HPV-16

Blood test could predict oral cancer recurrence

Source: www.livescience.com Author: Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer A new blood and saliva test that looks for traces of the human papillomavirus (HPV) can predict whether some people with oral cancers will have their cancer come back, early research suggests. It helps to know as soon as possible that cancer has returned, because tumors that are caught early are easier to treat. In the study, the researchers analyzed blood and saliva samples from 93 people with head and neck cancers; about 80 percent of these patients had cancers that tested positive for HPV. All of their cancers had previously been treated with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. The researchers looked for fragments of DNA from HPV-16, a strain of the virus that is strongly linked with head and neck cancer. The virus may be found in cancer cells that linger in the body after treatment, the researchers said. Among people with HPV-positive tumors, the new test identified 70 percent of those whose cancer returned within three years, the researchers said. "Until now, there has been no reliable biological way to identify which patients are at higher risk for recurrence, so these tests should greatly help [to] do so," study researcher Dr. Joseph Califano, professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said in a statement. Patients with head and neck cancer typically visit the doctor every one to three months during the first year after their diagnoses to check for cancer recurrence. But new tumors in the tonsils, throat and base [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-08-02T11:03:13-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Global trends suggest HPV positive oral cancer greatly increased in young males

Source: www.zawya.com Author: staff While the incidence of smoking-related oral squamous cell carcinoma has decreased in many parts of the world, cases of human papilloma virus (HPV) positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPSCC) have greatly increased. Otolaryngologists are finding that the majority of their patients are male and a lot younger in age than their counterparts. This "new" head and neck cancer patient differs in several ways from the "traditional" head and neck cancer patients who were older, had significant tobacco and alcohol exposure, and potential tumours throughout the upper aerodigestive tract. The significance of this global trend suggests that more attention needs to be paid to the phenomena here in the Middle East. Dr Marilene Wang, Professor, Chief of Otolaryngology, UCLA Department of Head and Neck Surgery, will be discussing the increasing incidence of young cancer patients who are non-smokers, but happen to be HPV positive and how these cases should be managed in the Middle East at the 11th Middle East Update in Otolaryngology Conference & Exhibition - Head and Neck Surgery (ME-OTO) from the 20-22 April 2014 at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena, Dubai, UAE. According to Dr Wang, "Currently, the most common head and neck cancer patients are younger, primarily male, and have no or relatively minimal exposures to tobacco and alcohol. Yet, they often have histories of notable increased sexual encounters. Although HPV positive OPSCC demonstrates an alarming increasing incidence, this is balanced by a significant response to treatment regardless of advanced stage. "Cases of OPSCC associated with [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-03-16T08:45:03-07:00March, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Study: A third of throat cancers linked to HPV infection

Source: www.upi.com Author: staff Human papillomavirus, the major cause of cervical cancer, also infects a third of throat cancer patients, U.S. and British researchers say. Aimee R. Kreimer of the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and Ruth C. Travis of University of Oxford, and numerous colleagues in several countries identified 638 study participants. Of the study participants, 180 had oral cancers, 135 oropharynx cancers - part of the pharynx - 247 hypopharynx/larynx cancers and 300 patients had esophageal cancers. The study also involved 1,599 controls. There are more than 100 types of HPV and most people recover easily but two strains -- HPV-16 and HPV-18 -- cause most cervical and oral cancers. Pre-diagnostic plasma samples from patients were collected, on average, six years before diagnosis. Control participants were analyzed for antibodies against multiple proteins of HPV16 as well as HPV6, HPV11, HPV18, HPV31, HPV33, HPV45 and HPV52. At the end of the study period the researchers checked for the presence of antibodies to one of HPV's key proteins, known as E6. The protein disables the cells' protection system that prevents cancer, but detecting the antibodies indicates HPV overcame the defenses. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found 34.8 of those with throat cancer had the antibodies, compared with 0.6 percent of those who were cancer-free. The findings indicated HPV-16 infection might be a significant cause of oropharyngeal cancer, in the middle part of the pharynx, behind the mouth, and includes the back [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-07-22T10:20:28-07:00July, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Enhanced radiation sensitivity in HPV-positive head and neck cancer

