alcohol – Oral Cancer News

5 major risk factors for head and neck cancers are within your control

Source: news.llu.edu Author: Lisa Aubry, Loma Linda University Health While head and neck cancers represent a broad category for numerous cancers, a set of five controllable risk factors contribute to most head and neck cancers, says Jared Inman, MD, a head and neck surgical oncologist at Loma Linda University Health. For April’s Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, Inman outlines how reducing these five risks in your life can help prevent head and neck cancers. Head and neck cancers, those cancers occurring above the shoulder bones not including brain cancers, occur in the voice box, throat, tongue, mouth, sinus, nose, ear, eyes, as well as other places. Squamous cell cancers are by far the most common types of head and neck cancers, says Inman, and can happen in any location of the head and neck. Therefore, the risk factors and Inman's prevention tips pertain especially to squamous cell cancers. TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL Tobacco, which includes secondhand smoke and smokeless tobacco, is the number one stand-alone risk factor for head and neck cancers, Inman says, with alcohol consumption a close runner-up. Additionally, he says combined tobacco and alcohol use places people at a greater risk of developing these cancers than those who use tobacco or alcohol alone. Most head and neck squamous cell carcinomas of the mouth and voice box are caused by tobacco and alcohol use, according to the National Cancer Institute. “Head and neck cancers are almost always tied to smoking and drinking alcohol,” says Inman. Quitting smoking and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-04-19T13:44:29-07:00April, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Few Americans are aware of links between alcohol and cancer risk

Source: www.cancerhealth.com Author: American Association for Cancer Research staff Despite conclusive research that shows that all alcoholic beverages, including wine, increase the risk of many types of cancer, Americans demonstrated low awareness of this risk, and some perceived alcohol as having health benefits, according to results published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Awareness varied significantly for various types of alcohol, the study showed. “Alcohol is a leading modifiable risk factor for cancer in the United States and previous research has shown that most Americans don’t know this,” said the study’s lead author, Andrew Seidenberg, MPH, PhD, who conducted this research while serving as a Cancer Prevention Fellow at the National Cancer Institute. Seidenberg cited research that shows that alcohol contributed to an average of more than 75,000 cancer cases and almost 19,000 cancer deaths per year between 2013-2016. All beverage types containing ethanol, such as wine, beer, and liquor, increase cancer risk. To date, seven cancer types have been linked to alcohol consumption, including cancers of the breast, mouth, and colon. To assess Americans’ awareness of the links between alcohol and cancer, Seidenberg and colleagues analyzed data from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey 5 Cycle 4, encompassing survey responses from 3,865 adults. Respondents were asked, “In your opinion, how much does drinking the following types of alcohol affect the risk of getting cancer?” Responses were recorded for wine, beer, and liquor. Further questions assessed the respondents’ awareness of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-12-31T11:35:54-07:00December, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Time for warnings on alcohol

Source: www.wellandtribune.ca Author: Star Editorial Board What if you were to learn that a product you've consumed for years is associated with serious health effects, including cancer? You’d probably approach your federal and provincial representatives and ask them to investigate why those in the know failed to warn you of the danger. As it happens, it isn't hypothetical. The product is alcohol, whose carcinogenic effect has been evident since at least 1910, when a medical journal reported a relationship between alcohol misuse and esophageal and stomach cancers. More than a century later, most Canadians are still unaware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer: According to a Canadian Cancer Society survey, only 28 per cent of Ontarians are aware of the relationship, largely because the message hasn’t been posted where people are likely to see it. Yet the risks are real. The Canadian Cancer Society says that drinking alcohol raises the risk of developing head and neck, breast, stomach, pancreatic, liver and colorectal cancers. Their message: “The less alcohol you drink, the more you reduce your risk.” There's a simple way to inform Canadians, and it doesn't require that they peruse some dusty old medical journal. All they should need to do is look at a bottle of booze to discover the association between alcohol and cancer, as well as ways to avoid negative health effects by following low-risk drinking guidelines. Canadians are, after all, intimately familiar with warning labels on everything from food to sporting equipment to toys. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-12-05T08:15:21-07:00December, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Very few Americans know drinking alcohol increases cancer risk, study finds

