dry mouth – Page 3 – Oral Cancer News

Robots vs. radiation

Source: the-scientist.com Author: Bob Grant Scientists at London, Ontario-based Lawson Health Research Institute have launched the first ever study of the comparative effectiveness of robotic-assisted surgery versus radiation therapy for the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer, or cancer of the back of the throat. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS), a new method for removing tumors from the throat developed in 2004, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2010, and already used in many hospitals in the United States, may be a good way for throat cancer patients to avoid some of radiation therapy’s side effects, which include speech problems, hearing loss, skin discoloration, taste changes, difficulty swallowing, and dry mouth. “Early studies of TORS show it holds promise to provide good disease control, as well as offer good speech and swallowing outcomes for patients,” said London Health Sciences Center (LHSC) head and neck surgeon Anthony Nichols in a statement cialis otc canadianviagras.com. “However, it is important that we conduct a thorough comparison of the two treatments.” Researchers conducting the so-called ORATOR trial will track quality of life, side effects, and survival in cancer patients randomly assigned to receive either TORS or radiation therapy. “Radiation has worked very well for the treatment of these cancers and has set a very high standard for treatment,” said LHSC radiation oncologist David Palma in a statement. “Before we can implement TORS, we need to prove that it meets that standard—are the cure rates just as good, and are the side effects [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-07-13T17:51:43-07:00July, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Complications After Head/Neck Radiation ‘Underreported’

Source: Elsevier Global Medical News Late oral effects of head and neck cancer therapy are "multiple, underreported, and under-appreciated. "That is the perspective of Joel Epstein, D.M.D., who has worked extensively with head and neck cancer patients experiencing severe dental and other oral problems following radiation therapy. "The acute complications of head and neck cancer therapy are pretty well known, but the late complications are underappreciated," Dr. Epstein, director of oral medicine at City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, Calif., told attendees at the symposium. As head and neck cancer treatments have advanced and patients are living longer, the spectrum of treatment complications has shifted, he explained. In a 5-year, prospective longitudinal study of 122 patients with oral carcinoma, dry mouth, sticky saliva, speech changes, dental problems, and sleep disturbance were reported by all patients except those treated only with surgery. These complications persisted at 1 and 5 years and affected quality of life (Head Neck 2008;30:461-70). According to Dr. Epstein, the data illustrate the need for better collaboration between oncologists and dentists. "While people discuss the concept of multidisciplinary [and] interdisciplinary teams for the benefit of our patients, it is unfortunate that dentistry developed separately from physicians and surgeons. So while we need to interact, we're not really well prepared to do so, particularly in the community," he said. Clinically, it's important to evaluate oral care, including brushing, flossing, fluoride, and tobacco abstinence, at all head and neck cancer treatment follow-up visits. Patients should be assessed for xerostomia, speech, swallowing, mucosal sensitivity, and taste. Head and neck and oral exams should include assessments for [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-03-26T11:58:14-07:00March, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Newer radiation technology improves head and neck cancer patients’ long-term quality of life

Source: Eurekalert.org Patients treated with IMRT for head and neck cancer report an increasingly better quality of life post-treatment when compared to patients receiving other forms of radiation therapy, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM. Intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, is a highly specialized form of external beam radiation therapy that allows the radiation beam to better target and conform to a tumor. It is a newer treatment that has become widely adopted for treating head and neck cancer. Prior studies have shown that IMRT decreases the probability of radiation therapy related side effects, including dry mouth and chewing and swallowing problems, but no study has been conducted to measure long-term quality of life in head and neck cancer patients treated with various forms of radiation therapy. Investigators from the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, prospectively administered the University of Washington Quality of Life instrument, a standardized, previously validated questionnaire that patients complete after radiation therapy, to 155 patients undergoing treatment for cancers of the head and neck and analyzed the scores over time. Fifty-four percent of patients were initially treated with IMRT and 46 percent were treated with non-IMRT techniques. The researchers showed that the early quality of life gains associated with IMRT not only are maintained but become more magnified over time. At one-year post-treatment, 51 percent of IMRT patients rated their quality of life as very good or outstanding compared [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-01-27T11:29:03-07:00January, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Patients to try out gum shield – could end dry mouth misery caused by radiation