Source: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.orgAuthors: Randall J. Kimple1,*,Molly A. Smith1,Grace C Blitzer1,Alexandra D Torres1,Joshua A Martin1,Robert Z. Yang1,Chimera R Peet1,Laurel D. Lorenz2,Kwangok P Nickel3,Aloysius J Klingelhutz4,Paul F Lambert5, andPaul M Harari1 Abstract Patients with human papillomavirus associated (HPV+) head and neck cancer (HNC) demonstrate significantly improved survival outcome compared to those with HPV-negative (HPV-) tumors. Published data examining this difference offers conflicting results to date. We systematically investigated the radiation sensitivity of all available validated HPV+ HNC cell lines and a series of HPV- HNC cell lines using in vitro and in vivo techniques. HPV+ HNCs exhibited greater intrinsic radiation sensitivity (average SF2 HPV- 0.59 vs. HPV+ 0.22, p<0.0001), corresponding with a prolonged G2/M cell cycle arrest and increased apoptosis following radiation exposure (percent change 0% vs. 85%, p=0.002). A genome-wide microarray was used to compare gene-expression 24 hours following radiation between HPV+ and HPV- cell lines. Multiple genes in TP53 pathway were upregulated in HPV+ cells (Z score 4.90), including a 4.6 fold increase in TP53 (p<0.0001). Using immortalized human tonsillar epithelial cells, increased radiation sensitivity was seen in cell expressing HPV-16 E6 despite the effect of E6 to degrade p53. This suggested that low levels of normally functioning p53 in HPV+ HNC cells could be activated by radiation, leading to cell death. Consistent with this, more complete knockdown of TP53 by siRNA resulted in radiation resistance. These results provide clear evidence, and a supporting mechanism, for increased radiation sensitivity in HPV+ HNC relative to HPV- HNC. This issue is under active investigation in [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-06-10T16:15:32-07:00June, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Emergence of HPV 16 and sexually transmiitted oral cancer

Source: communities.washingtontimes.com Author: Dr. Ali by Ali Forghani The human papilloma virus (HPV) is the second leading cause of oral cancer. HPV is certainly not a newcomer to the disease world. It is one of the most common sexually transmitted disease on the planet. As of this writing, over 120 variations of the virus have been discovered, with different strands of HPV affecting different areas of the body. Many people contract HPV daily without realizing they have a virus, as it is very possible to carry a strand while displaying no noticeable symptoms. HPV 16 Virus HPV is a virus that is mainly focused on the outer surface of the body, the skin, as well as the mucus secreting areas. The most noticeable effect from certain strands of the virus is the appearance of warts on the skin, mainly concentrated on the arms, legs and hands. Condylomata acuminatum, also called genital warts, are the strands of this virus found most commonly on individuals and are generally believed to be caused by the HPV strands 6 and 11. These particular strands of HPV are very common and easily treatable. One of the prime reasons HPV is found so commonly in the world is the ease of transmission of the virus. HPV can be spread simply by contact of the skin, with certain strands branching out to be sexually transmitted. These particular strands are the strands that should be of the most concern today due to the discoveries being made [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-04-01T08:46:21-07:00April, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

DNA alone inadequate to identify HPV-related cancers

Source: www.oncologypractice.com Author: Mary Ann Moon Testing for the presence of human papillomavirus DNA alone, especially using polymerase chain reaction methods, is not adequate to identify which head and neck squamous cell carcinomas are caused by the virus, according to two studies published online Sept. 18 in Cancer Research. Identifying HPV-driven malignancies is important because they respond better to treatment and have better outcomes than those unrelated to HPV infection. Indeed, treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) may soon be guided by the tumor’s HPV status, since trials are now underway to determine whether de-escalation of chemo- and radiotherapy is safe and effective in such patients. At present, however, the biomarkers that are best suited to making this identification are unclear. Case Series Assesses Biomarkers In the first study, researchers assessed the usefulness of four biomarkers in determining which HNSCCs in a case series were driven by HPV. They began by examining fresh-frozen tumor biopsy samples from 199 German adults diagnosed as having oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer between 1990 and 2008. The four biomarkers were HPV-16 viral load, viral oncogene RNA (E6 and E7), p16INK4a, and RNA patterns similar to those characteristic of cervical carcinomas (CxCa RNA), said Dr. Dana Holzinger of the German Cancer Research Center at Heidelberg (Germany) University and her associates. The simple presence of HPV DNA in a tumor sample was found to be a poor indicator of prognosis, likely because it often signaled past HPV infections or recent oral exposure, rather than [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-09-24T13:36:21-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Facing the facts: HPV-associated head and neck cancers get a second look

