human papilloma virus

Medical Mysteries: How a sore throat led to life-threatening bleeding

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Author: Sandra G. Boodman A Florida man spent months consulting doctors baffled by stabbing pain that radiated to his neck and shoulder. For more than a year, Arthur L. Kimbrough had done everything he could think of to find out what was causing the stabbing sensation that radiated from his throat to his neck and down his left shoulder. He had seen anesthesiologists, an ear, nose and throat doctor, a neurologist and neurosurgeons in Florida and Maryland; undergone tests and scans; and taken a variety of drugs that failed to alleviate the intensifying pain that baffled his doctors. It wasn’t until February 2022, after Kimbrough suffered a life-threatening hemorrhage in a hospital waiting room, that the cause was finally identified. Two years later, Kimbrough, now 76, attributes his survival to being in the right place at the right time. He says he feels lucky to be alive and is not angry his illness wasn’t diagnosed earlier. Doctors “missed some things clearly, [but] it wasn’t because they weren’t looking,” said Kimbrough, an executive coach who lives in the Florida Panhandle and owns funeral homes and cemeteries in Florida and Mississippi. “They were very responsive.” “The blinders we had on was that it turned out to be the fundamentally wrong place to be looking,” he said. Unusual sore throat Kimbrough first noticed the pain — a tender spot under the left side of his tongue in the back of his mouth — in mid-December 2020. It didn’t seem like a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2024-02-18T13:41:55-07:00February, 2024|Oral Cancer News|

Novel liquid biopsy of lymph fluid could guide precision treatment for head and neck cancer

Source: medicalxpress.com/ Author: provided by University of Pittsburgh Schematic of our study design and cohort, which included a total of 120 patients who underwent head and neck surgery for various conditions. Lymphatic fluid from surgical drains, which is usually tossed in the trash, is a treasure in the hands of University of Pittsburgh and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis researchers who found that this liquid could inform more precise treatments for patients with head and neck cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The new study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, shows for the first time that HPV DNA in lymphatic fluid collected after surgery is a powerful biomarker that could predict risk of cancer recurrence and help clinicians decide whether to ramp up adjuvant therapies or safely de-escalate treatment for patients with HPV-positive head and neck cancer. "Over the last decade, there has been emerging interest in liquid biopsy to pick up cancer recurrences after treatment," said senior author José P. Zevallos, M.D., M.P.H., professor and Eugene N. Myers, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at the Pitt School of Medicine and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. "Our goal was to bring liquid biopsy into the curative pathway for head and neck cancer so that we can use it not just to find recurrences but also to help make treatment decisions." Head and neck cancer once almost exclusively affected heavy drinkers and smokers, but the landscape of this disease has changed dramatically because of HPV, according [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-12-12T09:53:11-07:00December, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Parsing the genetic drivers of head and neck cancers

Source: today.ucsd.edu Author: UC San Diego press release Head and neck cancer, which kills more than 400,000 persons worldwide each year, has multiple causes. The human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, is one, but the most common and lethal subtype are HPV-negative head and neck cancers, which account for 3 percent of all malignancies in the United States and 15,000 deaths annually. “Typically, head and neck cancers begin in the squamous cells that line the mucosal surfaces, such as inside the mouth and throat and there are multiple treatment options, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy,” said Ezra Cohen, MD, co-director of the Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. “But these cancers are complex and no single treatment works for every patient every time, which is why immune checkpoint inhibitors were developed, which use antibodies to make tumor cells visible to a patient’s immune system.” Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) first emerged in the 1990s and has progressed dramatically in recent years, but drug resistance in head and neck cancer cases remains prevalent, poorly understood and largely unidentified by current biomarker tests, said Cohen. Currently available Food and Drug Administration-approved PD-1 (a protein) immune checkpoint antibody therapy produces durable responses in 15 percent of patients with head and neck squamous cancer. The remaining 85 percent receive no benefit and may, in fact, experience severe, immune-related adverse effects. Like other types of head and neck cancer, the HPV-negative subtype has multiple risk [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-11-17T21:39:36-07:00November, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

