3/31/2005 Houston, TX CancerWise (www.cancerwise.org) New Devices May Help Detect Tumors Earlier In the hope of finding an often-devastating cancer before it has a chance to develop, researchers are designing a series of probes that will literally highlight suspicious lesions in the mouth that may harbor fledgling tumors. These devices — a “scanner” that first bathes the mouth with light to pick out problem areas and a follow-up probe that shines a concentrated diagnostic beam on the lesions— are scheduled for testing at M. D. Anderson this spring and summer. If they fare well, the device designers foresee a time when community dentists or physicians turn to the probes to help screen for spots that can be difficult to pick out by observation alone. “I can’t always tell which mouth lesions might be precancerous. They can be tiny white, pink or red areas that are really hard to tell apart from normal tissue,” says Ann Gillenwater, M.D., an associate professor in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Head and Neck Surgery. “Now, our only choice is to biopsy an area that looks suspicious, and this can be more invasive than is necessary.” "More research needs to be done, but with these devices it may be possible to find oral cavity cancers when they are at their most treatable,” says Gillenwater, who has been conducting studies on the technology for several years. “When found later, as many of these cancers are, the effects of surgery and radiation treatment can impact a patient’s [...]

3/31/2005 Amanda Gardner Forbes (www.forbes.com) Despite gains, a new report finds that half of all cancers could still be prevented through early detection and lifestyle changes. Tobacco use, physical inactivity, obesity and poor nutrition remain the major preventable causes of cancer and other diseases in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS) report released Thursday. "We have sufficient knowledge of cancer causes and prevention that could prevent cancer burden in the U.S. by at least half," said Vilma Cokkinides, one of the lead authors of the report and program director of risk factor surveillance for the ACS in Atlanta. "A healthy lifestyle coupled with early detection and treatment is the best personal weapon each of us has to fight this disease." "It just reinforces the two messages: quit smoking or don't start, and get screened [for cancer]," added Dr. Ronald Blum, director of Beth Israel Cancer Center in New York City. "The message bears repeating." The ACS estimates that about one-third (570,280) of cancer deaths in this country in 2005 can be traced back to poor nutrition, lack of exercise, overweight and obesity and other lifestyle factors. And although tobacco use is down, the society predicts that this year smoking will still be the underlying cause of more than 168,140 cancer deaths. Overweight and obesity could cause as many as one in seven cancer deaths in men and one in five such deaths in women, the report adds. Having a high body mass index increased death rates [...]

3/31/2005 Toronto, Ontario, Canada cancerconsultants.com According to a recently completed clinical trial, a vaccine that is injected directly into the site(s) of cancer produces promising results in patients with head and neck cancer who have stopped responding to standard therapies. Approximately 40,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every year. Cancers of the head and neck comprise several types of cancer, including the nasal cavity and sinuses, oral cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, and other sites located in the head and neck area. Once the cancer stops responding to standard therapeutic approaches, which typically consists of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, it is referred to as “refractory”. Patients with refractory head and neck cancer currently have very limited effective treatment options, with overall survival being dismal in this group of patients. There are currently no treatment modalities that have demonstrated an improvement in survival in the treatment of refractory head and neck cancer. Several clinical trials are underway to evaluate novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of this disease. A novel vaccine Proxinium™ recently completed an early-phase clinical trial in the evaluation of advanced head and neck cancer. Proxinium™ is comprised of a monoclonal antibody, which is a protein that is targeted against and binds to a specific component of a cell. The monoclonal antibody portion of Proxinium™ is targeted against EpCAM, a molecule that is often highly expressed in head and neck cancer cells. Proxinium™ also contains the toxin produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas. When the [...]

3/30/2005 Chesapeake, VA U.S. Newswire Chesapeake, Va. resident Minnie Ashworth, who successfully battled oral cancer two years ago, wants fewer people to have to withstand the ordeal she survived. She has joined a national effort to reduce the death rate from the disease, which can be conquered if caught in its early stages. A Walk for Awareness will take place Saturday, April 9, at Chesapeake City Park in Chesapeake, Va. Proceeds will benefit the non-profit Oral Cancer Foundation - Web: http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org Event Includes Free, Fast, and Painless Oral Cancer Screenings During the fund-raising walk, doctors from the VCU School of Dentistry and from the Eastern Virginia Medical School will conduct free oral cancer screenings. These quick and painless examinations of the mouth, if conducted as part of everyone's annual dental exam, could dramatically reduce the number of deaths from oral cancer. 30,000 individuals are newly diagnosed with oral cancer each year in the US, and it kills almost 9,000 Americans annually. The five-year survival rate is only about 50 percent. Early detection would drastically reduce the death rate. It was a dentist who raised the alarm when Ashworth told him her gum still hadn't healed long after she'd had a tooth extracted. The dentist immediately referred Ashworth to an oral surgeon, whose biopsy revealed cancer. Ashworth underwent radiation to shrink the tumor, then surgery to remove half her lower jaw, which was reconstructed using bone from her lower leg. During her recovery, Ashworth discovered the Oral Cancer Foundation's web site, [...]

