human papillomavirus – Page 22

Finally, a selfish reason to get boys vaccinated for HPV

Source: www.slate.com Author: Kent Sepkowitz A vaccine that prevents cancer is the dream of just about every patient, doctor, and public health official. Therefore, hopes were quite high five years ago, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that causes almost all cases of cervical cancer. But despite its clear efficacy, the vaccine has been something of a dud. According to a 2008 survey, only 34 percent of the target crowd, girls aged 13 to 17 years, had received it. The reasons for the slow uptake relate to generic vaccine issues (cost, pain, distrust) as well as a particular discomfort with this one, dubbed the "sex vaccine" by many conservatives, who object to it on the grounds that it somehow promotes licentious behavior (as if it were possible to make teenagers any hornier). However, a new study presented at last week's annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists makes the vaccine look even more valuable. Though preliminary and still unpublished, these findings have the potential to finally shift the perception that HPV is a woman's problem and convince parents to get their boys vaccinated against the virus, too. The researchers make the most compelling case to date that HPV causes yet another malignancy—oropharyngeal cancer, a disease that affects men three times more often than women. (It's a subcategory of "oral" or "head and neck" cancer, which also predominantly affect men.) Their work appears to have [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-17T12:56:58-07:00June, 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|

With HPV-related head and neck cancers rising, focus on treatment and vaccination

Source: blogs.wsj.com/health Author: Laura Landro 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 - A2011-05-31T14:23:46-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV and EGFR are hottest topics in head and neck cancer

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Zosia Chustecka The hottest topic in head and neck cancers is the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the disease, although there is also a lot interest in treatment with EGRF inhibitors, especially the second-generation products, according to an expert here at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 11th Biennial Conference. HPV has only been associated with head and neck cancer in the last few years, but it is now clear that patients who are positive for the virus have a better prognosis, said Cai Grau, MD, DMSC, professor of oncology at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. He chaired a session during which both hot topics were discussed. "These patients have a better prognosis, irrespective of treatment, and their risk of a second cancer is virtually zero," added session participant Lisa Licitra, MD, medical oncologist at the Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori in Milan, Italy. However, there is a difference between patients in the United States and those in Europe with regard to risk, she told meeting attendees. For American patterns, Dr. Licitra cited the analysis published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine (2010;363:24-35), which reported a risk model for death from oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma on the basis of HPV status, pack-years of tobacco smoking, and tumor and nodal stage. In this 266-patient cohort, 43% were low risk, 30% were intermediate risk, and 27% were high risk. Dr. Licitra reported that when she performed the same analysis [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-05-17T06:56:01-07:00May, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

American Dental Association encourages public to get screened for oral cancer

Source: www.prnewswire.com Author: press release The American Dental Association (ADA) and the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) encourage people to take part in Oral Cancer Awareness Month in April by visiting a dentist for a free oral cancer screening. So far, more than 1,250 sites across the nation have registered their screening events with the OCF. "Although many dentists perform oral cancer screenings as a routine part of dental examinations, the ADA encourages dentists to go out into their communities during the week of April 11-15 to provide free oral cancer screenings to people who might not regularly visit a dentist," said ADA Spokesperson Sol Silverman, D.D.S., a professor of oral medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. "Early detection is critical in increasing survival rates for patients who have developed an oral cancer; and recognizing and managing precancerous lesions is extremely important in prevention," he said. Mr. Brian Hill, OCF executive director and an oral cancer survivor, also stressed the importance of early detection and the important role that dentists play. "Early detection is important because it reduces treatment-related morbidity and improves survival rates," he said. In 2010, the National Cancer Institute estimated that approximately 36,540 people were diagnosed with oral cancer and approximately 7,880 people died of oral cancer. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) estimates that the five-year survival rate for people diagnosed early, when the disease has not spread beyond the original location, is approximately 83 percent compared to a 20 percent survival [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-11T20:25:42-07:00April, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

HPV link comes as a shock to male cancer patients

By ANIKA CLARK Stanley Sikora of Fall River and Tom Souza of Swansea clearly remember when they started their battles with cancer — life-changing moments while raking leaves or shaving, when they touched their necks and felt a lump. It's a common experience thanks to a disease that, between the suffering of friends, families and ourselves, has become nearly universal. But then came news neither expected. Tumors from both men tested positive for human papillomavirus, an often sexually transmitted virus that is increasingly being linked to cancers of the head and neck. At Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Head and Neck Cancers, "it's something that we see practically on a daily basis," said Dr. Lori Wirth, medical director for head and neck oncology, who said in an email that, although there are not-fully-understood co-factors, there's strong data that about 60-65 percent of all cancers of the oropharynx (the rear of the mouth, including the back of the throat, tonsils and the base of the tongue) are HPV-related. "Our awareness that HPV is associated with oropharynx cancers is something that has been emerging over the last 5-10 years," she said. "Ten years ago, we didn't even look for (it)." Upon learning of his HPV diagnosis, "I honestly felt creepy about myself," said Sikora, 59, albeit somewhat reassured when he found out how easily it's transmitted. "Already I was shocked that I got cancer. Now it's from HPV," he said. "So I'm thinking 'I can't be going around telling people I got [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-04T14:41:03-07:00April, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer screenings: dental professionals can save lives

