HPV – Page 52 – Oral Cancer News

Tobacco usage affects risk of metastases of HPV-related oropharynx cancer

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff Researchers from the University of Michigan have reported that current tobacco users with advanced, human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer are at increased risk of disease recurrence. The details of this study were published in the February 15, 2010 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.[1] Human papillomaviruses are probably the sole cause of cancers of the cervix and have been associated with cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and rectum. Epidemiologic and molecular biology studies have also suggested that HPV infection may be associated with cancers of the head and neck. The overall frequency of HPV in benign and precancerous lesions ranges from 18.5% to 35.9%, depending upon the detection methodology. Researchers affiliated with an international study have also that reported that oral infection with HPV is associated with the development of head and neck cancers. These authors concluded that HPV infection increased the risk of oropharyngeal cancer in both users and non-users of alcohol and tobacco. These authors also suggested that the more prevalent practice of oral sex may explain the increased incidence of tonsillar and base-of-the-tongue cancers since 1973. Researchers from the University of Maryland and Harvard University have also reported that the better survival among White patients compared with African-American patients with oropharyngeal cancer appears to be due, at least in part, to the higher prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers in White patients. The current study evaluated the effect of tobacco usage on the outcomes of patients with HPV-related advanced oropharyngeal cancer. These authors [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-22T08:55:40-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Needed: HPV vaccine, simple screening test, for women and men

Source: jhu.edu/~gazette Author: Valerie Mehl, Johns Hopkins Medicine A call to explore a broader use of human papillomavirus vaccines and the validation of a simple oral screening test for HPV-caused oral cancers are reported in two studies by an investigator at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. Leading HPV expert Maura Gillison, the first to identify HPV infection as the cause of certain oral cancers and who identified multiple sex partners as the most important risk factor for these cancers, reports her latest work Nov. 3 in the journal Clinical Cancer Research and in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monograph. The CDC report on HPV-associated cancers appears online Nov. 3 and in the Nov. 15 supplement edition of Cancer. In the CDC report, believed to be the first and most comprehensive assessment of HPV-associated cancer data in the United States, investigators analyzed cancer registry data from 1998 to 2003 and found 25,000 cancer cases each year occurred at cancer sites associated with HPV infection. In additional analysis, Gillison and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute identified HPV infection as the underlying cause of approximately 20,000 of these cancers. Gillison and her team found that approximately 20,000 cases of cancer in the United States each year are caused by HPV infection. Oral cancers are the second most common type of HPV- associated cancers and are increasing in incidence in the United States, particularly among men. Add to that anal, penile, vaginal and vulvar cancers that are [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-19T21:39:40-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

HPV vaccine reduced further disease in women treated for cancer precursors

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: staff HPV vaccine quadrivalent (types 6, 11, 16 and 18) decreased HPV-related disease in women previously treated for cancer precursors, according to the post-hoc analysis of findings from two trials. Warner Huh, MD, associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, presented these findings at The Society for Gynecologic Oncologists’ 2010 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer in San Francisco. Although the HPV4 (Merck, Gardisil) has been shown to prevent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, genital warts and adenocarcinoma, it is unclear if the vaccine may benefit patients who have already been exposed to the virus and had subsequent surgery. Researchers analyzed data from 17,622 women who were randomly assigned to the HPV4 or placebo. Overall, 587 women assigned to the vaccine and 763 assigned to placebo underwent cervical definitive therapy. Patients in the placebo group were at higher risk for incidence of CIN, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, genital warts and adenocarcinoma at a rate of 11.1 per 100 person-years, with an average of 1.4 years after surgery, compared with patients assigned to HPV4. Regardless of causal HPV type, patients who were vaccinated had a reduced risk for developing further disease, with a rate of 45% (95% CI, 21-62). Women treated for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia and genital warts assigned to placebo had the highest risk for further disease, with a rate of 33.7 per 100 person-years. The risk for further [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-17T20:02:24-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Oral sex can add to risk of HPV positive cancers

