Cervarix – Page 6 – Oral Cancer News

Human papilloma virus (HPV) and cancer

Source: ezinearticles.com Author: David Warmflash, MD Human papilloma virus (HPV), is a category of viruses of which more than seventy subtypes are known. Most people have heard of HPV, because the media have spent a good deal of time discussing the issue of mandatory vaccination against the virus. The discussion in the news is well-deserved. Each year, approximately 6.2 million people are infected with (HPV). Usually, the virus is cleared by the immune system, before any disease can develop. However, because of the high rate of infection, HPV-associated disease is all-too common around the world. Each year 11,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are diagnosed in the United States, leading to approximately 4,000 deaths. The rate would be much higher, were it not for the advent of the the Papanicolaou test (Pap smear), used to screen for precancerous conditions since the 1930s. Since Pap smears and HPV vaccinations are hot topics, even if you have no background in medicine, it is likely that you are aware of HPV as an agent that causes cervical cancer. What you may not know, however, is that HPV also is involved in cancers of the throat and the skin. Actually, not all of the subtypes of HPV are known to be involved in the pathological process leading to cancer and precancerous conditions of the cervix. Of the HPV subtypes linked to cervical cancer, four types are most important. These are HPV-6b, HPV-11, HPV-16, and HPV-18, the latter two being the most dangerous for [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-07-31T06:49:25-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

The cancer-causing sex virus

Source: Forbes Author: Matthew Herper Martin Duffy, a Boston consultant and economist, thought he just had a sore throat. When it persisted for months, he went to the doctor and learned there was a tumor on his tonsils. Duffy, now 70, had none of the traditional risk factors for throat cancer. He doesn't smoke, doesn't drink and has run 40 Boston marathons. Instead, his cancer was caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted and a common cause of throat and mouth cancer. HPV tumors have a better prognosis than those caused by too many years of booze and cigarettes. But Duffy "is in the unlucky 20%" whose cancer comes back--despite rounds of chemotherapy and radiation that melted 20 more pounds off a lean 150-pound frame. Now the cancer has spread throughout his throat, making eating and talking difficult. "I made my living as a public speaker," he says. "Now I sound like Daffy Duck." Duffy believes he has only a few months left. "How do you tell the people you love you love them?" he asks. Nine Things You Need To Know About HPV Most strains of the HPV virus are harmless, but persistent infections with two HPV strains cause 70% of the 12,000 cases of cervical cancers diagnosed annually in the U.S. Other forms of the sexually transmitted virus can cause penile and anal cancer, and genital warts. The HPV throat cancer connection has emerged in just the last few years and is so new that [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-25T20:13:00-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Could HPV be transmitted orally?

Source: Bright Hub Author: Kira Jaines Can a kiss transmit HPV? Or oral sex? Studies conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that not only can human papilloma virus be transmitted orally, it can also increase the risk of oropharyngeal cancer. Can HPV Be Transmitted Orally? In a word, yes. Once thought to be uncommon, the oral transmission of human papilloma virus (HPV) through oral sex and even French kissing has been documented and linked to an increasing rate of oropharyngeal cancer. The oropharynx consists of the base the tongue, the tonsils, the back of the mouth and the walls of the throat. Results of a study by Johns Hopkins researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 linked HPV exposure and infection to an increased risk of cancer of the mouth and throat. HPV infection has rapidly caught up with tobacco and alcohol as a risk factor for oral cancer, and has, in fact, become one of the leading causes of oral cancer in men, independently of smoking and drinking. About HPV Over 120 different HPV viruses have been identified, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. Different types of HPV infect different parts of the body. Some cause warts on the skin. Some cause warts on the genitals. Some are harmless. Some cause cancer. The HPV virus is easily passed via skin-to-skin contact or sexual contact. HPV viruses cause no early identifiable symptoms and most are fought off by the body’s immune system. In fact, sexually-active adults have a [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-07-11T16:10:45-07:00July, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