Source: www.yahoo.com Author: Linda Carroll Despite conclusive research showing that all alcoholic beverages, including wine, increase the risk of many types of cancer, a survey of nearly 4,000 U.S. adults found that less than a third knew that alcohol consumption was a risk factor for cancer. Even fewer, just over 20%, realized that drinking wine could raise the risk of cancer, according to the report published Thursday in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. The new findings show that “most Americans don’t know that alcohol is a leading modifiable risk factor for cancer,” Andrew Seidenberg, Ph.D., who was a cancer prevention fellow at the National Cancer Institute when the research was conducted, tells TODAY.com. “All alcoholic beverages increase cancer risk, but there are variations in awareness by the beverage type, with wine being the lowest. In fact, 10% of U.S. adults incorrectly believe that wine decreases cancer risk.” Unfortunately, the link hasn’t gotten much attention in the media, says Seidenberg, who is now research director at Truth Initiative, a nonprofit public health organization. A 2021 study found that alcohol consumption accounted for 75,199 cancer cases and 18,947 cancer deaths annually in the U.S. Other research has linked alcohol consumption to several types of cancer, including cancers of the breast, mouth and colon. Most Americans drink, and Seidenberg wonders if some would choose to cut back if they understood the link with cancer. In 2019, 54.9% (59.1% of men, 51% of women) reported drinking in the past month, with 25.8% (29.7% of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-12-03T08:04:58-07:00December, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

A shift in focus for head and neck cancer treatment

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN When Cindy Stemple of Westerville, Ohio, noticed a sore on her tongue, the last thing she imagined was that she may have head and neck cancer. After all, she was only 27 years old. She finally went to see her dentist when the sore wouldn’t heal. Since Stemple didn’t have any known risk factors for head and neck cancer, the dentist didn’t expect cancer either. After trying several treatments, they decided it was time for a biopsy. Stemple still wasn’t concerned. “It wasn’t even in the realm of possible things,” she says. “I didn’t even take anybody to the appointment when I got the results and found out it was cancer because it was the furthest thing from my mind.” She received a diagnosis of stage 3 oral squamous cell carcinoma — which is a cancer that occurs in the mouth and/or throat. Tremendous Change in Head and Neck Cancer Historically, head and neck cancer, the seventh most common cancer globally, was predominantly diagnosed in older individuals and was often linked to tobacco and alcohol use. As smoking rates began to decline, so did tobacco- and alcohol-related cases among older individuals. But head and neck cancer rates began rising in another group — younger and middle-aged adults — driven by HPV infections, predominantly HPV type 16, which has been shown to be a clear risk factor for head and neck cancer as well as cervical cancer. HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers in the United States [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-09-21T06:29:44-07:00September, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Alcohol should have cancer warning labels, say doctors and researchers pushing to raise awareness of risk

Source: www.cbc.ca Author: Ioanna Roumeliotis & Brenda Witmer · CBC News It's not a secret, but it may as well be. Few Canadians know the truth, and few may want to hear it: alcohol, any amount of alcohol, can cause cancer. There is no safe amount, and the calls to inform Canadians are growing. "Even drinking one drink a day increases your risk of some cancers — including, if you're a woman, breast cancer — but also cancers of the digestive system, the mouth, stomach," said Tim Stockwell, a senior scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria. "The risk increases with every drink you take." Alcohol has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic to humans) for decades by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It's right up there with tobacco and asbestos. Alcohol is also a top cause of preventable cancer after smoking and obesity. But the vast majority of Canadians have no idea of the risk. Stockwell wants to change that, and he and other health experts are advocating for cancer warning labels on alcohol containers. People need to know, he says, that though there are other genetic and lifestyle factors that contribute to developing cancer, every drink comes with a risk. "The risk from alcohol, it's a dose response. The bigger and more frequent the dose, the higher your risk." Kathy Andrews had no idea that the wine she enjoyed most nights before she got pregnant was [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-01-10T11:10:34-07:00January, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

The ‘big three’ causes of mouth cancer

Source: www.hippocraticpost.com Author: staff By knowing the causes of mouth cancer, we can take positive steps to reduce our own level of risk, says a leading health charity. The Oral Health Foundation is raising awareness about the causes of mouth cancer, following new research that shows far too many people remain unaware of the main risk factors. The number of people diagnosed with mouth cancer in the UK has doubled in the last 20 years, with tobacco, drinking alcohol to excess and the human papillomavirus, being the considered the most common causes. However, new data shows that awareness into the three big risk factors is as low as 15%. With more than half of all mouth cancer cases linked to lifestyle factors, the charity along with Denplan, part of Simplyhealth, are using November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month to shed light on the biggest risks factors associated with the disease. Tobacco Smoking tobacco increases your risk of developing mouth cancer by up to ten times. This includes smoking cigarettes, pipes or cigars. Around two-in-three mouth cancers are linked to smoking. Dr Nigel Carter, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation says: “Despite the number of smokers continuing to fall, it remains the leading cause of mouth cancer. Our focus must be on providing smokers with the support and information they need in order to kick tobacco for good. It’s never too late to quit and by making this positive step, the health of your mouth and body will see both instant [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-12-22T13:06:29-07:00December, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Detecting suspicious lesions: what do I say next?

