Oral Cancer News – Page 99 – The Oral Cancer Foundation News Archive

HPV DNA detected in mouthwash predicts oral cancer recurrence

Source: www.onclive.com Author: Kelly Johnson The presence of HPV16 DNA is common at diagnosis of HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma (HPV-OPC) but rare after treatment. HPV-OPC has a favorable prognosis; however, 10% to 25% of patients experience disease progression, usually within 2 years of treatment. Patients who have HPV 16 DNA in their saliva following treatment of their oropharyngeal cancer are more likely to have their cancer recur, and a prospective cohort study published in JAMA Oncology has shown that a simple mouth rinse can be used to detect it. Gypsyamber D’Souza Gypsyamber D’Souza, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and fellow researchers monitored 124 patients with newly diagnosed oropharyngeal cancer from 2009 through 2013. They collected oral rinse and gargle samples using 10 mL of mouthwash at the time of diagnosis as well as after treatment 9, 12, 18, and 24 months later. HPV16 DNA was detected in 67 out of 124 of the participants testing positive. Of the 67 patients who had HPV16 DNA in their saliva at the time of diagnosis, five patients (7%) were found to still have traces of HPV16 in their oral rinses following treatment. All five patients developed a local recurrence of oropharyngeal cancer, three of whom died from the disease. “It’s a very small number so we have to be somewhat cautious,” said D’Souza, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Bloomberg School and a member of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a statement. However, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-27T14:25:55-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Teen E-Cig Users More Likely to Smoke

Source: www.newswise.com Newswise — As e-cigarette usage among high school students continues to climb, a recent study from The Journal of the American Medical Association reveals an unsettling trend: that adolescent e-cigarette users are more likely than their non-vaping peers to initiate use of combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars and hookahs. The reason may lie in a common denominator between e-cigarettes and their combustible counterparts: nicotine. While the study hints that more research is needed to determine if this association is merely casual, it’s important to note that while e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, the battery-powered devices do deliver nicotine in aerosol form. “Nicotine’s addictive properties are a risk for any age group, but with adolescents, the stakes are even higher,” says Dr. K. Vendrell Rankin, director of Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry’s Tobacco Treatment Services. For teens, mental health as well as key emotional and cognitive systems are at stake. “Major cognitive functions and attention performance are still in the process of developing during adolescence,” says Rankin, also a professor and associate chair in public health sciences at TAMBCD. “Nicotine increases the risk of developing psychiatric disorders and lasting cognitive impairment and is associated with disturbances in working memory and attention. Reliance on nicotine to manage negative emotions and situations impairs the development of coping skills.” In addition to affecting the emotional and cognitive development of teens, nicotine is highly addictive. In fact, the younger a person is when they begin using nicotine, the more likely they [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-21T11:16:40-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Rodeo Competitor Speaks to Youth to Spread Anti-Tobacco Message

Source: www.prnewswire.comAuthor: Oral Cancer Foundation Cody Kiser prepares for competition while sporting the Oral Cancer Foundation's message - Be Smart. Don't Start. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The traditional image of the American cowboy is one of strength, rugged determination and courage. In the world of professional rodeo competition, that image is no different. Cowboys—and increasingly so cowgirls—are held in esteem and looked at as heroes by young and old alike. The power of the cowboy as a compelling figure has not gone unnoticed by the tobacco industry, whose marketing campaigns have sought to tie the ideals of the cowboy with the use of their products. The western/rodeo environment in the US has had a long-term relationship with tobacco, and until 2009 The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the rodeos that they sanctioned had a lengthy history of tobacco money funding the sport. While that has ended at PRCA events, tobacco use and smokeless/spit tobaccos are still popular within the sport. The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) believes that in order to solve problems you must engage the problem at the source. As a small and growing non-profit, OCF is not afforded the luxury of relying on conventional methods of outreach utilized by larger, more established charities. To enact meaningful change and bring awareness to the public, OCF must employ ingenuity and creativity to address the problems at hand. Within the world of professional rodeo, that problem remains to be the glorification and pervasive use [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-14T10:51:59-07:00August, 2015|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