HPV is changing the face of head and neck cancers

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: Christen Cona In February, at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz., Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, professor and Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University in Columbus, presented data that showed that the proportion of all head and neck squamous cell cancers that were of the oropharynx — which are most commonly HPV-positive cancers — increased from 18% in 1973 to 32% in 2005. In addition, studies from the United States, Europe, Denmark and Australia indicate that HPV-positive patients have a more than twofold increased cancer survival than HPV-negative patients, according to Gillison. With the rising incidence of HPV-related oropharynx cancers, it will soon be the predominant type of cancer in the oral or head and neck region, according to Andy Trotti, MD, director of radiation oncology clinical research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, in Tampa, Fla. “We should be focusing on HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer because it will dominate the field of head and neck cancers for many years,” he said during an interview with HemOnc Today . “It is certainly an important population for which to continue to conduct research.” Because HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer is emerging as a distinct biological entity, the recent rise in incidence will significantly affect treatment, and prevention and screening techniques, essentially reshaping current clinical practice. Social change driving incidence In the analysis performed by Gillison and colleagues, trends demonstrated that change in the rates of head and neck cancers [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-06-27T10:24:39-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

End of cervical cancer is possible

Source: The News and Observer Author: Martha Quillin May 19--RALEIGH -- North Carolina could be among the first states to eliminate cervical cancer, according to a group of health care experts who launched an effort Tuesday with that goal. More than 100 clinicians, researchers, community activists and some cancer survivors attended the launch of the Cervical Cancer-Free Initiative at a Raleigh hotel. That's almost as many women -- 114, on average -- who die of cervical cancer in North Carolina each year. While the number of deaths from the illness has dropped over three decades in the state and across the nation, all cervical-cancer deaths are preventable, said Noel T. Brewer, director of the initiative. Brewer is also an associate professor in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, which is a partner with the N.C. Division of Public Health, in the initiative. "This is an illness that kills people in countries where people don't have access to health care," Brewer said. In the United States, 4,070 women died of the disease last year, according to the National Cancer Institute. "We are a rich country," Brewer said. "This shouldn't be happening here." Participants talked about ways to get more girls vaccinated against HPV, or human papillomavirus, which is present in every case of cervical cancer, and to increase screening for cervical cancer in women who weren't vaccinated. Those two steps could prevent most of the deaths, Brewer said. In North Carolina, only a third of girls aged 13 to [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-05-20T12:20:57-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Sexually transmitted virus leads to rise in oral cancer

Source: The Boston Channel Author: Staff Boston cancer specialists are trying to learn what’s behind an “epidemic” spike in oral cancer cases that they say is caused by the human papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV. “What you're seeing here is a five-fold increase in the numbers that we would expect,” said Dr. Marshall R. Posner, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. “So that, to me, is an epidemic.” NewsCenter 5’s Heather Unruh reported Thursday that most adults have been exposed to HPV. Doctors say it can be sexually transmitted, even through deep kissing. What doctors don’t know yet is why in some people, such a common virus develops into cancer. “Most people who get infected with HPV naturally clear the virus,” said DFCI’s Dr. Karen Anderson. Anderson and her team of researchers are trying to isolate who’s at risk for oral cancer from HPV, and why. “Because then,” Anderson said, “we can focus on more aggressive screening approaches for people who are at higher risk and start to look at more therapeutic interventions earlier on.” Posner said that at least 20,000 cases of oropharyngeal cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year. Most patients are young. Three in four occur in men. Tony is one face among the statistics. Five days a week he psyches himself up for radiation to treat the cancer that grew at the base of his tongue, where it meets his throat. “What I say,” he said, “is, ‘It is not of me, or a [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-05-14T14:37:01-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Comparing the HPV vaccines

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: Debbie Blamble, PharmD, BCOP HPVs are double-stranded DNA viruses that affect epithelial cells. More than 100 strains of HPV have been detected. Approximately 40 strains are known to infect genital mucosa, of which about 15 strains are known to cause cancer. HPV types 16 and 18 are the most common cancer-causing strains, leading to about 70% of all cervical cancer cases worldwide. HPV types 6 and 11 are associated with about 90% of all cases of genital warts. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia is an abnormality of the cervical epithelium associated with HPV infection and is thought to be a precursor to cervical cancer. CIN is classified into three grades: 1, 2, 3. With CIN-1, mild dysplasia is present and affects only the lowest third of the cervical epithelium; 70% to 90% of CIN-1 lesions undergo spontaneous regression. CIN-2 and CIN-3 show moderate to severe dysplasia and affect the lowest two-thirds to full thickness of the cervical epithelium, respectively. More than half of CIN-2 and CIN-3 cases are estimated to persist or progress to squamous cell cancer. Persistent HPV infection may also lead to cervical adenocarcinoma in situ. In the United States, screening with the Pap test identifies these precancerous lesions and has led to a decrease in the rates of cervical cancer. These precancerous lesions may develop less than five years after HPV infection. HPV infection HPV infection is most frequently acquired through sexual contact. It is estimated that more than 80% of men and women in the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-11T10:57:29-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

