head and neck cancer – Page 15

Is there a relationship between coffee and tea intake and head and neck cancers?

Source: EBD- Evidence Based Dentistry Data sources Pooled individual-level data from nine case–control studies of head and neck cancers, including 5,139 cases and 9,028 controls. Study selection Nine case-control studies were selected from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium pool of 33 studies, which included information on coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated) and tea drinking and cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx. Seven studies also included information on laryngeal cancer. Data extraction and synthesis Data from individual studies were checked for inconsistencies and pooled in a standardised way into a common database, including a range of sociodemographic, behavioural, lifestyle and health information. Data on consumption across studies were then converted into cups of de/caffeinated tea or coffee per day. The association between head and neck cancers and caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee or tea intake was assessed by estimating the odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using a two-stage random-effects logistic regression model with the maximum likelihood estimator. Pooled ORs were also estimated with a fixed-effects logistic regression model. In addition, a test for heterogeneity among studies was conducted. Results Caffeinated coffee intake was inversely associated with the risk of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx: the ORs were 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94–0.98) for an increment of one cup per day and 0.61 (95% CI, 0.47–0.80) in drinkers of >4 cups per day versus non-drinkers. This latter estimate was consistent for different anatomic sites (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30–0.71 for oral cavity; [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-13T09:58:16-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Head and Neck Cancer Patients Benefit in Multidisciplinary Clinics

Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a multidisciplinary condition. Multi-modality treatment is standard, especially the use of chemoradiation. Proper imaging (CT, MRI and PET), more accurate pathologic assessment and thoroughly tailored treatment plans that limits radiation fields and doses and take into consideration surgical options that minimize morbidity (endoscopic and robotic procedures) are essential. Furthermore, dental, swallowing, speech, nutritional, financial and social support are also cornerstones in this comprehensive approach. However, the most important function might be the role of the nurse navigator in order to offer true coordinated care for our patients. Within William Beaumont Oncology Network we initiated multi-disciplinary clinics for HNC in January 2010 in which our specialists meet the patients together after discussion at the tumor board to streamline management. Methods: In this initial analysis we studied 15 randomly chosen patients’ way through our health care system in 2009, and compared with 15 randomly chosen patients in 2010, after the initiation of the Multi-Disciplinary Clinic. All patients had biopsy verified HNC, the vast majority being squamous cell carcinomas, and were stage III or stage IV. The radiation techniques were unchanged during study and treating physicians remained the same as well. Results: The first group of patients that did not go through our multi-disciplinary clinic had a mean time of 59 days (range 4-156) from pathologic diagnosis to start of radiation. Corresponding mean time for patients going through the multi-disciplinary clinics was 33 days (range 18-86), a decrease of 44%. Conclusions: Coordinated [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-13T09:22:14-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

New Strategies used to Identify Changes in Head and Neck Cancers

Source: GenomeWeb Daily News By Andrea Anderson CHICAGO– Researchers are making progress using high-throughput strategies to find previously unappreciated genetic and epigenetic quirks in head and neck cancer — including changes that may prove useful for diagnosing and tracking disease. Johns Hopkins University head and neck cancer research director David Sidransky described some of the work during an education session on molecular biology, targets, and pathways involved in head and neck cancer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting here yesterday. Speaking during the same session, JHU oncologist Christine Chung and the University of Chicago's Ezra Cohen touched on strategies for targeting the types of mutations previously reported in head and neck cancer and the rationale behind targeted therapeutics already being tested or considered for the disease, respectively. Past studies have uncovered muted DNA methylation across the genomes of several cancer types, Sidransky explained, though methylation is also bumped up at specific sites in certain tumor types. Consequently, he said, researchers are using strategies such as real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR (real-time QMSP) to look at methylation shifts in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In particular, he described work comparing methylation patterns in saliva and serum samples from individuals with HNSCC to those in samples from more than 800 apparently healthy individuals who are considered 'at-risk' of the disease because of smoking status and other exposures. At least two genes — KIF1A and EDNRB — seem to be more highly methylated in samples from those with HNSCC than [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-08T09:14:07-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV related oral cancers continue to increase in the US