3/30/2005 Tempe, AR Summer Robertson www.asuwebdevil.com It's a sign of the times. Kids are getting a lot more street smart. When they see an advertisement that reads: "Free money!" they begin to ask questions. The majority of us know it's just another ploy from some not-so-creative advertisers. The same goes with movies. If someone tells you to see a movie about which you know nothing, you're going to ask why. So why aren't the same questions being asked when it involves something more dangerous, say, hookah? Sure, opponents of smoking have televised ads that tell you to say no. But most of the time, they are so short that they don't say why. Or they will tell you the same old information: Tobacco may cause cancer, discoloration of the teeth, etc. But there's a reason to say no. So before you go out and buy your own hookah, perhaps you should take a few things into account. Hookah and shisha have been around for ages, originating in the Middle East. Because it is relatively new to the U.S., there have been next to no studies done on it. A lot of people are under the misconception hookah is healthier than cigarettes. Although hookah waters down tobacco, it doesn't water down the effects tobacco has on your body. Your lung tissue will still be damaged, and you will be more susceptible to smoking-related diseases such as lung, throat and mouth cancer. Another misconception is that hookah contains far less tobacco and [...]

3/30/2005 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Newswire Canada (www.newswire.ca) Stick out your tongue at your dentist. It's good for your health! A visit to your dentist is good for your health and well-being. That is the message being delivered to Ontario communities by the Ontario Dental Association in April, which is Oral Heath Month. This year, ODA-member dentists are undertaking a wide range of programs across the province. An important element is the ODA's oral cancer awareness program which is designed to raise public awareness of a potentially fatal disease. Last year, there were more than 3,100 new cases of oral cancer diagnosed nationally, accounting for approximately 2.1 percent of all new cancer cases in Canada. To reach younger audiences, the ODA and ODA-member dentists are also sponsoring the Brush-a-mania challenge designed to improve the oral health habits of elementary school students. "No matter what your age, oral health is important to your overall health," said Dr. Steve Goren, President of the Ontario Dental Association. "Dentists are part of your primary health-care team." This year, the ODA's oral cancer awareness efforts include an outdoor advertising campaign in 11 Ontario communities to increase public awareness. This disease has a greater mortality rate than either breast cancer or prostate cancer. ODA-member dentists are also conducting oral cancer checks at select shopping malls across the province. For schoolchildren, the ODA is teaming up with the Rotary Club and the Toronto Dental Academy to bring the Brush-a-mania program to about 35,000 students at 120 elementary schools [...]

3/29/2005 Toronto, Ontario, Canada PRNewswire (www.prnewswire.com) Viventia Biotech Inctoday reported preliminary results from an exploratory Phase I efficacy trial using direct intratumoral injection of Proxinium(TM) as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with refractory head & neck cancer. A total of 20 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 18 were considered evaluable at the end of the trial. Preliminary efficacy analysis showed that 25% of the 16 evaluable patients who expressed the therapeutic target for Proxinium(TM) had a complete response to therapy (complete disappearance of treated tumor); 63% had an objective response (significant or partial shrinkage of treated tumor); and 88% had tumor growth control (objective response or stabilization of disease). The drug was reported to have a good safety profile and was well tolerated, consistent with previous results. "Current treatments for refractory head and neck cancer have shown limited efficacy. To have achieved such a high number of complete responses in patients that have, in essence, failed all other available therapies is very encouraging," said Dr. Nick Glover, President and CEO of Viventia. "These results, and the promising survival data that emerged from our previous Phase I trial, show the tremendous potential for Proxinium(TM) for the treatment of refractory head and neck cancer. With the recent granting of Orphan Drug designation by the FDA, we are on track to initiate advanced clinical trials for Proxinium(TM) in 2005." Dr. Barry Wenig, Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, and Director of the [...]

3/29/2005 Caroline Stanley Better Homes & Gardens (www.bhg.com) Dangerous Trend Oral sex has become a widespread practice among adolescents. A staggering 40 percent of 10th-graders engaged in oral sex in the past year, with a quarter reporting three or more partners, according to a survey in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. Kids like that oral sex preserves their status as virgins, won't result in pregnancy, and carries little risk of HIV or other STDs. The latter, however, now appears to be wishful thinking. In a 2003 University of Wisconsin study, 78 percent of new cases of genital herpes were caused by a virus found chiefly in the mouths of 16- to 21-year-olds. An even more sobering study from Johns Hopkins linked certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) to head and neck cancers. "Having performed oral sex on more than one partner in the previous year increased the risk of contracting this untreatable STD," says lead researcher Maura Gillison, MD. Clearly, parents need to have serious sex talks with their teens.

3/29/2005 Mobile, AL PRNewswire (www.prnewswire.com) Providence Hospital in Mobile, Alabama, has begun treating patients once thought to have inoperable brain ailments with the new Trilogy(TM) stereotactic system, from Varian Medical Systems. The system allows the highly trained physicians at Providence to perform non-invasive brain treatment without an incision, with minimal pain and oftentimes, with no hospitalization. The Trilogy system is the most powerful and versatile cancer treatment technology available using image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), stereotactic treatment and conformal radiotherapy (CRT) in one system. The system delivers a wide range of precise treatments making it easier to treat difficult conditions including cancer and certain neurological conditions. "This technology brings us to a new level, significantly improving on precision and shortening the duration of these types of treatments," observed Robert Gilbert, MD, radiation oncologist. "That means more accurate targeting along with greater patient comfort, since patients spend less time on the treatment table." Providence Hospital worked closely with Coastal Neurological Institute, PC (CNI) to be among the first in the nation to deploy this new technology along the Gulf Coast. "As a community hospital, Providence was in the unique position to associate with CNI to provide Trilogy treatment to patients in the region bringing new hope to many. Providence Hospital will continue to team with Ascension Health partner Sacred Heart Health System of Pensacola, Fla. to expand cancer care along the Gulf Coast. Trilogy treatment provides our patients with treatment that has only just now become available. There are only a handful of [...]