New vaccine against HPV approved in Canada

Source: www.ctv.ca Author: staff Canadian women have a choice of two vaccines against HPV, the family of viruses that can cause cervical cancer, now that Health Canada has approved GlaxoSmithKline's vaccine, Cervarix. The vaccine, which is expected to be available by the end of the month, will compete against Gardasil, a product of Merck Canada, which has been on the Canadian market since 2006. Cervarix has been available in Europe since 2007, and was approved in the U.S. this past fall. Health Canada said its approval was based on a review of clinical trials on nearly 30,000 women. The competing vaccines will be similarly priced, at about $400. Each vaccine requires three doses and are meant for girls and women aged 10 to 25, ideally before they become sexually active. While there are differences between the two vaccines, each offers good protection against infection with the most dangerous strains of HPV, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada (GOC) said in a statement Tuesday. The GOC added that each vaccine has had an excellent safety profile both in pre-market testing and after extensive use worldwide. Cervarix is designed to protect against two human papillomavirus strains: HPV 16 and 18. Those strains are responsible for more than 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer. It also offers some protection against three other cancer-causing strains HPV 31, 33 and 45. Between them, the four strains account for more than 80 per cent of cervical cancer cases. Gardasil also prevents infection with [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-02-11T09:55:32-07:00February, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Vaccines plus screening could end cervical cancer

Source: www.cancernetwork.com Author: Fram Lowry Out with the old and in with the new is a commonly followed maxim in medicine given the rapid pace of developments in diagnosis and treatment. Human papillomavirus vaccines are relative newcomers to the cervical cancer armamentarium, but they cannot be relied on to do the job on their own; screening is still a must. Richard B. Roden, PhD, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and Carlos L. Santos, MD, from the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas in Lima, Peru, discussed the merits and drawbacks of HPV vaccines and standard screening during a session on female malignancies at ASCO 2009 in Orlando Long-term protection The widespread vaccination of adolescents against HPV will be critical to the eradication of cervical cancer, said Dr. Roden, an associate professor in the department of pathology. “HPV virus-like particle [VLP] vaccines are very effective in preventing genital HPV infection and neoplastic disease,” he explained. “Solid protection has been observed for more than six years after vaccination, suggesting vaccine protection is likely to be long-term, although the need for a booster is not out of the question.” To date, two HPV vaccines are FDA-approved: Gardasil from Merck, produced in yeast, and Cervarix from GlaxoSmithKline, produced in insect cells. In October 2009, Gardasil was approved by the FDA for use in boys and men (aged 9-26) for the prevention of genital warts caused by HPV-6 and HPV-11. Both vaccines target HPV-16 and HPV-18, the two most common oncogenic HPV types. Gardasil also [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-30T13:16:35-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Cervarix® vaccination against HPV lasts at least six years

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff Researchers affiliated with the GlaxoSmithKline Vaccine HPV-007 Study Group have reported that Cervarix® [human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine] has “high and sustained immunogenicity, and a favorable safety” profile for up to 6.4 years following administration. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication in the Lancet on December 3, 2009.[1] Cervarix is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of cervical pre-cancers and cervical cancer associated with HPV types 16 and 18. It is approved for use in girls and women between the ages of 10 and 25 years. Human papillomaviruses consist of more than 100 different viruses. Some types of HPV cause warts on the hands or feet; others cause genital warts; and some have been linked with cancer, most notably cervical cancer. The types of HPV most commonly linked with cervical cancer are HPV 16 and HPV 18, but several other high-risk types contribute to cancer as well. The types of HPV that cause cervical cancer or genital warts are transmitted sexually. HPV infection is extremely common and generally occurs soon after an individual becomes sexually active. Although most infections resolve on their own, some persist and can lead to precancerous or cancerous changes to the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, and anus. HPV infections have also been linked with some head and neck cancers. The first HPV vaccine to be approved in the United States was Gardasil®, which protects against HPV types 6 and 11 (linked to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-07T16:52:12-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|