Source: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ Author: staff Mouth cancer patients in Bradford will be the first in the world to try a new battery-powered gum shield that could end the misery of a dry mouth. The pacemaker device fits over the lower teeth and uses minor, painless, electric shocks to trigger saliva production. A dry mouth is a common side-effect of radiotherapy for cancer of the head and neck. Healthy people produce around three pints of saliva a day. It is crucial for aiding digestion by softening food as well as fighting dental bacteria. It is also necessary for basic functions, such as speaking and swallowing. Patients being treated at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are being recruited to the double-blind trial, along with patients in London. Forty will be given a functioning device, while the remaining 44 will receive a placebo one. Neither the patients nor the doctors will know who has been given the active device. More than 15 patients have already been recruited in Bradford. Dr Jim McCaul, a consultant maxillofacial surgeon at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation, said: “Having a horrible dry mouth makes it impossible to chew food and difficult to speak. Patients worry about things like eating out in public and can’t taste their food as saliva facilitates taste. There is also an immune function in saliva.” Dr McCaul said up to now the only solution to the problem was for patients to sip water or use a saliva substitute in spray form, but the new [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-01-10T19:02:18-07:00January, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Acupuncture can prevent radiation-induced chronic dry mouth

Source: http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com Author: staff When given alongside radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, acupuncture has shown for the first time to reduce the debilitating side effect of xerostomia, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. The study, published in the journal Cancer, reported findings from the first randomised controlled trial of acupuncture for the prevention of xerostomia. Xerostomia, or severe dry mouth, is characterised by reduced salivary flow, which commonly affects patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Most current treatments are palliative and offer limited benefit, according to Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson's Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science and director of the Integrative Medicine Program. The condition impairs quality of life for patients, as it creates difficulties eating, speaking and sleeping, while also increasing the risk for oral infections. "There have been a number of small studies examining the benefits of acupuncture after xerostomia develops, but no one previously examined if it could prevent xerostomia," said Cohen, who is also the study's principal investigator. "We found incorporating acupuncture alongside radiotherapy diminished the incidence and severity of this side effect." Cohen and his colleagues examined 86 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, treated at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Forty patients were randomised to acupuncture and 46 to the standard of care. Those in the treatment arm received acupuncture therapy three times per week during the seven-week course of radiotherapy. Patients were evaluated before [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-11-27T14:18:34-07:00November, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Proper dental care for cancer patients: why it is important

Source: newcanaan.patch.com Author: Alan B. Sheiner DDS Common side effects from radiation therapy are not stressed enough in dental schools, but they can be managed and even prevented. A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a retired physician with whom I had not spoken for a number of years since he retired from practice to become a “gentleman farmer” in the country. While I was happy to hear from him, his news was not so good. He was calling because he had been treated for base of tongue cancer and his teeth were “coming apart”. His cancer treatment consisted of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Unfortunately, he somehow “slipped through the cracks” and his oral cavity was now suffering from some of the side effects of the cancer therapy – fortunately he is currently cancer free. The oral cavity, one of the most complex and visible organ systems in the body, is invariably compromised as a result of treatment for head and neck cancer. Whether the malignancy is to be treated by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of these modalities, the function, if not also the form, of the oral cavity will be impacted. Aside from the obvious physical changes after cancer surgery to the head and neck region, there are issues which usually accompany radiation therapy to the head and neck region. There may be side effects from cancer therapy, some of which can be devastating, but preventable or manageable with proper precautions and care. The most [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-23T09:33:21-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Larynx preservation studies should consider treatment impact

Source: www.internalmedicinenews.com Author: Sara Freeman, Internal Medicine News Digital Network Almost one-quarter of patients who had been given induction chemotherapy before radiotherapy for head and neck cancer experienced long-term swallowing difficulties, with another 15% experiencing voice disabilities that correlated with the mobility of the vocal cords. Long-term data from the GORTEC (Groupe Oncologie Radiothérapie Tête et Cou) 2000-01 larynx preservation trial also show that approximately two-thirds of long-term head and neck cancer survivors experienced severe problems with sticky saliva and dry mouth, which were in turn linked to nutritional problems. These findings, reported May 9 at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ESTRO) Anniversary Conference, further confirm that studies looking at the effects of chemoradiotherapy on the larynx in head and neck cancer need to consider prospective assessment of laryngeal function, rather than just looking at anatomical preservation, according to a French radiation oncologist. Dr. Gilles Calais of the Centre Hôpitalier Régional et Universitaire de Tours (France) presented data from a prospective analysis of 61 patients who had participated in the original 213-patient GORTEC 2000-01 trial. He also presented updated results from the trial using a recently developed composite end point. "Larynx preservation can be achieved for most of our [head and neck] patients by using three different strategies: induction chemotherapy, concomitant [chemoradiotherapy], or alternating chemoradiotherapy," Dr. Calais observed. Indeed, larynx preservation is a possibility in approximately 80% of patients, he said. However, anatomical preservation does not mean that laryngeal function is maintained, especially with respect to the ability [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-21T14:31:34-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