WVU Medicine Head and Neck Cancer Team works to increase tonsil cancer awareness

Source: wvumedicine.org Author: staff, WVU Medicine News Head and neck surgical oncologists at WVU Medicine, the WVU Cancer Institute, and across the country are seeing increased incidences of tonsil cancer. “The majority of tonsil cancers, nearly 70 percent, are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV),” Meghan Turner, M.D., head and neck surgeon in the WVU Medicine Department of Otolaryngology, said. “In the last 10 years, tonsil cancer caused by HPV has become more common than cervical cancer caused by the same virus.” In most cases of HPV infection, the body fights off the virus like it would the common cold. In other cases, the virus remains in the body, increasing the risk of both tonsil and cervical cancer. Unlike cervical cancer, there is no regular screening for tonsil cancer. Most commonly, tonsil cancer is first diagnosed as a nontender mass in the neck. “Another common presentation for tonsil cancer is actually recurrent or persistent tonsil pain in spite of treatment for a throat infection,” Dr. Turner said. “This happens between the ages of 50 and 60. It may seem like recurrent strep throat, but it is uncommon for people in that age range to develop recurrent strep throat. If you’re having pain that isn’t resolved after a course of antibiotics, you should ask your doctor if it could possibly be something like tonsil cancer.” It is also regularly discovered during routine dental visits, appearing as asymmetrical tonsils. Those who have had their tonsils removed by tonsillectomy are not immune to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-02-05T10:20:45-07:00February, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

The ‘big three’ causes of mouth cancer

Source: www.hippocraticpost.com Author: staff By knowing the causes of mouth cancer, we can take positive steps to reduce our own level of risk, says a leading health charity. The Oral Health Foundation is raising awareness about the causes of mouth cancer, following new research that shows far too many people remain unaware of the main risk factors. The number of people diagnosed with mouth cancer in the UK has doubled in the last 20 years, with tobacco, drinking alcohol to excess and the human papillomavirus, being the considered the most common causes. However, new data shows that awareness into the three big risk factors is as low as 15%. With more than half of all mouth cancer cases linked to lifestyle factors, the charity along with Denplan, part of Simplyhealth, are using November’s Mouth Cancer Action Month to shed light on the biggest risks factors associated with the disease. Tobacco Smoking tobacco increases your risk of developing mouth cancer by up to ten times. This includes smoking cigarettes, pipes or cigars. Around two-in-three mouth cancers are linked to smoking. Dr Nigel Carter, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation says: “Despite the number of smokers continuing to fall, it remains the leading cause of mouth cancer. Our focus must be on providing smokers with the support and information they need in order to kick tobacco for good. It’s never too late to quit and by making this positive step, the health of your mouth and body will see both instant [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-12-22T13:06:29-07:00December, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Naveris’ new saliva test detects head and neck cancer

Source: www.biospace.com/ Author: staff A new clinically-validated saliva test has been shown to detect HPV-associated head and neck cancer with high accuracy, a first-of-its-kind study result. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis used the Naveris, Inc. test to analyze saliva for sequences of the human papilloma virus (HPV) genome that are specific for HPV DNA released from malignant tumors. The test successfully distinguishes this tumor-tissue modified virus from non-cancerous sources of HPV DNA and precisely measures the number of tumor-tissue modified viral HPV (TTMV-HPV) DNA strands present in a saliva sample. The study results point to the potential for a significant improvement in early detection of the most common type of head and neck cancer, HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. “Naveris’ patient-friendly saliva test has the potential to radically advance early detection of HPV-positive head and neck cancer, which has been growing rapidly among men in the United States. Early detection of these cancers would make a dramatic difference in patient outcomes,” said Piyush Gupta, PhD, CEO of Naveris. The study quantified participants’ tumor-tissue modified viral HPV DNA in saliva samples and compared it to the levels found in their blood by utilizing Naveris’ NavDx® test. The results showed that TTMV-HPV DNA was commonly found in the saliva of HPV-associated head and neck cancer patients (44/46 cases), and at 18 times higher levels in the saliva samples than in the blood samples. One sample had undetectable TTMV-HPV and one was indeterminate for HPV DNA. Washington University [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-06-03T09:01:39-07:00June, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

National Vaccination Program Leads To Marked Reduction In HPV Infections

Source: Forbes Date: January 28th, 2020 Author: Nina Shapiro While widespread vaccination continues to be a source of contention in this country and others, one of the newer vaccines has begun to demonstrate remarkable positive impact, which will hopefully become harder and harder to dispute. The HPV vaccine, with trade name GardasilR, is recommended for both boys and girls, ideally sometime between ages 11 and 12 years, given in two doses at a six month interval. It can be given as early as age 9, and as late as age 26. Older adults, even up to age 45, can receive the vaccine, although it is more likely that these adults have already been exposed to the virus, and are less likely to be protected by the vaccine. The vaccine prevents infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause health problems ranging from nuisance-causing warts to cancer-causing lesions of the cervix, throat, and anorectal area. When HPV-related cancers hit Hollywood, with Michael Douglas publicly attributing his throat cancer to HPV, it became clear that this disease can no doubt affect both men and women. When Marcia Cross announced that her anal cancer was due to HPV infection, it raised yet another red flag that HPV can affect the lower gastrointestinal tract, not just the female reproductive tract. Indeed, HPV can affect any of us, at any age, from stem to stern. As I wrote in an earlier Forbes piece, the vaccine to prevent HPV can prevent not only sexually transmitted [...]