Source: www.time.com Author: Coco Masters Oral sex can get most men's attention. The topic becomes considerably more relevant, however, when coupled with a new study linking the human papillomavirus (HPV) to an increased risk of a kind of oral cancer more often seen in men. The study, which appears in this week's New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), shows that men and women who reported having six or more oral-sex partners during their lifetime had a nearly ninefold increased risk of developing cancer of the tonsils or at the base of the tongue. Of the 300 study participants, those infected with HPV were also 32 times more likely to develop this type of oral cancer than those who did not have the virus. These findings dwarf the increased risk of developing this so-called oropharyngeal cancer associated with the two major risk factors: smoking (3 times greater) or drinking (2.5 times greater). HPV infection drives cancerous growth, as it is widely understood to do in the cervix. But unlike cervical cancer, this type of oral cancer is more prevalent in men. HPV is ubiquitous. Of the 120 strains isolated from humans — about 40 of which are in the mouth and genital tracts — Merck's recently FDA-approved vaccine, Gardasil, protects against four: HPV-6 and HPV-11, which cause warts; and HPV-16 and HPV-18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancers. Similarly, according to the study, HPV-16 was present in 72 of the 100 cancer patients enrolled in the study. Between 12,000 and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-19T22:32:29-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Isn’t it about time? Overcoming the real barriers to complete oral cancer screening

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Jonathan A. Bregman, DDS, FAGD In the previous articles of this series, I discussed four barriers I see as stopping those in the dental profession from doing a complete oral cancer screening examination. In Part 1, the barrier I discussed is the overall lack of confidence in doing a complete extra-/intraoral cancer screening exam. The rationale: “not doing the exam at all puts me at less risk than doing it and missing something.” In Part 2, the barrier I discussed is being unclear about who to examine: the changing target population, especially the influence of the human papillomavirus (HPV 16/18). In Part 3, the uncertainties of how the complete cancer screening examination should be done, plus communicating the reasons for doing it for patients. In Part 4: Uncertainty about how to properly record the cancer screening examination Barrier 5: Uncertainty about how to best and most effectively deliver the message of a positive finding The more we look, the more we find. The more we look, the closer we look, the more abnormalities we will detect with our cancer screening exam. This makes sense, of course. The same goes for the complete periodontal examination, the complete occlusal analysis, the complete updated radiographic evaluation, etc. In each area — tissue abnormalities, periodontal abnormalities, occlusal abnormalities — we must address the needs of the patient in a way that sets the stage for understanding of the problem(s) and presenting possible options/solutions to correct the problems. Build on what you [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-19T22:33:02-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

HPV-related cancer not confined to cervix

Source: www.businesswire.com Author: press release The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, but is also associated with several other types of cancer. Expert physicians from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Member Institutions presented an update on HPV and its link to various cancers including cervical cancer, anal carcinoma, and head and neck cancers discussing prevention strategies and the latest recommended treatment options according to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™). “It is important to counsel against any tobacco use as well as excessive alcohol consumption, and also to inform patients about the role of HPV and its mechanism of spread” Robert J. Morgan, MD, FACP of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Cervical Cancer began the session speaking about the link between HPV and cervical cancer as well as methods of prevention. “Cervical cancer screening with the pap smear is one of the greatest success stories in medicine,” said Dr. Morgan pointing to data that shows a steadily decreasing death rate from cervical cancer since the 1980s. The link between HPV and cervical cancer first started to emerge in the 1970’s when researchers found evidence linking cervical cancer to a wart virus coupled with the fact that cervical cancer was associated with sexual activity. In 1983, HPV DNA was identified in cervical cancer tissue. There are 120 known HPV serotypes with 19 being considered high risk, although as Dr. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-11T19:12:43-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Why men’s health is a feminist issue

Source: www.msmagazine.com Author: Adina Nack Jorge (not his real name) feared his girlfriend would dump him. He’d been diagnosed with genital warts before meeting her, and hadn’t yet told her about his infection. Jorge was being careful—no skin-to-skin sexual contact—but the disclosure was looming. So he’d done some research and learned what caused genital warts. Armed with that knowledge, he hoped that his girlfriend wouldn’t reject him, especially since he knew she could be protected from contracting warts “because of the Gardasil vaccine.” It never occurred to Jorge that Gardasil, made by the pharmaceutical company Merck, could also have protected him. But that’s probably because it was only last October that the Food and Drug Administration approved a “male” Gardasil for preventing genital warts. And the FDA has yet to put its stamp on another promising usage of the vaccine for men: preventing cancer, especially highly prevalent oral cancers. Since Gardasil was FDA-approved in 2006, it has received a huge marketing push for preventing cervical cancer in women. It has come into frequent—if sometimes controversial—use for females 9 to 26 years old because it’s designed to guard them, before they ever have sex, against contracting a virus that has been linked to cervical cancer. That virus is HPV, human papillomavirus, which causes one-third of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. Gardasil offers protection against four of the 30 to 40 types of sexually transmissible HPV. While it’s fear of cervical cancer that have motivated young women to get [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-09T21:48:41-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