Source: International Medicine News CHICAGO – Human papillomavirus infection was firmly linked to the recent rise in oropharyngeal cancers in the United States, based on data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. If current trends continue, the incidence of HPV-related oral cancers will soon surpass that of cervical cancers, senior author Dr. Maura Gillison reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The incidence of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers increased 225% – from 0.8 per 100,000 to 2.8 per 100,000 – between 1988 and 2004, the researchers found. At the same time, the incidence rate for HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancers, which are strongly related to tobacco and alcohol use, declined by 50% – from 2.0 per 100,000 to 1.0 per 100,000. Consequently, the overall incidence of oropharyngeal cancers increased 28%. Even by the conservative estimate that 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in 2020 will be HPV positive, the annual number of HPV-positive oral squamous cell carcinomas (8,653 cases) is expected to surpass cervical cancers (7,726 cases). Further, the majority will occur among men (7,426 cases), said Dr. Gillison, a medical oncologist and the Jeg Coughlin Chair in Cancer Research at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus. Changes in sexual behavior among recent birth cohorts and increased oral HPV exposure probably influenced the increases in incidence and prevalence, Dr. Gillison speculated. Having a high lifetime number of sexual partners is a known risk factor for HPV infection. Although the rise in oral cancers [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-06T10:23:24-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Head and Neck Cancers Linked to HPV are on the Rise

Source: The Wall Street Journal A form of head and neck cancer associated with the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus is on the rise, especially in men, the WSJ reports. Fast-rising rates of oropharyngeal cancer — tumors in the tonsil and back-of-the-tongue area — have been linked to changes in sexual behavior that include the increased practice of oral sex and a greater number of sexual partners. But HPV-positive cancer has also been reported in individuals who report few or no sexual partners. It may also be possible for the virus to be transmitted to an infant via an infected mother’s birth canal. An HPV vaccine is routinely recommended for girls because the virus can cause cervical cancer. The rise in HPV-positive head and neck cancers is leading to a new focus both on treatment of the disease, and whether recommending routine vaccination for boys could prevent oral infections and cancers. (A CDC advisory panel said in 2009 that it was fine for boys to get the vaccine, but recommended against routine administration.) Eric Genden, chief of head and neck oncology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, tells the Health Blog that when treated appropriately, patients with HPV-positive cancers have an 85% to 90% disease-free survival rate over five years. By contrast, patients with HPV-negative head and neck cancers, which are often associated with smoking and drinking, typically have more advanced disease when the cancer is detected and face a five-year survival rate of only 25% to 40%, Genden says. HPV-induced head [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-31T11:00:57-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Obama’s choice to lead Joint Chiefs is a Head and Neck Cancer Survivor.

Source: The Washington Post Crooning is not among the qualities that pushed Dempsey to the top of Obama’s list in searching for a successor to Adm. Mike Mullen, whose term as Joint Chiefs chairman began under President George W. Bush and ends Sept. 30. But Dempsey’s singing singles him out in a field of Army generals who are usually less publicly playful, and more rigidly aligned with a military culture of caution. Last Friday, in front of news cameras and a gathering for kids and adults who have lost fathers, mothers and other relatives in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, Dempsey sang a bit of “New York, New York,” and also “The Unicorn” children’s song: “... there were green alligators, and long-neck geese, some humpty-back camels and some chimpanzees ...” And he uses social media sites to push the music theme. In a recent Facebook post he mentioned that he likes to use videos set to music to reinforce the message in his Army presentations, and he asked younger soldiers to suggest selections. Among the responses: Metallica, AC/DC and endorsement of his recent use of a song by the group Disturbed. At age 59, with 36 years of Army service after graduating from West Point, Dempsey comes across as energetic and athletic. Last year he underwent treatment for what his spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Alayne Conway, said Sunday was “head and neck cancer that presented itself as a tumor on the base of his tongue.” She said his doctors [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-31T09:25:59-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Clinicians support the necessity of neck dissection because of high risk of recurrence in oral cancer patients

Source: HighWire Stanford University PURPOSE: In head and neck cancer, the most important prognostic factor is the presence or absence of neck metastasis. Although still debated in the published data regarding the "wait and see" policy for Stage T1-T2 oral cancer, a large number of clinicians support the necessity of neck dissection, especially in cases of oral tongue carcinoma, because of the poor prognosis and high risk of recurrence. The aim of the present study was to summarize and quantify the incidence of occult metastasis in oral cancer treatment at the oral and maxillofacial surgery department, Rambam Medical Center, in the past 10 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 142 neck dissections performed at our department in the past 10 years (1998 to 2009) and a series of 68 patients (44 men and 22 women) treated for Stage T1N0 or T2N0 oral cancer were included in the present retrospective study. All patients underwent surgical resection of the oral cancer and selective neck dissection of the ipsilateral side. RESULTS: Occult lymph node metastases were detected in 11 patients (16% overall, 9 in the tongue, 1 in the buccal mucosa, and 1 in the gingiva of the mandible). The frequency of occult metastasis from tongue carcinoma was 34% (9 of 26 cases). The 5-year survival rate in the present study was 78.9%. In patients who underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or a combination of the 3 after surgical management, the overall survival rate decreased significantly to 22.5% (P = .006, log-rank test). [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-23T12:23:20-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Two Elements Predict Swallowing Difficulties after Radiotherapy