Charlotte Parker2020-01-30T12:16:44-07:00January, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Test that looks at your spit to tell if you have mouth or throat cancer caused by HPV ‘could save thousands of lives if rolled out for doctors to use’

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk Author: Connor Boyd, Health Reporter A saliva test that diagnoses mouth and throat cancer caused by HPV could save thousands of lives each year, a study suggests. Scientists at Duke University in North Carolina discovered the test was 80 per cent accurate at spotting the killer diseases. Doctors say it is able to detect the cancers early on, giving patients much higher hopes of surviving their battle. Before it can be used in hospitals around the world, further trials will be needed to confirm the technology works. But the researchers are hopeful, claiming the cheaper test - which gives results in as little as 10 minutes - has significant 'potential'. Rates of oral cancers are soaring in the Western world, with the number of patients diagnosed in the UK having doubled in a generation. US doctors have also seen a similar spike in the diseases, which can be caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). The infection – spread through oral sex, as well as anal and vaginal intercourse – is thought to cause around 70 per cent of all cases. Other risk factors include drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over long periods of time and smoking cigarettes. Professor Tony Jun Huang, study co-author, said there are around 115,000 cases of oropharyngeal cancers each year across the world. He said it is 'one of the fastest-rising cancers in Western countries due to increasing HPV-related incidence, especially in younger patients'. Orophayngeal cancer starts in the oropharynx, the back of the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-12-14T11:12:24-07:00December, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Health department official on HPV vaccine: “What are we waiting for?”

Source: www.mynews13.com Author: Rebecca Turco Despite studies from the CDC showing the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine at preventing certain types of cancer, some parents are still hesitant to get their children vaccinated. 92% of almost 35,000 cancers could be prevented by vaccine Doctor: Some parents may think vaccine promotes sexual behavior County Health Departments offer HPV vaccine for free Dr. Raul Pino, the interim administrator of the Orange County Health Department, wants to change that. Among the estimated 34,800 cancers probably caused by the human papilloma virus between 2012 and 2016, an estimated 92% could be prevented by the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We have a vaccine that prevents some type of cancers, and now we're questioning if we should take the vaccine," he said. "It will not only prevent penile cancer or vaginal cancer or cervical cancer, but also oral, esophagus and tonsils. "So what are we waiting for?" Pino thinks some parents might be hesitant because of the widely spread, but disproven, belief that vaccines are linked to autism. Then, there are other parents who think giving their child the vaccine is promoting sexual behavior. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. "The reality is, I think what the parents have to present to themselves in this debate, is what is the paramount objective here?" Pino said. "Is the paramount objective to offer protection to the individual, or is the paramount objective to prevent the behavior?" Officials recommended that children [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-10-18T07:28:12-07:00October, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Antibodies against HPV16 can develop up to 40 years before throat cancer is diagnosed

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: news release An international group of researchers has found that antibodies to the human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV16) develop in the body between six to 40 years prior to a clinical diagnosis of throat cancer, and their presence indicates a strong increased risk of the disease. The study, which is published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology [1] today (Wednesday), also found that having HPV16 antibodies increased the risk of throat cancer far more in white people than in black: nearly 100-fold in white people, but 17-fold in black people. Patients with HPV-associated throat cancer tend to respond better to treatment than those whose cancer is not associated with the infection; the researchers say this may partly explain the worse survival rates among black patients. The main causes of throat cancer (known as oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, OPSCC) are smoking, alcohol use and infection with HPV16. In the USA the proportion of OPSCCs attributable to HPV16 is around 70%; in some European countries a similar proportion is caused by HPV16, although this varies from country to country. [2] Dr Mattias Johansson, a cancer epidemiologist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, who led the research, said: "Importantly, the proportion of throat cancers caused by HPV16 has been increasing over the past few decades, particularly in men, and in some countries the overwhelming majority are now caused by the virus. "Investigating the range in time prior to diagnosis in which [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-06-12T07:46:27-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|