U of A study finds ways to help end dry mouth in cancer patients

Source: e! Science News For patients suffering from cancer in the mouth or throat, a recent study shows that a treatment called submandibular gland transfer will assist in preventing a radiation-induced condition called xerostomia. Also known as dry mouth, xerostomia occurs when salivary glands stop working. University of Alberta researcher Jana Rieger likens the feeling of xerostomia to the experience of the after-effects of having surgery and anesthetic—but the feeling is permanent. While the importance of healthy saliva glands may be an afterthought for some patients when battling cancer, the long-lasting effects create a number of problems for them when they are in remission. "We need saliva to keep our mouths healthy," said Rieger. "Without saliva, people can lose their teeth, dentures don't fit properly and the ability to swallow and speak is severely altered." The study conducted by Rieger, a speech language pathologist in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, looked at functional outcomes—speech changes, swallowing habits and the quality of life of patients with mouth and throat cancers—as they received two different types of treatments prior to and during radiation. The first group of patients underwent the submandibular gland transfer. This method was pioneered by Hadi Seikaly and Naresh Jha at the University of Alberta in 1999. The transfer involves moving the saliva gland from under the angle of the jaw to under to the chin. Prior to this procedure, the saliva gland was in line for the radiation. Seikaly says, "Most patients, when they are cured from cancer, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-05T09:37:29-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Reducing xerostomia through advanced technology

Source: The Lancet Oncology Radiation-related xerostomia has been the most significant and disabling side-effect of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer for more than 50 years. With the PARSPORT trial, reported in The Lancet Oncology, the largest and best designed of several randomised trials focusing on xerostomia, radiation oncologists and their partners in physics and dosimetry should take pride that significant progress has been made. Before the introduction of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), more than 80% of survivors experienced substantial dry mouth syndrome and associated effects on dental health, swallowing, taste, and quality of life. By contrast, Nutting and colleagues report about 25% of 2-year survivors had significant clinician-rated xerostomia. Taken together with two randomised trials of IMRT for nasopharyngeal cancer, there is now compelling evidence of the power of advanced technology in reducing toxicity from head and neck radiotherapy. Can even better use of technology help us to further reduce xerostomia? The parotid glands provide watery saliva during eating, which is largely replaceable by consuming more water or lubricants. The submandibular, sublingual, and minor salivary glands provide mucinous saliva, associated with the resting sense of moisture and dry mouth symptoms. Future work should systematically explore the prioritisation of different components of the salivary gland system. A clinical benefit from sparing the submandibular glands may be seen, beyond that seen by sparing the parotid glands. The mean dose delivered to the minor salivary glands within the oral cavity has also been reported to be a significant factor in patient-reported xerostomia. Further possibilities include gland repair [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-01-31T14:08:42-07:00January, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Less xerostomia occurs with IMRT in head and neck cancer

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Roxanne Nelson Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) might be a better treatment option for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Compared with conventional radiation therapy, IMRT significantly decreases the incidence of xerostomia and improves quality of life, according to a study published online January 13 in the Lancet Oncology. British researchers report that at 12 months, grade 2 or higher xerostomia was significantly lower with IMRT than with conventional radiotherapy (38% vs 74%; P = .0027). At 2 years, the incidence of grade 2 or higher xerostomia continued to be significantly less common with IMRT than with standard radiotherapy; 9 patients (29%) reported xerostomia in the IMRT group, compared with 20 (83%) in the conventional therapy group. The authors note that there were no significant differences in locoregional control or overall survival between the 2 patient groups. Lead author Christopher M. Nutting, MD, FRCR, consultant and honorary senior lecturer in clinical oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom, and colleagues note that their results "strongly support a role for IMRT in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck." Spares the Parotid Gland, Similar Outcomes Head and neck oncology expert Ted Teknos, MD, agrees. "One of the advantages of IMRT is that you can deliver radiation very accurately and you can spare normal structures to a much higher degree than conventional radiation therapy," said Dr. Teknos, director of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery at Ohio State [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-01-23T18:03:06-07:00January, 2011|Oral Cancer News|