AstraZeneca joins the world of immunotherapy against cancer

Source: www.youthhealthmag.com Author: staff Cancer drug companies have been fighting lately in a completely different and interesting arena: immunotherapy. The competition is indeed heating up that firms such as AstraZeneca are willing to pay millions of dollars for promising treatments. AstraZeneca, through its research company called MedImmune, has just recently announced its decision to purchase a novel drug INO-3112 from Inovio, based in Pennsylvania, for a staggering price tag of $727 million. INO-3112 is a drug for immunotherapy, a new way of combating cancer by boosting the body's immune system. This then allows the antibodies and specific cells to fight off the tumor. The treatment may also provide synthetic proteins to boost the body's fighting chance. MedImmune believes that with the proper immunotherapy protocol for the patient, conventional methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which have plenty of serious risks, can now be significantly reduced, if not eliminated. In fact, patients may no longer have to go through surgery, which is a common first-line treatment. While AstraZeneca already has immunotherapy products in the market, the acquisition of INO-3112 will make it an instrument for combination therapies. As for Inovio, the drug, which is still not approved, is currently in the advanced stages of the clinical trials. It will be intended for treating head and neck cancers, as well as cervical cancer. While there are already cervical cancer vaccines, they cite the rather poor record of them. Their drug, on the other hand, will work on modifying DNA sequencing that will [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-13T07:39:58-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Professor creates a tool to help diagnose certain cancers early

Source: www.portsmouth.co.uk Author: staff Professor Peter Brennan from Portsmouth has been appointed as the 2016 president of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He has been given a £30,000 president fund, and has chosen to use the cash to benefit not only patients in Portsmouth, but around the country. He is writing a book and online tool which will be sent to every GP practice in England. It will assist GPs in spotting warning signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer and other tumour issues that could be fatal. Prof Brennan, a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Portsmouth Hospitals Trust, explained: ‘It can be very hard for non-specialists to detect and diagnose problems, including cancer, in the head and neck. I know that a tool like this will be really beneficial for doctors. ‘I’m delighted to have been elected as president of the surgical association for next year, and I thought long and hard about what to use the grant for. ‘It is designed to be used for the advancement of a speciality, and I wanted to use the money in a way which would have the biggest impact on patients. ‘I’m confident that this will make a real difference, and am looking forward to seeing it being rolled out across the country.’ The scheme has the approval of the Royal College of General Practitioners, the professional body for family doctors in the UK. Professor Brennan added: ‘The feedback that I had from RCGP is that [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-13T07:34:28-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

The case for funding the HPV vaccine for boys

Source: www.thespec.com Author: Camilla Cornell, Hamilton Spectator If Tiffany Bond could have had her 25-year-old son inoculated against the human papilloma virus (HPV), she'd have done it in a heartbeat. After all, Bond knows well the pain HPV virus can cause. Eight years ago, at age 39, Bond flicked back her long hair and touched a lump in her throat. Her doctor's diagnosis? Bond had oral pharynx cancer — a type of throat cancer caused by the HPV virus. Worse, the cancer had spread into her lymph nodes. She began a seven-week regimen of radiation and chemotherapy treatments so intense that Bond couldn't eat a thing. She was fed through tubing in her stomach for months and lost about a third of her body weight. "I was sick to my stomach every day for seven weeks," Bond says. "There came a point where I just gave up — I wanted to die. It was horrific for my son to watch." The good news, says Joanne Di Nardo, a spokesperson for the Ontario branch of the Canadian Cancer Society: There is an HPV vaccine that is 100 per cent effective against many forms of HPV. The bad news? Although all provincial governments administer the vaccine free to girls, in many provinces boys don't have the same privilege. Only Alberta, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and P.E.I. (either currently or will soon) offer the vaccine free to boys. "We really need to do some catching up here in Ontario," says Di Nardo. "Boys [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-08-11T12:17:53-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

AstraZenica, Inovio strike deal to find HPV cancer vaccine

Source: www.philly.comAuthor: David Sell Local drugmakers - big and small - struck a deal to try to develop a vaccine to prevent a form of cervical, head and neck cancer. MedImmune, which is the biologics and research division with AstraZeneca, said Monday it will collaborate with Inovio Pharmaceuticals to develop an early stage cancer vaccine designed to treat human pappilomavirus. AstraZeneca will pay Inovio $27.5 million upfront. If the compound reaches development and commercial milestones, Inovio could get up to $700 million, along with "double-digit tiered royalties" on product sales. However, sales are a long way off because the compound is only in phase I and phase II of what is normally a three-phase clinical trial process. AstraZeneca is moving its headquarters from London to Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and has operations in Wilmington and Fort Washington. The MedImmune division is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md. Inovio is based in Blue Bell and its basic scientific premise is to use DNA to develop vaccines. unlike most current vaccines. The companies have worked together before. The compound at the heart of the latest deal is called INO-3112. The early clinical trials are examining cervical and head and neck camcers and the compound tries to generate "killer T-cell responses that are able to destroy HPV 16- and 18- driven tumors. These HPV types are responsible for more than 70 per cent of cervical pre-cancers and cancers, " according to the statement. The full statement from AstraZeneca is here. *This news story was [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-10T12:01:54-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Riders raise awareness for oral cancer

