cervical cancer – Page 14 – Oral Cancer News

Cervical cancer screening with HPV test reduces advanced cancers, deaths

Source: www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin Author: Carmen Phillips An 8-year trial conducted in India has shown that screening for cervical cancer with a single round of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing halved the rate of advanced cervical cancers and deaths from cervical cancer. HPV screening was much more effective than other screening methods, including Pap testing or visual inspection with acetic acid. In the study, published April 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), no women who had a negative HPV DNA test died from invasive cervical cancer after 8 years of follow up. The findings have "immediate and global" implications, wrote Drs. Mark Schiffman and Sholom Wacholder of NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics in an editorial accompanying the study. "International experts in cervical-cancer prevention should now adapt HPV testing for widespread implementation," they added, noting that additional research and efforts will be required in some communities, including the development of an infrastructure for the treatment of HPV-positive women. HPV16 E6 shown in green, in the nucleus of a mammalian cell In developing countries like India, noted the study's lead author, Dr. Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan and colleagues from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in France, there has been "no clinically significant reduction in cervical cancer incidence in three decades." As a result, approximately 80 percent of the half million cases of cervical cancer diagnosed around the globe each year are in low-resource countries. Cervical cancer screening programs in the United States and other developed countries are one [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-04-12T11:04:07-07:00April, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

PhRMA honors Gardasil(r) researchers with Discoverers Award

Source: sev.prnewswire.com/medical-pharmaceuticals Author: press release The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) will honor recipients of its 2009 Discoverers Award and 2009 Clinical Trial Exceptional Service Award tonight at PhRMA's annual meeting in San Antonio, TX. The awards will be presented to biopharmaceutical company scientists and other researchers who helped discover, develop and advance Gardasil(r), a breakthrough vaccine from Merck & Co., Inc. that can help prevent cervical cancer. (See footnote for more detailed description.) Cancer vaccines represent an emerging type of biological therapy. With 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 250,000 deaths from it each year worldwide, human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and the resulting cancers are a major human health threat. HPV infection typically occurs in adolescent and young adult women. "The recipients of these awards should all be proud that they have played such an incredible role in advancing healthcare here in America and around the world. Millions of patients will live healthier, longer lives because of the critical research that was done by these dedicated researchers," says PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin. "These extraordinary honorees certainly deserve this recognition because they are the heroes behind a medicine that helps patients prevent a life-threatening cancer before it can get started." PhRMA's Discoverers Award recognizes scientists whose research and development of medicines have greatly benefited mankind, and whose dedication to improving the quality of patients' lives exemplifies the best among research-based company scientists today. Discoverers Award recipients are Merck's Eliav Barr, M.D., Vice President, Oncology Clinical [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-04-07T18:14:04-07:00April, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

A vaccine debate once focused on sex shifts as boys join the target market

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Author: Rob Stein When a vaccine designed to protect girls against a sexually transmitted virus arrived three years ago, the debate centered on one question: Would the shots make young girls more likely to have sex? Now the vaccine's maker is trying to get approval to sell the vaccine for boys, and the debate is focusing on something else entirely: Is it worth the money, and is it safe and effective enough? "We are still more worried about the promiscuity of girls than the promiscuity of boys," said Susan M. Reverby, a professor of women's studies and medical history at Wellesley College. "There's still that double standard." The shift in the discussion about Gardasil illustrates the complex interplay of political, economic, scientific, regulatory and social factors that increasingly influence decisions about new types of medical care. For the vaccine, the new dynamic reflects a strategic tack by Gardasil's critics, growing concern about health-care costs, fears about whether medical treatments are being vetted adequately and stubborn biases about gender, experts say. "There is the cost, the safety, the boys versus girls," said Susan F. Wood, a professor of public health at George Washington University. "These are some of the complexities that are going to have to be addressed one way or the other with this vaccine." Gardasil protects against the human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV causes genital warts and, in women, can lead to cervical cancer -- a disease that strikes about 10,000 American women [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-27T08:30:59-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

