HPV – Page 46 – Oral Cancer News

Oropharyngeal cancer epidemic and human papillomavirus

Source: www.foodconsumer.org Authors: Torbjörn Ramqvist and Tina Dalianis Abstract A growing body of research shows that human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common and increasing cause of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Thus, the International Agency for Research against Cancer has acknowledged HPV as a risk factor for OSCC, in addition to smoking and alcohol consumption. Recently, in Finland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and Sweden, incidence of OSCC has increased, and an increase in the proportion of HPV-positive tumors was noted. On the basis of these data and reports indicating that patients with HPV-positive cancer have their first sexual experience at a young age and have multiple partners, we postulate that increased incidence of OSCC in the United States and some countries in northern Europe is because of a new, primarily sexually transmitted HPV epidemic. We also suggest that individualized treatment modalities and preventive vaccination should be further explored. Study In many countries, vaccines against some human papillomavirus (HPV) types are now administered to girls and young women with the goal of protecting them against HPV-induced cervical cancer (1,2). The introduction of HPV vaccines has also drawn more attention to the fact that HPV is associated not only with cervical cancer and genital warts but also with other tumors, such as head neck and anogenital cancers (3). We focus on the role of HPV in the increased incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the head and neck cancer in which HPV is most commonly found (4). [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-07T09:39:03-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Diagnosis for Michael Douglas highlights oral cancer risk

Source: www.dental-tribune.com Author: Fred Michmershuizen, DTA After it became known recently that the Academy Award winning actor Michael Douglas has been diagnosed with oral cancer, dental professionals around the world seized on an opportunity to urge members of the public to pay more attention to key risk factors and early warning signs of the disease. The Academy Award winner was diagnosed with a tumor in his throat, and he now faces an eight-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This high-profile case has brought oral cancers into the limelight, and oral health experts are keen to make the public more aware of the key risk factors and early warning signs. The British Dental Health Foundation is calling for more attention to be paid to mouth cancers. The foundation is advising the public to regularly check their mouths. Douglas quit smoking in 2006, after a long “half a pack a day” habit. Yet, according to the foundation, the possibility of developing oral cancer remains higher for ex-smokers than non-smokers for 20 years after quitting. Tobacco is considered to be the main cause of mouth cancer, with three in four cases being linked to smoking, according to the foundation. Drinking in excess is also a known factor, with those who both smoke and drink to excess being up 30 times more likely to be at risk. “It is crucial the public know about the risk factors and early symptoms as early detection can save lives,” said Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-11-07T08:29:37-07:00November, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Beware the signs of mouth cancer

Source: www.pressandjournal.co.uk Author: Lisa Salmon Most people think of a mouth ulcer as a minor irritation that will disappear in a few days. Normally they’re right. But if the ulcer doesn’t heal and lasts longer than three weeks, it could be a sign of something more sinister: mouth cancer. Mouth, or oral, cancer, which can affect the lips, tongue, cheeks and throat, is one of the UK’s fastest-growing cancers. In the past decade, incidences have risen by 41% and, of the 5,000 people diagnosed with the disease every year, it kills around 2,000 of them. That’s one every five hours. About 70% of mouth cancers are detected at a late stage, which dramatically reduces the chances of survival. Yet if the cancer is detected early, more than 90% of people survive. For that reason, the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has organised Mouth Cancer Action Month. In November, the organisation aims to raise awareness of the condition – which recently struck the film star Michael Douglas – so that people recognise the warning signs and are regularly checked for mouth cancer by their dentist. Signs include ulcers which haven’t healed after three weeks and lumps, or red or white patches, in the mouth, all of which can be mistaken for something less serious. In addition, swelling below the neck or chin, pain when chewing or swallowing, or a feeling that you have something in your throat that can’t be swallowed, can also indicate the disease. If you have any of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-10-31T11:01:56-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

“Staggering” lack of awareness of mouth cancer revealed

Source: Dental Health Foundation A NEW SURVEY undertaken by British Dental Health Foundation has revealed an alarming lack of awareness about the causes and symptoms of one of the UK’s fastest growing cancers – mouth cancer. Despite the recent case of actor Michael Douglas, who is suffering from advanced throat cancer, the answers from over 1,000 members of the public who were questioned in the survey for Mouth Cancer Action Month supported by Denplan reveal that there is only limited knowledge and understanding of this potentially deadly disease. One person in 10 claimed not even to have heard of mouth cancer. Chief Executive of the Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “After recent high profile coverage of the Michael Douglas case it is staggering to see that some people still have no awareness at all of the condition." Dr Carter added: “It is vital that the public have a greater awareness because survival rates increase massively with early detection from just 50 percent to 90 percent. The public need to be aware of the risk factors and whether they are in a high risk group and how they can self–examine or who they can turn to if they’re concerned.” The results of the survey reveal that it is the older members of the public who are most aware of mouth cancer, with more than 96 percent of those interviewed saying that they had heard of it. Dr Carter added: “This sounds good as the majority of cases occur in the over [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-10-31T11:03:00-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

