11/18/2004 Sweden IARC meeting report The Local- Sweden's news in English Major study links 'snus' to cancer Visitors to Scandinavia could be forgiven for thinking that a significant number of the men have a congenital malformation of the upper lip. Actually they're just stuffing small pouches of chewing tobacco, or 'snus' under it. As if the horrific breath and stained teeth aren’t argument enough to stop, researchers have now sounded a new cancer warning bell about the snus habit. A study carried out by the World Health Organisation and released this week followed 10,000 Norwegians, of whom two-thirds were snus-lovers. The results show that users of the popular chewing tobacco increase their risk of contracting mouth or pancreatic cancer by 67%. At the same time a study has been commissioned by Sweden's National Institute of Public Health to assess the risk of using the small tobacco pouches under the lip. "Chemical substances such as nitrosamines, as well as the way the snus is used, the frequency and the level of mouth hygiene all contribute to the risk of cancer," says Anders Ahlbom, Professor of Epidemiology at the Karolinska Institute and the Swedish delegate to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Chewing tobacco of the snus type is also widely used in the United States, with other forms of chewing tobacco prevalent in Asian and African countries. "In earlier studies it was difficult to establish a link between mouth cancer and the type of chewing tobacco we use in Sweden," [...]

11/18/2004 Newark, OH Melissa Knific Newark Advocate Sarah Pastorius, 15, doesn't smoke because she'd rather spend her money on a car than cigarettes. Shaylynn Whetstone, 16, decided not to do it because she's allergic. Gary Dennis, 62, quit after he was diagnosed with throat cancer. "You don't know how many times I think about what I'd done and what I'd almost done to my family," he said. The three Licking County residents, along with people across the country, will join together in support of today's 28th Annual Great American Smokeout, an initiative by the American Cancer Society to educate the public on the risks of tobacco use. Becky Voris, a health educator for Licking County, hopes people will also use it as a day to quit smoking forever. On Wednesday, she was one of the guest speakers for the Just Say No Club at John Clem Elementary School. Several events will be held nationwide today for the Smokeout, including Blow Bubbles Not Smoke in Columbus. Activities are planned on the Statehouse lawn from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., including free "cold- turkey" sandwiches to those who turn in their cigarettes and exhibit booths for cessation providers. This year alone, the American Cancer Society estimates nearly 174,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, and almost 160,000 people will die. Dennis, of Hanover, admits he came close to experiencing death, but is glad he survived and is able to tell his story. "About six years ago, [...]

11/18/2004 New York, NY Dr. Giovanni Cammarota news.yahoo.com People who have had all or part of their stomach removed appear to have an increased risk of later developing cancer of the larynx, doctors in Italy report. Therefore, "periodic laryngeal examination should be considered in long-term follow-up of patients with gastric surgery," , at the Catholic University of Medicine and Surgery in Rome, and his associates write in the Annals of Surgery. Cammarota's group previously reported a study showing a predisposition to laryngeal cancer in patients who had undergone gastric excision. They theorized that reflux of intestinal contents may damage the lining of the larynx, leading to malignancy. To investigate further, the team conducted a look-back study of 828 patients with laryngeal cancer, comparing them with a "control" group of patients treated for a heart attack. Eight percent of the laryngeal cancer group but less than two percent of the control group had previously undergone stomach surgery, in each case to treat peptic ulcers. After factoring in demographics, alcohol consumption and smoking, previous surgery of the stomach increased the likelihood of having laryngeal cancer more than fourfold.

11/18/2004 Amy Redwine Delta Democrat Times It is estimated by the American Cancer Society that more than 45 percent of Americans are smokers, which should make for an interesting public hearing tonight — and for some interesting moments Thursday during the annual Great American Smokeout. That's also one reason why Mississippi has joined in a new quit smoking initiative. Tonight's public hearing at 6 at the Greenville Higher Education Center will be to receive public input on whether downtown businesses should be smoke free. "We do need to hear all people, smokers and non-smokers, but if more people were educated on the dangers of smoking they would never start in the first place and they would try harder to quit," said Audine Haynes, director of the Washington County Anti-Drug Task Force Community Partnership. Haynes said people have told her that stopping smoking is harder that giving up harder drugs. Haynes said she supports the project because her father was a smoker and died from the effects of tobacco products. She said she has also seen her own husband who is, "very a strong-willed and strong-minded person," try to stop smoking with no success. Haynes says she wants people to stop smoking before they reach the state where they are unable to or to never start in the first place. Millions of smokers have used the American Center Society's Great American Smokeout to help them quit or reduce their tobacco use during its 28 years, says the Oregon Research Institute. However, [...]

11/18/2004 San Francisco, CA Dr. Dean Edell KGO-TV online Most of us rarely hear about oral cancer, yet it is the sixth most common cancer killer. It is so deadly because it is often detected too late. Dr. Dean Edell reports on a new light that may increase detection. Cathy is getting a dental checkup, but this is slightly more than routine. Sunnyvale dentist Dr. Paul Griffith is carefully screening Cathy for any early signs of oral cancer because her family history puts her at greater risk. Cathy Zander, dental patient: "My aunt had oral cancer and died of it. And several other people in my family have had cancer, even twice." Raymond is one of the lucky ones. Dr. Griffith picked up his cancer very early, both times. Raymond Fish, oral cancer patient: "The first cancer I had was 1994 - in mid '94 - and at that time they did surgery and then in 1996 it came back and in a different spot and at that time I had radiation therapy." Most of us brush and floss, and even go to the dentist regularly. But up to now, there hasn't been a simple way to detect oral cancer. So often it goes undetected until it has advanced and is far more dangerous. Paul Griffith, DDS, Sunnyvale dentist: "Oral cancer is a real problem because it's not well known. There's not a lot of discussion about it in the press. But 70 percent of the cancers are diagnosed very, [...]