Source: International Medicine News LONDON – Nonglottic cancer and the presence of dysphagia before treatment are highly predictive for severe acute and late swallowing difficulties after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, according to new data from the DAHANCA 6&7 randomized trial. Patients with nonglottic cancer were more likely than those with other cancer types to experience severe dysphagia at both 6 and 12 months. Dysphagia before treatment was also associated with both acute and late severe swallowing difficulties. "The peak incidence of dysphagia is seen during the first 6 months after radiotherapy," Hanna Rahbek Mortensen, Ph.D., reported in an analysis of the DAHANCA (Danish Head and Neck Cancer Group) 6&7 trial findings at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology Anniversary Congress. "After 1 year, however, there is no further increase in severity or prevalence," said Dr. Mortensen of the department of experimental clinical oncology at Åarhus (Denmark) University Hospital. The trial involved 1,478 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the glottic larynx, supraglottic larynx, pharynx, or oral cavity who were who were treated with five or six weekly fractions of radiotherapy in 1992-1999. The total dose of radiotherapy delivered was 66-68 Gy in 33-34 fractions. Efficacy data from the trial have already been published; they showed improved disease-specific but not overall survival of five vs. six fractions of radiotherapy (Lancet 2003;362:933-40). The aim of the present analysis was to use prospectively collected data from the trial to determine whether any factors could be used to establish which patients [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-18T13:29:04-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Low-Dose Sorafenib may Boost Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer

Source: Darrell E. Ward Ohio State University Medical Center Adding low doses of the targeted agent sorafenib to the chemotherapy and radiation now often used to treat head and neck cancer might significantly improve patient care and quality of life, according to a new study by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James). The findings suggest that adding sorafenib would maintain treatment efficacy while permitting the use of lower doses of chemotherapy and radiation and decreasing the treatment's harsh side effects. The triple combination was well-tolerated in an animal model. About 49,200 new cases of head and neck cancer are expected in the U.S. this year, and 11,500 people are expected to die of the disease. Treatment is often unsuccessful because the tumors become resistant to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. "This pre-clinical study suggests that using low-dose sorafenib along with chemotherapy and radiation could have significantly milder side effects while maintaining effectiveness," says researcher and principal investigator Dr. Pawan Kumar, assistant professor of otolaryngology and a neck surgeon at the OSUCCC - James. "Our findings provide a scientific rationale to evaluate this combination strategy through a clinical trial," Kumar added. The results of the laboratory and animal study are published online in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, and they include the following: Sorafenib sensitized tumor cells to chemotherapy and radiation treatment by down-regulating DNA repair proteins (ERCC-1 and XRCC-1), and it decreased tumor angiogenesis [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-18T13:14:39-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

UCSF Professor of Oral Medicine speaks about Oral Cancer

Source: Dr.Bicuspid.com May 17, 2011 -- DrBicuspid.com is pleased to present a new feature series, Leaders in Dentistry, a series of interviews with researchers, practitioners, and opinion leaders who are influencing the practice of dentistry. For the first installment, we spoke with Sol Silverman Jr., DDS, a professor of oral medicine in the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry and head of one of the oral medicine clinics at UCSF. In addition to seeing patients in the clinic, his research is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of precancerous lesions, as well as effective anti-inflammatory agents for autoimmune diseases that do not have adverse side effects. An advocate for the prevention and early detection of oral cancer and an expert in the treatment of oral cancers, Dr. Silverman has helped develop training programs for dentists to better detect oral cancer and education programs on smoking cessation to reduce the risk of oral cancer. Sol Silverman, DDS, University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry. Image courtesy of the University of California, San Francisco. DrBicuspid: What is the greatest challenge we face today regarding oral cancer? Dr. Silverman: Professional and public education. The No. 1 thing for professionals is to perform examinations and pursue any deviations from normal signs and/or symptoms and to take part in their patients' lives. If they have a patient who smokes, they should try to get them to stop smoking or tell them not to start. On the other hand, it's public education. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-17T18:33:10-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|