Source: dentistry.co.uk Author: Philip Lewis Dental team members are amazing. They put patients at their ease and provide treatment for their dental issues. They improve smiles, boost self-confidence and they save lives. Yes, you read that right. There aren’t many opportunities for dental team members to be lifesavers. Detecting mouth cancer at an early stage is one of them. It’s an initiative for the whole dental team. Both clinical and non-clinical team members have a vital part to play. From a receptionist noticing changes in a patient’s voice, a practice manager spotting a swelling they haven’t seen before to a clinician picking up on a soft-tissue abnormality, we all get the chance to be pivotal in protecting a patient’s wellbeing. Risk factors We know there are risk factors we should be aware of: the use of tobacco in any form, regular use of alcohol, especially spirits, social deprivation with its associated problems of nutrition and vitamin deficiency. It is understood that increasing age is a factor and that men are more likely than women to get the disease. We appreciate the significant effects of infection that certain strains of HPV have had recently but realise how important it is to examine all adults. Many sufferers have no identifiable risk factors. During the clinical examination, we’ll be looking for anything unusual, including: Red, white or mixed patches Ulcers that don’t heal within a maximum of three weeks Swellings Changes to normal appearance or texture and lumps in the face or neck [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-11-19T07:02:03-07:00November, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Patterns of care for incarcerated head and neck cancer patient receiving radiation: a single-center retrospective descriptive cohort study

Source: www.docwirenews.com Author: DocWire News Abstract: Purpose/Objective(s): United States (US) have the highest incarceration rate in the world. In the context of the US justice system, many inmates are older than 55 years of age and as such are at an increased risk of cancer development. Additionally, largely due to mass incarcerations, correctional control is associated with significant racial disparities, further layering the complexity of the prison population’s health. The purpose of this study was to describe patterns of care in incarcerated head and neck (H&N) cancer patients who received radiation treatment (RT) as a part of the management of their malignancy. Materials/Methods: Following IRB approval, a total of 44 charts of patients who were imprisoned for at least a part of their radiation treatment were manually reviewed. The variables extracted included demographic data (age, race, gender), vital status, tumor site, stage, social history, cancer history, RT purpose, RT plan details (start, end, duration, dose, fractionation, completion as prescribed, concurrent systemic treatment), weight loss, surveillance (loss to follow-up) and oncologic outcomes (tumor recurrence.) Data was summarized using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 41/44 inmates were males (93%), 13/44 (29.5%) were African American. Median age at diagnosis was 49.5 years (range 27-68). A total of 21/44 tumors (47%) were oropharyngeal tumors, followed by 9 laryngeal tumors (20%). A total of 41 patients (93%) had a previous smoking history (median 20 pack years), and 30 (68%) had documented history of alcohol abuse. Most common treatment purpose was post-operative (47%) followed by [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-10-28T10:04:31-07:00October, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Study: HPV vaccination will reduce throat and mouth cancers, but overall impact will take 25-plus years to see

Source: www.newswise.com Author: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Vaccinations against human papillomavirus (HPV), a major cause of throat and back of mouth cancers, are expected to yield significant reductions in the rates of these cancers in the U.S., but will not do so until after 2045, according to a new modeling study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infectious virus worldwide. HPV infections are often silent, and while most infections clear, some are chronic and can trigger cancers including mouth and throat (oropharyngeal), and cervical cancer because they disrupt DNA and inhibit tumor-suppressor proteins in the cells they infect. Although there is no cure for existing HPV infections, new infections are preventable with vaccines, the first of which entered use in the U.S. in 2006. In the new study, the Bloomberg School researchers analyzed national databases on oropharyngeal cancer cases and HPV vaccinations, and projected the impact of HPV vaccination on the rates of these cancers in different age groups. They estimated that the oropharyngeal cancer rate would nearly halve between 2018 and 2045 among people ages 36–45. However, they also projected that the rate in the overall population would stay about the same from 2018-2045, due to still-rising rates of these cancers in older people, where most of these cancers occur. The study appears online September 2 in JAMA Oncology. “We estimate that most of the oropharyngeal cancers from 2018 to 2045 will occur among [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-09-03T12:26:37-07:00September, 2021|Oral Cancer News|