Source: Millard County Chronicle ProgressAuthor: Doug Radunich Two traveling rodeo riders helped raise awareness for oral cancer at the Days of the Old West rodeo in Delta June 11-13. As a non-profit seeking to spread awareness of oral cancer and the dangers of starting terrible tobacco habits, the foundation teamed up with bareback bronco rider Cody Kiser, of Carson City, Nev., and barrel rider Carly Twisselman, of Paso Robles, Calif., in an effort to spread the word among the Rodeo circuit, which is one of the biggest arenas of tobaccos-using patrons. While others are focused on getting users to quit, the Oral Cancer Foundation is encouraging young people to avoid the habit that they may see one of their rodeo heroes engage in. The message of the foundation is simple and not confrontational: "Be Smart. Don’t Start". This message was displayed at the recent rodeo in Delta. Also at the Delta rodeo, Kiser and Twisselman sported Oral Cancer Foundation logos and wording on their clothes and riding gear, while handing out free buttons, wristbands and bandanas. Both riders also gave autographs, talked and had pictures taken with young fans. Both riders, who will promote the message at different rodeos across the country, also competed in their respective riding events while in Delta. “It’s an awesome opportunity to use our platform, and it’s for a good cause and to put good message out there,” Twisselman said. “There are family members and friends and peers out there who chew tobacco, and in the [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-10T11:19:45-07:00August, 2015|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Baseball and tobacco are a deadly mix

Source: www.bostonglobe.comAuthors: Dr. Howard Koh & Dr. Alan C. Woodward Unhealthy as it looks: David Ortiz spat out his “chew” after flying out against Tampa Bay in Game 3 of the 2008 ALCS at Fenway Park. Search the web for the phrase “tobacco and baseball” and you’ll find an association that dates back almost to the beginning of the sport. In the late 1800s, tobacco companies debuted baseball cards in cigarette packs. By the early 1900s, Bull Durham was advertising its chewing tobacco product on outfield fences. Today, cigarette smoking is prohibited or restricted in all Major League parks. Still, players, coaches, and others use smokeless tobacco, often referred to as “chew” or “dip,” in virtually every stadium across the country. But tobacco that is “smokeless” is not “harmless.” It contains at least 28 carcinogens and causes oral, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer, along with serious health problems such as heart disease, gum disease, tooth decay, and mouth lesions. The longstanding link between tobacco and baseball has led to tragic outcomes, for players and young fans alike. Baseball legend Babe Ruth died at age 53 of throat cancer after decades of dipping and chewing. Last summer, former Red Sox pitching great Curt Schilling announced that he had been treated for oral cancer, which he attributed to three decades of chewing tobacco. Sadly, his news came shortly after the death of Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, at age 54, after a lengthy fight with salivary gland cancer. Gwynn, too, attributed his [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-06T10:44:44-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Mayor Walsh Wants Ban On Chewing Tobacco At All City Ballparks

Source: www.wbur.orgAuthor: Philip Marcelo Former Boston Red Sox pitcher and mouth cancer survivor Curt Schilling, pictured here at Fenway Park in 2012, was on hand Wednesday as Mayor Marty Walsh proposed banning smokeless tobacco products from all city professional and amateur athletic venues. (Winslow Townson/AP) From storied Fenway Park to youth baseball diamonds across the city, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh is calling for a ban on dip, snuff and chewing tobacco. With former Red Sox pitcher and mouth cancer survivor Curt Schilling at his side, the mayor on Wednesday proposed banning smokeless tobacco products from all city professional and amateur athletic venues. “Kids shouldn’t have to watch their role models using tobacco, either at a neighborhood park or on TV,” Walsh said, standing at home plate of a South Boston baseball diamond. “Ballfields are places for mentoring and healthy development. They’re no place for cancer-causing substances.” Schilling, who revealed earlier this year he was diagnosed with mouth cancer after decades of using chewing tobacco, described his battle with the illness, which he said is in remission. “It was more painful than anything you could imagine,” he said, addressing the dozens of school-age kids in attendance. “I couldn’t swallow. I had to eat from a tube. I was sick every single day. And if it came back, I don’t know if I would go through the treatment again. It was that bad.” The 48-year-old ESPN analyst acknowledged Walsh’s proposal will likely meet resistance from major league players, but he [...]

Charlotte Parker2015-08-05T16:30:17-07:00August, 2015|Oral Cancer News|