FDA approves genetic test for identifying human papillomavirus

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Jacquelyn K. Beals, PhD A new test for human papillomavirus (HPV) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The test, Cervista HPV 16/18 (Hologic Inc), is the first to rely on identification of DNA sequences specific to 2 high-risk HPVs that cause most cases of cervical cancer in the United States. Among more than 100 types of HPVs, many are low-risk viruses that cause warts or noncancerous growths. Other HPVs are considered high risk because their infections more frequently lead to cancer. More than a dozen types of sexually transmitted high-risk HPVs typically cause flat, hard-to-see growths on the cervix, but most of these infections resolve on their own without causing cancer. Persistent HPV infections, some lasting for many years with or without detectable symptoms, are the major cause of cervical cancer. Estimates in 2007 predicted that 11,000 US women would be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4000 would die from the disease. Worldwide, the annual mortality from cervical cancer is close to 250,000. Approximately 70% of all cervical cancers are caused by HPV types 16 and 18, and factors such as smoking or bearing many children further increase the risk for cervical cancer in women infected with high-risk HPVs. The newly approved test can identify DNA sequences from HPV 16 and HPV 18 in samples of cervical cells, even before definitive changes occur in cells of the cervix. The FDA also approved a second DNA test, the Cervista HPV HR test (Hologic [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-03-21T08:30:33-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

First DNA Test for Two Types of Human Papillomavirus Approved by FDA

Source: FDA News The first DNA test that identifies the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) causing the majority of cervical cancers among women in the United States is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The test, called Cervista HPV 16/18, detects the DNA sequences for HPV type 16 and HPV type 18 in cervical cells. Differentiating these HPV types gives health care professionals more information on a patient’s risk of subsequently developing cervical cancer. A positive Cervista 16/18 test result indicates whether HPV type 16, 18 or both types are present in the cervical sample. The FDA also approved yesterday the Cervista HPV HR test, which is the second DNA test that detects essentially all of the high-risk HPV types in cervical cell samples. The Cervista HPV HR test uses a method similar to the Cervista HPV 16/18 test to detect the DNA sequences of these HPV types. In women age 30 and older or women with borderline cytology, the Cervista HPV 16/18 test can be used together with cytology and the Cervista HPV HR test to assess risk of cervical disease. “Results from these two tests, when considered with a physician’s assessment of the patient’s history, other risk factors, and professional guidelines, can help physicians better determine risk and could lead to better patient management,” said Daniel G. Schultz, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. The U.S. Centers for [...]

Webmaster2009-03-16T13:13:26-07:00March, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Dental Calamities That Can Truly Hurt

Source: New York Times Writer: Nicholas Bakalar DENTAL cavities are not good news, but when it comes to preventive oral health, they may be among the smaller problems. The advice is familiar: brush and floss regularly, use fluoride mouthwash, limit snacks and sweet drinks, visit the dentist twice a year. Good suggestions, even if not everyone follows them: by age 12, 50 percent of children have cavities. But there are two much more serious problems, common dental diseases that can lead not only to loss of teeth but also to loss of life: periodontal disease and oral cancer. Periodontal disease — a chronic bacterial infection of the gums that destroys the bone and tissues that hold the teeth — is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Some people are genetically susceptible, and the problem can be aggravated by smoking, taking certain medications, stress and other factors. Several studies have found that gum disease is associated with an increased risk for heart attack. “It isn’t nailed down yet,” said Dr. Martin J. Davis, professor of clinical dentistryat the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia, “but there seems to be a link between the inflammation of gums and the inflammatory markers of heart disease.” It may be that oral bacteria enter the bloodstream, attach to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries and cause clots to form. Or maybe inflammation itself increases plaque buildup. A 2007 study showed that periodontal disease increased the risk of heart disease in men by one third and doubled it in women, even [...]

Webmaster2009-02-17T09:56:09-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

HPV testing followed by cytology and repeat HPV testing may improve cervical cancer screening

Source: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2009 101(2):69 Author: staff The use of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing as an initial screening step followed by triage with a standard Pap test (cytology) and repeat HPV DNA testing may increase the accuracy of cervical cancer screening, according to a study in the Jan. 13 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Compared to cytology alone, the screening strategy improved detection of precancerous growths without a substantial increase in the number of false-positive tests. Randomized trials have shown that using DNA testing for HPV—which is known to cause cervical cancer—in screening programs would increase detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) compared with cytology. However, HPV DNA testing also results in a substantial increase in false-positive tests, which lead to unnecessary and costly retesting. In the current study, Joakim Dillner, M.D. of Lund University in Malmö, Sweden, and colleagues compared the efficacy of 11 different screening strategies that used HPV DNA testing, cytology, or a combination of the two. To evaluate the different strategies the investigators retrospectively analyzed data from 6,257 women who were enrolled in the intervention arm of a large randomized screening trial, called Swedescreen, in which HPV DNA testing was used in addition to standard cytology. As seen in previous trials, the use of HPV DNA testing in conjunction with cytology increased the screening efficacy, detecting 35 percent more cases of CIN grade 3 or worse, compared with cytology alone. The strategy, however, doubled the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-01-26T08:49:12-07:00January, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Study suggests Merck’s Gardasil is effective in males

