oral cancer – Page 18 – Oral Cancer News

Democrat Shelly Leonard, Former House District Candidate, Fights Cancer Again

Source: TampaBay By: Mike Brassfield, Times Staff Writer CLEARWATER — When she ran against incumbent state Rep. Ed Hooper last year, Shelly Leonard wasn't your typical candidate. She was a 37-year-old single mother — and a survivor of oral cancer. The feisty Democrat made her cancer history a part of her stump speech, talking about the need to make health insurance accessible to more people. "My tongue is scarred," she would say on the campaign trail, "but I have a strong voice." More than 16,000 people voted for her in Clearwater-based House District 50. But nearly 24,000 voted to keep Republican Hooper in office, so Leonard went back to her job as a social worker. Now she's facing some bad news. Leonard's oral cancer has returned. She's scheduled to undergo major surgery today at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. "She's having surgery to remove four malignant tumors," said her friend and campaign treasurer, Van Farber. "After they remove the tumors, there's a question of how much of her tongue will be left after surgery — will she be able to talk in her normal voice, or just a whisper?" As tough as that is, it's actually an improvement over what her prognosis had been. As recently as six weeks ago, Leonard was told that her tumors were so large, she could lose part of her chin and some of her teeth and would need significant reconstructive surgery. "The most positive thing is, her tumors have shrunk since then," Farber said. [...]

Charlotte Parker2011-09-02T10:43:31-07:00September, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Rate of HPV Vaccination in Teens Lagging

Source: The Associated Press Author: Staff Only about half of the teenage girls in the U.S. have rolled up their sleeves for a controversial vaccine against cervical cancer — a rate well below those for two other vaccinations aimed at adolescents. The vaccine hit the market in 2006. By last year, just 49 percent of girls had gotten at least the first of the recommended three shots for human papilloma virus, or HPV, a sexually-transmitted bug that can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Only a third had gotten all three doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. In contrast, the CDC said about two-thirds of teens had gotten the recommended shot for one type of bacterial meningitis and a shot for meningitis and tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. Granted, it can take many years for a new vaccine to catch on and reach the 90 percent and above range for many longstanding childhood vaccines. But use of HPV vaccine has been "very disappointing" compared to other newer vaccines, said the CDC's Dr. Melinda Wharton. "If we don't do a much better job, we're leaving another generation vulnerable to cervical cancer later in life," said Wharton. Why aren't more girls getting HPV shots? The vaccine can be very expensive, and it can be a bit of a hassle. It takes three visits to the doctor over six months. But sex no doubt has something to do with it, experts said. Girls are supposed to start the [...]

Charlotte Parker2011-08-26T12:24:52-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Life After Tongue Cancer, & a Total Glossectomy

Source: UCSF Medical Center Author: Sierra Tzoore Tongue cancer is uncommon, and it's especially unusual for it to strike a young person who doesn't smoke or drink heavily. Kate Brown was just 32 years old, recently married and beginning a new job, when she learned that a spot on her tongue was stage III tongue cancer. Brown was referred to UCSF Medical Center, where surgeons recommended a drastic treatment that was her best shot at survival: a total glossectomy, or tongue removal, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Four years later, Brown is cancer-free and, unlike many patients who undergo total glossectomy, able to eat and speak understandably. We asked Brown about her treatment and path to recovery. How did you discover you had tongue cancer? A small sore appeared on my tongue when I had a sore throat. I took antibiotics for the sore throat, but the spot was still there after the sore throat subsided. I then started to have ear pain and the sore got larger. I was prescribed antibiotics again. When my doctor looked in my ear she didn't see any swelling, but the earache became unbearably painful. I'd never been in pain like that. In my heart of hearts, I knew at that point that something was terribly wrong, but I wasn't sure what it was. I decided to see another doctor, who referred me to an ear, nose and throat specialist, Dr. Ivor Emanuel at California Pacific Medical Center. Dr. Emanuel's specialty is allergies but I think [...]