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Michelle Kratt I am sure that you have heard of HPV (human papillomavirus)? Did you know that some types of HPV can cause oral cancer? Recent studies in the United States indicate that HPV is now the leading cause of head and neck cancers at 64%, even rising above smoking, tobacco chewing, and drinking alcohol. Oral cancer accounts for 2% to 4% of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. The number of oral cancer cases is steadily rising, and today it is showing up in younger patients. More than 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause more than 8,000 deaths, killing roughly one person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 37,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in five years. The death rate for these types of cancer is so high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but because it is caught too late in its development, with 70% found in Stage III or IV. Aside from the usual risk factors — tobacco and alcohol, ultraviolet light, poor nutrition, immune system suppression, lichen planus, and history of cancer — the addition of HPV as a risk factor for oral cancer has made it extremely difficult to easily define high-risk individuals (25% of mouth cancers and 35% of throat cancers are caused by HPV). Another risk factor, although controversial, is ill-fitting dentures. It has been suggested that long-term [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-03-21T12:28:36-07:00March, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Evaluation of human papillomavirus testing for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil in clinical practice

Source: jcp.bmj.com Authors: Selvam Thavaraj et al. Background: Oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a subtype of head-and-neck cancer with a distinct clinical and prognostic profile. While there are calls to undertake HPV testing for oropharyngeal SCCs within the diagnostic setting and for clinical trials, there are currently no internationally accepted standards. Methods: 142 tonsil SCCs were tested using p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC), high-risk HPV DNA in situ hybridisation (ISH) and HPV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR; GP5+/6+ primers). Results: There were high levels of agreement between pathologists for p16 IHC and HPV ISH scoring; however, around 10% of HPV ISH cases showed some interobserver discrepancy that was resolved by slide review. The combination of p16 IHC and HPV ISH classified 53% of the samples as HPV-positive, whereas the combination of p16 IHC and HPV PCR classified 61% of the samples as HPV-positive. By employing a three-tiered, staged algorithm (p16 IHC/HPV ISH/HPV PCR), the authors were able to classify 98% of the cases as either HPV-positive (p16 IHC+/HPV DNA+; 62%) or HPV-negative (p16 IHC−/HPV DNA−; 35%). Conclusions: The current study suggests that using a combination of p16 IHC/HPV ISH/HPV PCR, in a three-tiered, staged algorithm, in conjunction with consensus reporting of HPV ISH, leads to less equivocal molecular classification. In order to ensure consistent reporting of this emerging disease, it is increasingly important for the head-and-neck oncology community to define the minimum requirements for assigning a diagnosis of ‘HPV-related’ oropharyngeal SCC in order to inform prognosis and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-03-19T12:32:28-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer guidelines ‘streamlined’

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Fran Lowry Modest changes in the 2011 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Head and Neck Cancers Guidelines will refine and improve the treatment of these complex, challenging, and relatively rare cancers, according to the panel chief reporting here at the NCCN 16th Annual Conference. One of the main changes is a new "suggestion" that the workup for cancer of the oropharynx include testing of the tumor for human papillomavirus (HPV). "Immunohistochemical testing for HPV p16 is recommended," said David G. Pfister, MD, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and chair of the NCCN Head and Neck Cancers Guidelines Committee. "Although not used to guide treatment, HPV testing is valuable prognostically. The results should not change management decisions," he emphasized. HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer appears to be a new and distinct disease entity, and is associated with better survival than non-HPV head and neck cancers, Dr. Pfister noted. HPV Has a Clear Impact on Prognosis "Our understanding of the human papillomavirus as a risk factor for head and neck cancer has evolved. Now we see that it has a clear impact on prognosis," Dr. Pfister said in an interview with Medscape Medical News. Because of their improved prognosis, these patients might require different treatment, he said. "There is a great interest in better understanding HPV-related cancers and how we treat the disease down the road. Right now we have insufficient data to change how we treat these patients, but clinical trials are being designed to assess the optimal treatment [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-03-18T12:17:56-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV prevalence in men

Source: The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9769, Pages 881 - 883, 12 March 2011 Authors: Anna Giuliano et al. In The Lancet, Anna Giuliano and colleagues1 present a prospective study (HPV in Men [HIM]) of the incidence and clearance of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in men. They also report on male sexual behavior, which determines HPV incidence and clearance. The epidemiology of HPV infections in men is not well understood and thus the results are of substantial interest. The results bring to light important new information, and draw attention to differences between the natural histories of male and female HPV infections, and the need for further studies to better define HPV transmission, progression to disease, and epithelial sites in men. Because HPV infection in men greatly affects disease risk in women,2 transmission and protection are important topics. However, circumcision and condom use have not been clearly shown to fully protect against either HPV acquisition or clearance in male genital sites,3, 4 which questions their value in preventing infection in men and transmission to female partners. Understanding male HPV infection is important to minimize anxiety and the health-care costs associated with genital warts, penile cancer treatment, and morbidity in men, in addition to addressing the acknowledged public health concern created by HPV infection in women. The HIM data on HPV incidence and clearance should be exploited to elaborate prevention guidance, and to minimize transmission and to aid management and associated concerns for couples. Because most HPV infections in men are asymptomatic, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-03-12T11:50:39-07:00March, 2011|Oral Cancer News|