11/18/2004 Amy Dockser Marcus Wall Street Journal Online All too often, the pain of a cancer diagnosis is compounded by the realization that the disease could have been caught sooner if only the early symptoms had been recognized. Indeed, for all the enormous strides in cancer-screening technologies, some very basic red flags -- back pain, constipation, fatigue, even a hoarse voice -- are often overlooked because they resemble the symptoms of benign diseases. Patients are unlikely to call a doctor right away, and when they do, doctors may spend months looking for other causes before suspecting cancer. But there is a growing recognition in the cancer community that identifying physical symptoms is vital. Existing screens still miss many tumors, and no effective screens even exist for some particularly lethal cancers, such as pancreatic and ovarian. As a result, a concerted effort is under way to educate patients, doctors and medical students to identify early symptoms of cancer. Diagnostic tools are also in the works that can help physicians put the pieces together and see when a particular constellation of symptoms may indicate cancer. A challenge in this, of course, is how to encourage patients and doctors to recognize symptoms without creating panic over every itch and twinge. Cramping and fatigue can be signs of colon cancer, but they could also signify less threatening digestive problems. Coughing and chest pain are early symptoms of lung cancer, but also of a bad cold. Pain in the abdomen or back can signal pancreatic [...]

11/16/2004 Amy Dockser Marcus SFGate.com All too often, the pain of a cancer diagnosis is compounded by the realization that the disease could have been caught sooner if only the early symptoms had been recognized. Indeed, for all the enormous strides in cancer-screening technologies, some very basic red flags -- back pain, constipation, fatigue, even a hoarse voice -- are often overlooked because they resemble the symptoms of benign diseases. Patients are unlikely to call a doctor right away, and when they do, doctors may spend months looking for other causes before suspecting cancer. But there is a growing recognition in the cancer community that identifying physical symptoms is vital. Existing screens still miss many tumors, and no effective screens even exist for some particularly lethal cancers, such as pancreatic and ovarian. As a result, a concerted effort is under way to educate patients, doctors and medical students to identify early symptoms of cancer. Diagnostic tools are also in the works that can help physicians put the pieces together and see when a particular constellation of symptoms may indicate cancer. A challenge in this, of course, is how to encourage patients and doctors to recognize symptoms without creating panic over every itch and twinge. Cramping and fatigue can be signs of colon cancer, but they could also signify less threatening digestive problems. Coughing and chest pain are early symptoms of lung cancer, but also of a bad cold. Pain in the abdomen or back can signal pancreatic cancer, but how [...]

11/16/2004 MC Haya-Fernandez, J Bagan, J Murillo-Cortes, R Poveda-Roda, and C Calabuig Oral Dis, November 1, 2004; 10(6): 346-8 Objectives: To determine the relationship between oral leukoplakia (OL) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and to evaluate possible differences between those carcinomas with and without associated leukoplakia. Material and methods: A total of 138 patients were studied at the Stomatology Service of the University General Hospital, Valencia, Spain. These patients were divided into two groups: group 1, patients with oral cancer and leukoplakia, and group 2, patients with OSCC but with no associated premalignant lesions. The relationship between this precancerous lesion and the OSCC was evaluated, as well as the possible clinical and histological differences between the tumours of the two groups. Results: Leukoplakia was detected in 27 (19.56%) patients with OSCC. No differences were found between the two groups regarding age and tumour location. However, statistically significant differences were observed with respect to the form, tumour stage and the presence of adenopathies in the cancers with and without leukoplakia; in that the tumours associated with leukoplakia were diagnosed as being at a more initial stage. Conclusions: Those patients with OL associated with oral cancer presented with tumours at a less advanced stage than those where no associated leukoplakia existed.

11/16/2004 Arlene A. Forastiere Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 96, No. 22, 1647-1649, November 17, 2004 Editorial The majority of deaths from locally advanced head and neck cancer are due to complications of uncontrolled locoregional disease, and this pattern of failure must be altered to improve patient survival. Over the past 25 years, thousands of patients with head and neck cancer have been enrolled in clinical trials to test whether the addition of platinum-based chemotherapy to local treatment modalities of surgery and radiotherapy improves overall survival. These studies have taken two approaches. In the first approach, several cycles of neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy (most commonly cisplatin and infusional 5-fluorouracil) precede definitive locoregional therapy (i.e., surgery). The second approach is chemoradiotherapy, the concurrent administration of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Of the two approaches, only chemoradiotherapy has succeeded in changing outcomes. Numerous phase III trials that have compared radiotherapy alone to chemoradiotherapy have shown that the latter statistically significantly improved locoregional control and that the magnitude of improvement is sufficient to have an impact on overall survival (1–5). As a consequence of these findings, over the last decade, chemoradiotherapy has become the standard of care for the management of unresectable head and neck cancers and nasopharyngeal cancers (i.e., stage T3, stage T4, or lymph node–positive cancers) and for the nonoperative management of locally advanced oropharyngeal cancers. By contrast, only two (6,7) of more than 30 randomized trials have demonstrated that induction chemotherapy confers a survival advantage. In addition, induction chemotherapy has [...]