diagnosis – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

Prolonged treatment delay did not affect outcomes in SCCHN

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: Christen Haigh No association was found between diagnosis to treatment interval and tumor control outcomes in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). However, patients with poor Karnofsky performance status, black patients and patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy all had prolonged diagnosis to treatment interval. Jimmy J. Caudell Jr., MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Mississippi, Jackson, presented the findings at the Multidisciplinary Head & Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz. Prolonged treatment delay from the time of diagnosis may often occur in patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer due to social, dental, nutritional and radiotherapy planning procedures that need to be resolved prior to treatment initiation, according to researchers. To assess factors affecting treatment delay, researchers analyzed data from 426 patients with SCCHN treated with radiotherapy from 1995 to 2007 at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The median follow-up was 42 months. The median diagnosis to treatment interval was 34 days. Longer than median diagnosis to treatment interval was associated with treatment off protocol (P=.002), black ethnicity (P=.005), insurance type (P

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-05T07:32:43-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Doctors using mouthwash to detect head, neck cancer

Source: www.king5.com Author: Jean Enersen For a patient with head and neck cancer, the cure rate is only 30 percent. That's because the disease is often detected in the late stages. Now catching the cancer earlier may be as simple as gargling with mouthwash. Edie Acosta's niece and nephew gave her the courage to fight neck cancer. "They cut from here, all the way down here," she said. On her neck, the scar marks where a stage four tumor was removed. "It seemed bigger and bigger 'til it got to the size of a fist, a man's fist," she said. "And I couldn't even move my neck. You feel like a little bird whose wings got cut and you can't fly anymore. I just, I thought I was really gonna die." For patients like Edie, late stage diagnosis makes treating neck cancer more difficult. Now, researchers have developed a quick, inexpensive mouthwash to detect these cancers earlier. The patient rinses with the saline mouthwash. After they spit it out, doctors add antibodies. In about 48 hours, if there's cancer detected in the saliva, the molecules show up in color. "We've found that these molecules show up differently in the oral rinses from patients that have cancer compared to patients that don't have cancer," said Dr. Elizabeth Franzmann, otolaryngologist, Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami. In a study that included 102 head and neck cancer patients and 69 patients with benign disease, the oral rinse detected the cancer nearly [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-12-25T11:07:06-07:00December, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

National guideline released for the treatment of hoarseness

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: press release New recommendations from ENT doctors on the management of a common voice problem in adults and children The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) will issue the first--and only--national clinical practice guideline to help healthcare practitioners identify and manage patients with hoarseness, also known as dysphonia. The guideline emphasizes evidence-based management of hoarseness by clinicians, and educates patients on the prevalence of this common vocal health issue. "Hoarseness affects approximately 20 million people in the U.S. at any given time, and about one in three individuals will become hoarse at some point in their life," said Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, an author of the guideline and chair of the AAO-HNSF Guideline Development Task Force. "In addition to the impact on health and quality of life, hoarseness leads to frequent healthcare visits and several billion dollars in lost productivity annually from work absenteeism." The terms hoarseness and dysphonia are often used interchangeably, however, hoarseness is a symptom of altered voice quality and dysphonia is a diagnosis. Hoarseness (dysphonia) is defined as a disorder characterized by altered vocal quality, pitch, loudness, or vocal effort that impairs communication or reduces voice-related quality of life. Hoarseness may affect newborns, infants, children, and adults of any age. Individuals with hoarseness have impaired communication with their family and peers, which may result in depression, social isolation, missed work, lost wages, or reduced quality of life. "Most hoarseness is caused by benign or self-limiting conditions, but [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-01T08:50:37-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Factors associated with early-stage diagnosis of oral and pharyngeal cancer

Source: Community Dent Oral Epidemiol, June 4, 2009 Authors: Jennifer M Watson et al. Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics and treatment-seeking behaviors of patients diagnosed with oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC) and to determine whether seeing an oral healthcare provider in the preceding year was associated with an earlier stage of diagnosis. Methods: Trained interviewers administered a pretested survey instrument to a sample of 131 patients newly diagnosed with OPC at two cancer centers in Florida. Analyses were conducted to compare characteristics of patients by cancer summary stage (early or advanced) on receipt of OPC examination, patterns of dental care, and number of initial signs and symptoms. In addition, analyses were also conducted for characteristics of patients' dental care utilization (regular primary care dentist, time of most recent dental visit, and regular dental care) by receipt of OPC examination. Results: Overall, 25.3% of participants reported receiving an OPC examination at their last dental visit and participants who received an OPC examination were significantly more likely (79%) to be diagnosed at early stages than those who did not receive an oral cancer examination (48%). Patients with a regular primary care dentist were more likely to be diagnosed at early stages (65%) than those without a regular primary care dentist (41%). Factors significantly associated with receiving an OPC examination included having a regular primary care dentist (P

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-06-19T07:37:59-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

‘A second opinion saved our lives’ say the patients who refused to accept their GP’s diagnosis

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk Author: Marianne Power We all trust our GPs to give the correct diagnosis. But doctors CAN get it wrong - with potentially disastrous consequences. These patients prove you should never be too embarrassed to ask for a second opinion. We all want to believe what doctors tell us, especially when they're assuring us that nothing is wrong. But sometimes there remains that niggling doubt - something tells you all is not right. 'Trusting your instinct is important. Doctors do make mistakes and sometimes you know your body better than anyone else,' says Dr Graham Archard, vice chairman of the Royal College of GPs. 'I can remember a patient who was convinced he had bowel cancer, but all the tests came back clear. He wanted a second opinion so we referred him to another consultant for more tests, which showed that he did have cancer. 'I don't know if the cancer developed between the first and second appointment or if the first consultant missed it, but the patient's instincts were right. As a GP I don't take it personally if someone asks for a second opinion. If any doctor does take offence, they are too full of themselves, and it's time to stop practising. 'If you are concerned, first talk to your GP, and allow them to explain how they came to their diagnosis. Sometimes this alone can make you feel better. 'If it doesn't, ask to see another GP in the practice or to be referred to a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-28T08:28:49-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|