BT Pharma secures EUR 13.1million (USD 17.7 million) in capital funding and changes its name to Genticel

Source: pharmalive.com/News Author: press release BT Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative immunotherapies to prevent cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), announces today that it has raised EUR 13.1 million in additional funding and changed its name to Genticel. AGF Private Equity led the round, which brought in three new investors, IRDI (Institut Régional de Développement Industriel), Amundi Private Equity Funds and InnoBio fund, managed by CDC Entreprises, within FSI France Investment program. Previous investors, including Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP), also took part. To best leverage its unique and broadly applicable therapeutic vaccine platform, Adenylate Cyclase (CyaA), Genticel will focus its efforts on the prevention of cervical cancer in HPV infected women. A phase I clinical trial of Genticel's lead therapeutic HPV vaccine, ProCervix, is scheduled for the second quarter of 2010. This bivalent product, which carries antigens originating from both HPV16 and HPV18, should offer a curative vaccine solution that will complement current prophylactic vaccines. "This level of support from investors, particularly in the current economic environment, is extremely encouraging and confirms the potential of our drug candidates and our business plan," said Dr Benedikt Timmerman, CEO at Genticel. "The new funding will not only enable us to conduct our 'first-in-man' clinical trial with the CyaA technology but also allow the company to prepare for phase II in the same indication and prepare pipeline products up to the development stage." Dr Alain Munoz, MD, representative of AGF Private Equity, who has joined the Supervisory Board of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-09T21:40:51-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Instant screening device is the best defense for detecting deadly oral cancer

Source: worldental.org Author: staff Every year, over 34,000 Americans develop oral cancer. Many die, and many others must undergo surgery that leaves them permanently disfigured. In the March 2010 issue of Esquire magazine, film critic Roger Ebert shared his story about his battle with the oral cancer disease. After multiple surgeries, he lost his lower jaw, along with his ability to speak and eat solid food. Ebert brings publicity to a disease that hasn’t received much. Oral cancer can be a serious diagnosis, mainly because it usually goes undetected until it has reached an advanced stage and has spread throughout the body. People in their 60s who use tobacco and/or alcohol were once thought to be most at risk of getting oral cancer, but new evidence suggests a more disturbing cause. Oral cancer is now linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), the same virus that causes cervical cancer. This means that oral cancer can be spread via oral sex, which puts sexually active younger adults in a higher-risk category. Dentists are usually the first to diagnose oral cancer, but 75 percent do not check their patients for signs of the disease. What’s more, the early signs of oral cancer are invisible to the naked eye, so even those who look for it may not spot it. Luckily, there is a technology to detect the earliest signs of oral cancer. It’s called the VELscope, and it’s being used in approximately 500 dental practices throughout the United States. Dr. Michael Koczarski of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-05T07:22:53-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

New technology helps those affected by HPV

Source: news10now.com Autor: Marcie Fraser Scott Vitale certainly does not fit the criteria for the HPV virus which causes warts, and in rare cases, it's found in the throat. Most often, infants get it from their mothers while they pass through the birth canal. Why or how he got the virus, no one knows for sure. "In terms of the voice box areas, the throat, it is not that clear cut. We think there may be some sexual transmission but it's hard to pin point how these patients actually get these papillomas,” said Dr. Stanely Shapshay, Laryngologist. He had symptoms for about a year. He had trouble breathing and he nearly lost his voice. The tumors had obstructed his airway. "Papilloma virus affects the vocal cords and the throat in general and some of our patients like you have seen today have little tumors called papilloma. Papillomas are viral caused tumors that either change the vocal cord function, in terms of the voice or sometimes even breathing,” said Shapshay. Thankfully the tumors were not on his vocal cords. Laryngologist Dr. Stanley Shapshay was able to do tests right in the office with a high tech camera called the Distal Chip Technology. By simply numbing the nasal passage, this flexible scope can be inserted down the throat which provides clear 3D images. "The Distal Chip Technology gives us a beautiful view, a panorama of the throat to be able to see detail we have not seen before,” said Shapshay. Once the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-05T07:13:23-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|