Charlotte Parker2011-08-22T12:33:47-07:00August, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Dental Care Denied by Medicare Turns into Major Lawsuit

Source: Dr.Bicuspid.com Medicare's refusal to cover extensive dental treatment that is often needed to treat patients with diseases such as oral cancer and Sjögren's syndrome is unreasonable and arbitrary, according to a lawsuit pending in U.S. federal court. The litigation, originally filed in 2008 on behalf of one plaintiff, was recently amended by the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona against U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on behalf of three Medicare beneficiaries who needed medically related dental care stemming from underlying medical conditions. Medicare policy, which excludes coverage of "routine" dental care, does cover dental services when they are "incident to and an integral part of" eligible medical care. Dental procedures that are covered include extractions in preparation of radiation treatment of neoplastic disease, reconstruction of ridges that are performed simultaneously with the surgical removal of oral tumors, and the wiring of teeth if done in connection with jaw fractures. "We have argued that this is a misinterpretation of the Medicare statute," said CMA attorney Sally Hart, who filed the suit. "We think that beneficiaries who require extensive dental services because of damage from Sjögren's syndrome, as well as cancer radiation treatment and other conditions that destroy the production of saliva, should not fall within the exclusion." CMS does not comment on pending litigation, CMS spokesman Tony Salters told DrBicuspid.com. Why coverage denied Each of the plaintiffs in the CMA lawsuit suffered a serious medical condition, resulting in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-08-16T16:04:15-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Resveratrol Selectively Induces DNA Damage, Independent of Smad4 Expression, in Its Efficacy against Human Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Source: Clinical Cancer Research Author: Robert A. Sclafani, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Campus Box 8101, Room 9100, Aurora, CO 80045. Phone: 303-724-3271; Fax: 303-724-3215; E-mail:[email protected] Abstract Purpose: Alterations in Smad4 signaling and its loss cause genomic instability and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), suggesting that agents that target both Smad4-dependent and -independent pathways could control HNSCC. Experimental Design: Resveratrol efficacy was evaluated against the HNSCC cells FaDu, Cal27, Det562, and Cal27-Smad4 for viability, DNA damage, cell-cycle progression, and apoptosis, as well as γ-H2AX expression, and focus formation (γ-H2AX and Brca1). Resveratrol efficacy was also examined in nude mice for FaDu xenograft growth. Xenografts were analyzed for γ-H2AX and cleaved caspase-3. Results: Resveratrol (5–50 μmol/L) suppressed viability and induced DNA damage in FaDu and Cal27 cells but not in normal human epidermal keratinocytes and human foreskin fibroblasts, showing its selectivity toward HNSCC cells; however, Det562 cells were resistant to resveratrol even at 100 μmol/L. Cal27 cells stably transfected withSmad4 showed similar resveratrol effects as parental Cal27, indicating that a lack of resveratrol effect in Det562 cells was independent of Smad4 status in these cells. Furthermore, resveratrol caused S-phase arrest and apoptotic death of FaDu and Cal27 cells together with induction of Brca1 and γ-H2AX foci. Resveratrol (50 mg/kg body weight) treatment also inhibited FaDu tumor growth in nude mice, and γ-H2AX and cleaved caspase-3 were strongly increased in xenografts from resveratrol-treated mice compared with controls. Conclusion: Our findings for the first time showed antiproliferative, DNA damaging, and apoptotic effects of resveratrol in [...]

Charlotte Parker2011-08-15T10:20:48-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Laser Surgery On Tongue Cancer Successful for Aerosmith Musician

Source: KSAT Author: Brian Mylar Aerosmith Musician Shows Progress Fighting Cancer SAN ANTONIO -- Aerosmith will be performing in Mexico and South America this fall and one of the band members will be along for the tour thanks to a radical medical procedure. In one Aerosmith song, bassist Tom Hamilton sends a message to his throat and tongue cancer with the lyrics "you've got no business with me." Five years ago, Hamilton underwent chemotherapy and radiation for tongue-base cancer, but it came back and extended into his voice box. That is when he turned to Dr. Steven Zeitels. "This is not your classic way, or even traditional way, to try and remove a cancer from the tongue base," Zeitels said. Radical surgery was now Hamilton's only option. But that could leave his voice and breathing passage permanently damaged. "I was just terrified," Hamilton said. "I really though, 'Oh, I am looking at not being able to talk.'" Zeitels has treated vocal cord cancer with the green-light KTP laser, so Hamilton agreed to be the first person treated that way for tongue base cancer. The laser emits a green light, which is concentrated in the extra blood running through the cancer. "Where there is a lot of cancer, there will be a lot of blood," Zeitels said. "Where there is a lot of blood, there will be a lot of combustion so that you are actually watching the tissues burn completely different" But not everyone is a candidate for this surgery. [...]

Charlotte Parker2011-08-08T16:41:44-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

World’s second youngest oral cancer patient

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel, (By Tsai Pei-chi and Christie Chen) Taipei, Aug. 5 - A seven-year-old boy in Taiwan has been diagnosed as Asia's youngest and the world's second youngest oral cancer patient, said Dr. