cervical cancer – Page 13 – Oral Cancer News

Pinter opens up about private battle with cancer

Source: Fairfield Citizen Author: Morgan Thomas In the 31 years that Redding actress Colleen Zenk Pinter has played Barbara Ryan on As the World Turns, her character has been in a coma following an automobile accident, survived a gunshot wound, been burned to a crisp in an explosion and imprisoned for a crime she did not commit -- the stuff of soap writers' fecund imaginations. But when Barbara was "diagnosed" with oral cancer in 2008, the script was ripped from the real life drama of the actress who plays her and fact-checked with the Oral Cancer Foundation, for which Pinter is now the spokesperson. Warning the public about this little-known cancer and about a simple 3--5 minute screening your dentist can do has become a mission for Pinter. "The screening is painless," she said in an interview with the Westport News. "And you don't have to take your clothes off!" Oral cancer kills more people each year than cervical, skin or prostate cancer, yet when found early, there is an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. She took her private health battle public first on the CBS Early Show, filmed a PSA for the Oral Cancer Foundation, a birthday commercial for the American Cancer Society and has spoken before such groups as the 2009 graduating class. University's School of Dentistry. Pinter first noticed that her speech was slurring in December 2005 but her dentist assured the then 52-year-old actress that it was just her teeth shifting. Then in July 2006, [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-10-30T10:13:47-07:00October, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccine fails to get nod for routine use in boys

Source: Medscape.com Author: Robert Lowes October 21, 2009 — Despite hearing impassioned pleas to protect both men and women from cancer, a federal advisory panel today declined to recommend that a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine be routinely administered to boys to prevent genital warts. Instead, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued a "permissive" recommendation stating that physicians have the option of vaccinating boys with the HPV vaccine Gardasil(Merck) for genital-wart protection. ACIP noted that boys should receive the vaccine "before exposure to HPV through sexual contact." In 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil for use in girls and young women to prevent cervical and other cancers as well as precancers caused by HPV types 16 and 18. Last week, the FDA also approved Gardasil for use in males aged 9 through 26 to prevent genital warts. In making its recommendation today, ACIP appeared to be swayed in part by published research questioning the cost-effectiveness of routine vaccination of boys with Gardasil. The committee's decision has far-reaching economic effects because third-party payers typically pay for vaccinations that are recommended for routine use, but not those coming with a permissive recommendation. More at Stake Than Genital Wart Prevention Proponents of routine vaccination of boys with Gardasil told the committee Wednesday during the public comment period that more was at stake than merely preventing genital warts. They underlined the need to also prevent oral, throat, penile, and anal cancers caused by HPV. David Hastings, a spokesperson for the [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-10-26T09:22:06-07:00October, 2009|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

At our throats

Source: www.forbes.com Author: Matthew Herper Oncologist Maura Gillison was looking for patients with tonsil cancer for a clinical study several years ago. The first enlisted was a malpractice lawyer, followed by a doctor, then a scientist. She joked to a colleague that all she needed was a rear admiral. In walked a member of the military brass. All were in their 30s, 40s and 50s. People in their prime didn't used to get throat tumors. Head-and-neck cancer, as doctors call it, was a disease of older problem drinkers who also chain-smoked (more men than women). Years of exposure to scotch and Lucky Strikes would damage the DNA of cells lining the throat, leading to cancer. But Gillison, 44, a professor at Ohio State University, was among the first researchers to make a startling realization: The old cigarettes-and-alcohol form of the disease was being eclipsed by a new form, caused by the same human papilloma virus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. The tumors grow in the tonsils or in the tissue that remains after tonsillectomy. The only good news is that the prognosis for these patients is better than for the old disease. Gillison and researchers at the National Cancer Institute estimate that 4,000 people, 75% of them men, develop this new form of throat cancer annually. That's only a tenth of head-and-neck cases, but it's half as many people as get cervical cancer in the U.S. More worrisome, Gillison's work shows HPV tonsil cancer is increasing at a rate of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-10-15T13:20:48-07:00October, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Three clinical studies give GSK’s cancer vaccine an edge

Source: EH News Bureau Author: Staff GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited (GSK) recently shared the results of three recently published clinical studies, conducted for its cervical cancer vaccine—Cervarix. Said Dr Hasit Joshipura, Vice President, South Asia and Managing Director, GSK India, "The findings confirmed that the vaccine offers protection against five of the most common cancer-causing virus types, generates significantly higher immune response compared to the other available vaccine Gardasil and provides high and sustained antibody levels for at least 7.3 years till date." The clinical studies involved 18,644 women and was published in The Lancet. The study confirmed that Cervarix is not only highly effective at protecting against the two most common cervical cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) types, 16 and 18, but also provides additional cross-protection against HPV types 31, 33 and 45, the three most common cancer-causing virus types beyond 16 and 18. This additional efficacy could translate into approximately 11-16 per cent extra protection against cervical cancer over and above the protection afforded by efficacy against HPV 16 and 18 alone. In India, the same five HPV types are responsible for almost 90 per cent cervical cancer cases. "These results amply demonstrate that preventive vaccination is one of the most effective methods of primary prevention of HPV infection, the necessary cause of cervical cancer. In tandem with screening tests, it is perfectly positioned to lend a decisive edge against this deadly cancer. Extending the scope of protection beyond types 16 and 18 will allow prevention of the vast majority [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-08-21T04:48:45-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil still faces questions

Source: www.philly.com Author: Marie McCullough Three years after the world's first cervical-cancer vaccine was hailed as a public-health breakthrough, Gardasil is facing renewed questions about its safety and value. In today's Journal of the American Medical Association, federal researchers analyze 12,424 voluntary reports of post-vaccination "adverse events" ranging from headaches to deaths. They conclude that only two complaints - fainting and dangerous blood clots -- are more common than expected and may be related to the immunization. But an accompanying editorial points out that many questions about Gardasil remain - key among them, whether it really will reduce the toll of cervical cancer. Another opinion piece in JAMA looks at Merck & Co.'s marketing strategy, contending the company coopted professional medical societies to promote and recommend the vaccine. Merck - already on the defensive over Gardasil's second-quarter sales, which slumped sharply in the United States and worldwide - said in a statement that "we welcome continued study and discussion" of the product's safety. "The bottom line is that Gardasil has a very positive benefit-risk profile," Richard M. Haupt, head of Merck's clinical program for the vaccine, said in an interview. Gardasil, a series of three shots, protects against two strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause 70 percent of cervical-cancer cases. Gardasil also wards off two other HPV strains that cause 90 percent of genital warts in men and women. Next month, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to recommend expanding Gardasil's current [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T06:37:56-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccine debate shifts to boys

Source: Buffalo News Author: Henry L. Davis New questions arise as cancer tied to HPV is rising in men Parents who face the dilemma of whether to protect their young daughters with a vaccine aimed at a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer now face a new question: Should they do the same for their sons? As evidence mounts of a rising number of other cancers linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a debate has intensified over whether to give the vaccine to males. Advocates say vaccinating boys and men can prevent them from passing on the virus to their sexual partners. Critics still question the long-term safety and effectiveness of Merck & Co.’s Gardasil, despite studies indicating that its risks and lasting power are within the range of other vaccines. But a newer wrinkle in the debate is the discovery in recent years that oral HPV infections — most likely acquired from oral sex with multiple partners—significantly increase the risk of head and neck cancers. The rate of oral cancers is rising so steadily, especially in men, that, if the trend continues, there may be more oral cancers in the United States caused by HPV in 10 years than by tobacco or alcohol, a major study concluded last year. “We should be investing our care and dollars in preventing HPV infection instead of treating the cancers,” said Dr. Thom Loree of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Physicians at the cancer center have begun publicly touting the benefits of [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-15T13:04:17-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

New evidence supports HPV vaccine

MONDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is highly effective at preventing precancerous cervical lesions that can lead to cervical cancer, a new study shows. The researchers also found that the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine also appears to protect against other cancer-causing HPV types closely related to HPV-16/18, most notably HPV-31 and HPV-45. The study of women aged 15 to 25, who received three vaccine doses over six months, found that it was as much as 98 percent effective against HPV-16/18, and between 37 percent and 54 percent effective against 12 other cancer-causing HPV types. HPV-16/18 causes about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, while the remaining 30 percent of cases are caused by other cancer-causing HPV types. The cross-protective effect of the HPV-16/18 vaccine could provide an additional 11 percent to 16 percent protection against cervical cancer. "Although the importance of continued tests for Pap or HPV in vaccinated and unvaccinated women must be emphasized, HPV vaccination has the potential to substantially reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and precancer, and the numbers of colposcopy referrals and cervical excision procedures," concluded Dr. Jorma Paavonen, of the University of Helsinki in Finland, and colleagues. The study, which was funded by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, maker of the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine Cervarix, appears online July 7 and in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet. In an accompanying editorial, two experts wrote that men must also be included in efforts to halt the spread of HPV. "Currently, the targets for [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-07-10T15:34:24-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

‘Poor knowledge’ on cervical cancer

Source: The Press Association Author: Staff More than one in three girls does not know the causes of cervical cancer despite the "Jade Goody effect", a new poll suggests. A total of 38% of girls said they were unaware of the causes even though Goody - a former Big Brother star - raised the profile of the disease. Goody died in March aged 27 after a battle with the cancer, which had spread around her body. Anecdotal evidence from across the NHS suggests the number of women attending cervical screening has shot up as a result of her story. The poll of girls aged 12 to 18 was carried out for GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the Cervarix vaccine to protect against Human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer. Of the 255 girls questioned, 5% thought "sexual promiscuity" caused cervical cancer. Another 11% said "a type of virus" caused it but only 6% knew the HPV virus did. When the findings were compared with a survey of 139 girls aged 16 to 18 carried out before Goody was diagnosed, 40% said they did not know what caused the disease and 6% pointed to HPV. This could suggest that knowledge about HPV has not increased despite Goody's diagnosis. The more recent survey also found that 40% of girls thought a family history of the disease was a major factor in getting cervical cancer. Girls aged 12 to 13 are currently being vaccinated against HPV as part of an NHS campaign. [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-08T17:11:12-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Trial shows cancer vaccine success

Source: Channel4news.com Author: Staff A vaccine against a sexually transmitted disease which causes most forms of cervical cancer can protect older women, according to a new study. Women aged from 24 to 45 who have not already been infected with the human papilloma virus (HPV) can be protected by the HPV vaccine, according to an article published in the medical journal The Lancet. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease which is responsible for most forms of cervical cancer. Trials were conducted with over 3,000 women in the relevant age group who had not been infected with HPV. Half were given a placebo and half were given a vaccine which protects against four strains of HPV. The researchers found that four cases of infection occurred in the vaccine group compared to 41 in the placebo group – meaning the vaccine was 91 per cent effective against all four virus strains. Looking at HPV 16 and 18 only, which are responsible for 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer, four cases occurred in the vaccine group compared with 23 in the placebo group, meaning the vaccine was 83 per cent effective. When trials were conducted with women who had already been infected with HPV, the vaccine was only 30 per cent effective. The report's author, Dr Nubia Muñoz, therefore suggested that the public health benefit of vaccinating the older age group could potentially be less cost-effective than vaccinating teenagers who were less likely to have been sexually active. Currently teenage [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-06-02T11:14:02-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Glaxo’s cervical cancer vaccine faces US battle

Source: Forbes.com Author: Linda A. Johnson New studies show GlaxoSmithKline PLC's vaccine Cervarix blocks the virus that causes cervical cancer, but if it wins approval for U.S. sales, it will face an uphill battle against Gardasil, which has owned the market here for three years. Cervarix, Glaxo's vaccine against human papilloma virus or HPV, already is approved in more than 90 other countries, but has been held up by delays in the United States. Several years ago, the British drugmaker was in a neck-and-neck race with rival Merck & Co., Gardasil's maker, to be first on the U.S. market, but it lost when Gardasil got approved in June 2006. Late in 2007, the Food and Drug Administration declined to approve approve Cervarix. GlaxoSmithKline submitted a new application on March 30 that included final data from an 18,000-woman study recently completed. Final results from that study and two others are being presented this weekend at a conference in Sweden on papillomavirus. FDA is expected to decide whether to approve Cervarix within several months. If it does, analyst Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, said doctors who have prescribed Gardasil for a few years may see no reason to switch - unless GlaxoSmithKline convinces them its product is much more effective or has fewer side effects. Both vaccines target the two types of HPV that cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers, types 16 and 18, and data indicate both are about 98 percent effective. But Merck also [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-05-08T18:53:28-07:00May, 2009|Oral Cancer News|