Source: money.cnn.com Author: Peter Loftus A new study suggests Merck & Co.'s (MRK) Gardasil vaccine, which is primarily given to prevent cervical cancer in girls and women, may also be effective in preventing genital warts and penile cancer when given to males. Merck hopes the company-funded study will support roughly doubling the target population for the vaccine, which could help jump-start sagging sales. The Whitehouse Station, N.J., company said it remains on track to apply by year end for Food and Drug Administration approval to market Gardasil to boys and men ages 9 to 26 for prevention of external genital lesions caused by certain viral strains. "This is groundbreaking data," said Anna Giuliano, professor of medicine and epidemiology at University of South Florida, who co-authored the study. "To demonstrate that Gardasil prevents infection and disease at a very high level in males - that's the other half of the world." It was the first study to demonstrate Gardasil's effectiveness in males - prior studies had shown it could produce a positive immune response in males. The vaccine, which was launched in 2006, is currently approved in the U.S. for girls and women ages 9 through 26 to prevent cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers, as well as genital warts and other lesions caused by certain viral strains. These diseases, in both males and females, share the same cause: Human papillomavirus, or HPV, which is transmitted through sexual contact. The cancers in men caused by HPV, however, are rarer than cervical cancer. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-13T16:09:00-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Virus discoveries secure Nobel prize in medicine

Source: www.nature.com Author: Alison Abbott This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honors three Europeans who discovered viruses that cause deadly diseases, and whose findings have led to major medical advances. Harald zur Hausen, former director of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, was honoured for his work on the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. A protective vaccine for this virus has now been developed and is in widespread use. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier share the other half of the prize for their discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), which causes AIDS. Zur Hausen was the only one of the three who was at home when the famous call from Stockholm came. Montagnier, now director of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, was working in the Côte d'Ivoire. Barré-Sinoussi, who is at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, was in Cambodia. The Nobel committee had been unable to contact either before the time of the announcement. Search for the AIDS virus Barré-Sinoussi — who, accompanied only by her mobile phone, found herself overwhelmed by the event — becomes the 36th woman to win a Nobel prize of any kind, compared with a list of 745 male laureates. She worked with Montagnier at the Pasteur Institute, from the beginning of the hunt for the virus causing AIDS in the early 1980s. The pair identified the virus, which they originally called LAV (lymphadenopathy associated virus), in 1983. A bitter battle for credit [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-07T07:49:50-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|

Sanofi Pasteur MSD’s HPV vaccine Gardasil(R) wins Prix Galien award

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com Author: staff The two HPV vaccines currently licensed for use in the UK were jointly awarded the coveted Prix Galien Medal for Innovation at a ceremony held on Wednesday evening in the Palace of Westminster, House of Commons. "We are absolutely delighted at the recognition given to the world's leading HPV vaccine Gardasil® - this award reflects the work of many people, all around the world, involved in making the dream of a cancer vaccine a reality", said Dr Nicholas Kitchin, Medical Director, accepting the award on behalf of the Sanofi Pasteur MSD team. "Both companies have developed the technology of HPV vaccines down different paths," he continued, "we chose a quadrivalent vaccine strategy, targeting a broader range of HPV-related genital disease than cervical cancer alone, with the aim of delivering additional benefits for patients and healthcare systems." The joint award for the two HPV vaccines, developed by Sanofi Pasteur MSD and GSK, was presented by Andrew Lansley CBE MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health. The distinguished panel of seven judges, chaired by Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, selected the HPV vaccines as the winners from seven innovative products that reached the final. Vaccines have won in four of the last five Prix Galien awards and the UK award for Gardasil® follows similar success in Prix Galien competitions in the USA and France. Current experience with the four-type HPV vaccine Thirty years after the discovery that human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer, 15 years after the start [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-29T18:53:38-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|