

1/26/2006 Cambridge, MA press release PR NewsWire (www.prnewswire.com) OmniGuide, Inc. announced today the successful completion of the first robotic laser surgery utilizing the OmniGuide Fiber, a revolutionary hollow core fiber, on a patient suffering from a massive cancerous tumor involving the larynx and pharynx. The procedure was performed by Dr. Marshall Strome, Chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Head and Neck Institute, and assisted by Dr. Arturo Solares. Dr. Strome, M.D., Cleveland Clinic Chairman, Head & Neck Institute, said: "This technology allowed me to completely remove the tumor and perform a hemi- supraglottic laryngectomy. The setup enabled a rapid excision of the tumor, saving over two hours of operating room time and enabling back cuts and side cuts. Surgical time was also reduced due to the gas used to clear up the operating field. This technology allowed us to treat this patient while saving the patient's larynx and vocal function." For the operation, the OmniGuide Fiber, a revolutionary hollow core fiber allowing transmission of CO2 laser energy through flexible tools, was coupled to a robotic arm in order to resect the tumor. Over the course of four hours, the fiber was used trans-orally to delicately remove the tumor without having to resort to an invasive open procedure of the head and neck. As a result, the patient had less pain than before the surgery only two days post procedure, and regained the ability to swallow within one week. Dr. Steve Sheng, OmniGuide's President and CEO commented: "This is another example of [...]

1/26/2006 Washington, DC Cliff Kincaid Accuracy in Media (www.aim.org) My commentary on the need for Bill Clinton to take the lead in warning teenagers about the dangers of oral sex caught the eye of Brian R. Hill, the founder/ Executive Director of the Oral Cancer Foundation, Inc. He is a stage IV oral cancer survivor. On the matter of a link between HPV 16, a sexually transmitted virus, and cancer, especially oral cancer, he writes: "The real data about this has been mostly published by Maura Gillison at Johns Hopkins, and the correlation between HPV 16 in particular and oropharangeal and tonsillar cancers is without doubt, ditto the oral sex /oral cancer issue. There is no doubt that the HPV's forms which have cancer causing capabilities are on the rise, and the number of young, non-smoking, oral cancer patients has risen dramatically in recent years. While the primary cause, tobacco, has had its use steadily decline for more than 10 years in the U.S., the incidence rate of oral cancer has stayed the same. This would indicate that a new etiology is replacing the old stereotypical mechanism of getting this very deadly disease. "While you mention a Swedish study, the U.S. is way ahead of others in the peer-reviewed research that shows all this to be a major issue…Though the issue of awareness is critical, and Dr. Gillison even uses the word epidemic when she discusses HPV in the U.S., it is hard to get people of celebrity and power [...]

1/25/2006 Maila, Phillipines Sheila Crisostomo Philstar.com No matter the brand, each cigarette stick contains at least 43 chemicals that have been linked to cancer, the Department of Health (DOH) warned yesterday. In a training manual for its "Healthy Lifestyle" program, the DOH said the 43 chemicals form part of over 4,000 toxic substances found in cigarettes. Among these cancer-causing agents are nitrosamine, crysenes, cadnium, benzo(a)pyrene, polonium 210, nickel, P.A.H., dibenz acidine, B-napthylamine, urethane, N. nitrosonornicotine and toluidine, the manual said. "Some smokers think that they reduce the harmful effects of smoking by using cigarettes with low-tar, low-nicotine or filter. This is not true," the DOH emphasized. The DOH maintained that smokers of low-nicotine cigarettes (those with less than 1.2 milligrams) tend to increase the number of sticks they consume to maintain their normal nicotine blood level. "Smoking filter cigarettes does not also reduce cardiovascular risk. This is possibly due to a change in inhaling patterns. (Smokers) tend to inhale more and therefore the benefits of the filter are negated," the DOH added. Other toxic chemicals found in cigarettes are acetone, which is used to remove nail polish; acetic acid, which gives vinegar its sour taste; ammonia, arsenic which is sometimes used as a rat poison, butane and hexamine, used in lighter fluids; cadmium, found in rechargeable batteries; carbon monoxide, found in exhaust fumes; dieldrin, used in insecticides; ethanol, a kind of alcohol; and formaldehyde, used to preserve dead bodies. With each puff, smokers also inhale hydrogen cyanide, used to kill [...]

1/25/2006 San Diego, CA Cedric F. Garland, DrPH et al. American Journal of Public Health 252-261 Vitamin D status differs by latitude and race, with residents of the northeastern United States and individuals with more skin pigmentation being at increased risk of deficiency. A PubMed database search yielded 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk, including 30 of colon, 13 of breast, 26 of prostate, and 7 of ovarian cancer, and several that assessed the association of vitamin D receptor genotype with cancer risk. The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer. The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects. Authors: Cedric F. Garland, DrPH, Frank C. Garland, PhD, Edward D. Gorham, PhD, MPH, Martin Lipkin, MD, Harold Newmark, ScD, Sharif B. Mohr, MPH and Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD Authors' affiliations: Cedric F. Garland, Frank C. Garland, and Edward D. Gorham are with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego. Cedric F. Garland, Frank C. Garland, Edward D. Gorham, and Sharif B. Mohr are with the Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, Calif. Martin Lipkin is with the Strang Cancer Prevention Center, New York, NY. Harold Newmark is with the Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. Michael F. Holick is [...]

1/25/2006 Everett, WA Melissa Slager Herald Net (heraldnet.com) Chewing tobacco is very dangerous, a man who lost part of his face to cancer says. "Smokeless tobacco" doesn't mean there's no fire. As fewer teenagers take up smoking, more are turning to chewing tobacco and snuff, health advocates warn. They're trying to drive home the lesson that a dip is no safer than a drag. This week, a Kentucky man whose lower face is deformed due to oral cancer caused by chewing tobacco is sharing his story with 5,000 teens at nine Snohomish County schools. "A lot of people still think 'take a pinch instead of a puff,'" Rick Bender told students at Weston High School in Arlington on Tuesday, quoting a 1970s advertisement that influenced him. Bender and health organizations worry that the industry term "smokeless tobacco" is misleading and are urging a new term: "spit tobacco." "Tobacco is tobacco. ... The bottom line, gang: No matter how old you are, the day you start is the day you put your body at risk," Bender said. Bender started using chewing tobacco at age 12, influenced by friends who smoked cigarettes, advertising and a love of the chew-happy baseball culture. By 26, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of oral cancer and underwent four major surgeries, losing half his jaw, a third of his tongue and partial use of his right arm. A doctor told his wife he had two years to live, noting that the chances of survival for [...]