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: Charlotte Huff Kevin Pruyne knew he didn’t fit the stereotype of a hard drinker or heavy smoker who one day develops an oral cancer. The 52-year-old mechanic had been working a three-week stint in a remote section of northern Alaska, repairing trucks on an oil field, when he noticed a hard lump beneath his jaw while shaving. For nearly three months, as Pruyne was prescribed antibiotics for a possible infection and then later shuttled between physician specialists, he kept hearing the same thing: the lump could not be cancer. Pruyne only occasionally consumed alcohol and had never smoked. His wife, Kathy, began researching her husband’s symptoms, which included repetitive throat clearing, a nagging sensation that something was lodged in his throat and ringing in his ears. And the lump, which looked like the top half of an egg, felt solid to the touch. This wasn’t some inflamed lymph node from a lingering head cold, Kathy Pruyne says. “He had every symptom [of cancer], but nobody would listen to me.” Pruyne received a diagnosis of stage 4 oral cancer, which started with a tumor at the base of his tongue. He had already begun chemotherapy when he learned that researchers had discovered an association between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and increasing rates of oropharyngeal cancers. He asked that his tissue be tested; the results came back positive. Pruyne says he wanted to know whether his cancer was caused by HPV because “the prognosis is considerably better with HPV-positive cancer.” [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-07-03T17:34:09-07:00July, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Actor Michael Douglas Partners With Oral Cancer Foundation For Early Detection PSA Campaign

LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Actor and producer Michael Douglas has donated his time to help create a television public service announcement (PSA) on behalf of the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those affected by the disease. The PSA will support the Foundation's efforts to educate the public about the need for annual screenings to catch oral cancers in their early, most survivable stages. The public service announcement will begin airing in June, and will continue to air nationwide through summer and autumn. Approximately 40,000 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2012. This includes those cancers that occur in the mouth itself, in the very back of the mouth known as the oropharynx, and on the exterior lip of the mouth. There are two distinct pathways by which most people come to oral cancer. One is through the use of tobacco and alcohol, and the other is through exposure to the HPV-16 virus (human papilloma virus version 16), a newly identified etiology, and the same virus which is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers in women. While oral cancer has historically been linked to tobacco and alcohol use, this is not simply a smoker's disease any longer. New data shows that the fastest-growing segment of newly diagnosed cases is now young, non-smokers. Most startling, is the fact that while many other cancers have been in decline in recent years, the occurrence of oral / oropharyngeal [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-05-14T19:59:49-07:00May, 2012|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

HPV exposure increases men’s risk of cancer

Source: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/ Author: Zen Vuong “We’re at the precipice of this epidemic,” said Dr. Ezra Cohen, who specializes in head and neck cancers. The culprit is sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus-16. Human papillomavirus-positive head and neck cancer cases have been rising about 3 percent every year for the last three decades, said Cohen of The University of Chicago Medicine, an institution that includes the University of Chicago Hospitals. HPV-16 infection is three times more likely in men than in women, he added. Cells of the upper respiratory system of both men and women are very similar to the surface of the cervix in women, said Dr. Kenneth Alexander, chief of infectious diseases at The University of Chicago Medicine. HPV is linked to cervical cancer as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 10,800 new cases of HPV-associated cervical cancer in the United States each year. This number is nearly 35 percent larger than the 7,100 cases of HPV-associated head and neck cancers found in the United States each year. Oral sex is “probably the most important risk factor” in contracting HPV-16-related head and neck cancer, which “will become more common than cervical cancer in this decade,” he added. Some 5,600 men are diagnosed with HPV-associated head and neck cancers each year, whereas only 1,500 women suffer the same fate, according to the CDC. HPV-16, one of more than 150 strains, is a sexually transmitted condition. More than 40 HPV types can be sexually transmitted, according to the National Cancer Institute. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-03-07T15:30:30-07:00March, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Use and Acceptance of HPV Vaccine Still a Work in Progress

Source: National Cancer Institute A bellwether moment in the history of cancer prevention came in 2006 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. The vaccine, Gardasil, protects against the two primary cancer-causing, or oncogenic, types of the human papillomavirus (HPV)—HPV-16 and HPV-18. These types are responsible for more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases worldwide. In 2009, the FDA approved a second HPV vaccine, Cervarix, which also targets HPV-16 and HPV-18. Gardasil and Cervarix, vaccines that protect against the two primary cancer-causing types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), entail a three-shot regimen, with each dose delivered several months apart. But what has transpired since these two vaccines received regulatory blessing in the United States has reaffirmed something that cancer and public health researchers have appreciated for some time: The translation of basic research to the clinic doesn’t end with FDA approval of a new drug or treatment. In many respects, FDA approval is just a beginning. In March 2007, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) gave its strongest recommendation for HPV vaccination for females ages 9 to 26, which is the FDA-approved indication for Gardasil. Cervarix is approved for females ages 10 to 25. Both vaccines entail a three-shot regimen, with the doses delivered several months apart. According to the most recent data, only 44 percent of adolescent girls 13 to 17 years of age have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Completion rates for the three-shot [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-11-30T10:47:00-07:00November, 2011|Oral Cancer News|