The Most Deadly HPVs in the World

Source: WebMD News Author: Daniel DeNoon Cervical Cancer-Causing Viruses ID'd in Worldwide Study Oct. 19, 2010 – Two human papillomavirus types included in HPV vaccines cause 71% of cervical cancers -- but there are six other cervical cancer-causing HPVs, an international study finds. Led by Spanish researcher Silvia de Sanjose, MD, the effort analyzed 22,661 tissue samples from 14,249 women from 38 countries in six continents. Researchers looked for any of the 118 known types of HPV. The samples included 10,575 cases of invasive cervical cancer -- for women, the second most common cancer in the world. HPV is believed to cause nearly all cervical cancers. Although the study detected HPV in only 85% of cervical cancers, de Sanjose and colleagues suggest that various problems (such as DNA degradation in samples) led researchers to miss HPV in the remaining 15% of cases. There are currently two HPV vaccines: Cervarix from GlaxoSmithKline and Gardasil from Merck. Both protect against HPV types 16 and 18; Gardasil also protects against the genital wart-causing HPV strains 6 and 11. The new study strongly supports use of these vaccines, as HPV 16 and HPV 18 account for 71% of invasive cervical cancers. HPV 16, HPV 18, and HPV 45 are found in 94% of cervical adenocarcinomas. HPV types 18 and 45 are found in much younger women with invasive cervical cancer, suggesting that these viruses are particularly deadly. HPV 16 is also linked to cancer in younger women. In addition to HPV 16, 18, and [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-26T12:24:24-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Health Risks of Oral Sex- linked to Oral Cancer

Source: Women's Health Magazine Author: Alyssa Giacobbe Long known to cause cervical cancer, the pervasive but often silent human papillomavirus (HPV) has been finding its way into women's mouths Mische Eddins, 37, awoke with a head cold. Or what seemed like one anyway. Postnasal drip. Sore throat. Swollen lymph nodes. No biggie—it was the fall of 2007, and a seasonal bug was winding its way through Seattle. "I had just been bragging to my friends about how I'd managed to avoid getting sick," she says. "But I was healthy, so it all passed quickly." Everything, that is, except a swollen node on the left side of her neck, which, months later, hadn't gone away. Christmastime came, and the little bump was still there. Sans appointment, Mische walked into her doctor's office and left with a script for antibiotics. No improvement. She then bounced from M.D. to M.D., and finally, six months after that seemingly innocuous head cold, she had a PET/CT scan. The results were a total shock: Mische had stage III oral cancer, and the disease had spread from her tonsil to her lymph nodes. Within hours, her docs had scheduled a tonsillectomy and were talking about chemo and radiation. Someone suggested she prepare a will. "I was floored," she says. "A will?" A professional singer, Mische exercised almost every day, ate a mostly organic diet, didn't booze heavily, and never smoked as an adult. Even her doctors were stymied. Searching for answers, one physician tested Mische's cancer cells [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-26T10:04:27-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Experts say oral cancer on the rise in younger people

Source: www.clickondetroit.com Author: staff It was the winter of 2002 when then-34-year-old Kelley Fish of Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., first spotted the lump that would change her life. "I was looking in the mirror, and I thought 'what the heck is that?' It was certainly visible," said Fish. Fish went to the doctor, who thought it was an infection and prescribed antibiotics. But two months later, the lump was still there. "Then they went forward and sent me to an ear, nose and throat specialist and finally had the lump removed," said Fish. Fish said the tumor was the size of a large grape, and it was malignant. Fish was diagnosed with stage 4 oral cancer. "I was horrified," said Fish. "They say you should never get on the Internet. The statistics were not in my favor at that point." Experts said oral cancer includes cancers of the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses and throat. Stage four is the most advanced stage. Fish had surgery, 32 radiation treatments and three cycles of chemotherapy. The treatments left her fatigued and suffering multiple side effects. "It was hell, excuse my expression," said Fish. "I was unable to swallow after a period of time. I had burns, second- or third-degree burns, on my neck. It was the scariest moment or time in my life to say the least." Like most people, Fish had assumed oral cancer was something older men got, not 34-year-old women. "When I [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-10-26T09:06:40-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

HPV causing “slow epidemic” of oral cancers

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Janis C. Kelly Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and might account for the steady increase in OSCC incidence, even in subjects who do not smoke or consume alcohol, according to Swedish researchers. A review of recent studies, conducted by Trobjorn Ramqvist, MD, and Tina Dalianis, MD, PhD, and published online October 13 in Emerging Infectious Diseases, suggests that changes in sexual practices are behind the surge in OSCC cases linked to sexually transmitted HPV. The key factors appear to be multiple sex partners, starting sexual activity at a younger age, and increased oral sex. The data are startling. For example, from 1970 to 2002, tonsillar cancer (which is the most common OSCC) increased in Stockholm, Sweden, by 2.8-fold, and by 2006/07, 93% of all tonsillar cancers in that city were HPV-positive. Dr. Dalianis, who is professor of tumor virology and the head of the Department of Oncology–Pathology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, told Medscape Medical News that "we realized that there was an increase in HPV-induced tonsillar cancer, but we did not realize it was so eminent until we separated the 2 groups (HPV-negative and -positive tonsillar cancer cases) the way we did." The most common OSCC is tonsillar cancer, followed by base of tongue cancer. Overall 5-year survival for OSCC is about 25%, and HPV-positive OSCC generally has better clinical outcomes than HPV-negative disease. Dr. Dalianis said that HPV (most commonly type 16) was found in 45% to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-10-26T08:52:15-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Causing “Slow Epidemic” of Oral Cancers

Source: Medscape Today By: Janis C. Kelly October 21, 2010 — Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and might account for the steady increase in OSCC incidence, even in subjects who do not smoke or consume alcohol, according to Swedish researchers. A review of recent studies, conducted by Trobjorn Ramqvist, MD, and Tina Dalianis, MD, PhD, and published online October 13 in Emerging Infectious Diseases, suggests that changes in sexual practices are behind the surge in OSCC cases linked to sexually transmitted HPV. The key factors appear to be multiple sex partners, starting sexual activity at a younger age, and increased oral sex. The data are startling. For example, from 1970 to 2002, tonsillar cancer (which is the most common OSCC) increased in Stockholm, Sweden, by 2.8-fold, and by 2006/07, 93% of all tonsillar cancers in that city were HPV-positive. Dr. Dalianis, who is professor of tumor virology and the head of the Department of Oncology–Pathology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, told Medscape Medical News that "we realized that there was an increase in HPV-induced tonsillar cancer, but we did not realize it was so eminent until we separated the 2 groups (HPV-negative and -positive tonsillar cancer cases) the way we did." The most common OSCC is tonsillar cancer, followed by base of tongue cancer. Overall 5-year survival for OSCC is about 25%, and HPV-positive OSCC generally has better clinical outcomes than HPV-negative disease. Dr. Dalianis said that HPV (most commonly type 16) [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-10-22T11:17:11-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Virus Behind Oral Cancer Epidemic

Study Shows 'Startling Increase' in Oral Cancer Is Linked to Sexually Transmitted HPV Source: WebMD Health News By: Daniel DeNoon Researchers warn of an ongoing epidemic of oral cancer caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). A study in Stockholm, Sweden, finds that cases of oral cancer -- primarily cancer of the tonsils -- increased sevenfold from 1970 to 2007. They find that while HPV caused only 54% of oral cancers from 1998-1999, it caused 84% of these cancers in 2006-2007. "It looks like HPV-positive oral cancers are rising quite sharply in the past 10 years, while HPV-negative oral cancers went down. That is why we say it is an epidemic," study leader Tina Dalianis, MD, PhD, professor of tumor biology at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, tells WebMD. HPV is a well-known cause of cervical cancer. But researchers have only recently begun to appreciate its role in oral cancer, says HPV-oral cancer expert Gypsyamber D'Souza, PhD, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Yes there is a startling increase in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer, and that increase is being driven by HPV," D'Souza tells WebMD. "But while many experts agree that there's an epidemic rise in HPV-related oral cancer, the cancer remains rare." The risk of developing oral cancer increases with the lifetime number of oral or vaginal sex partners, but many people with HPV-related oral cancer have five or fewer lifetime sexual partners. Men are more likely to get oral cancer than are women, and people with [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-10-18T09:25:43-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|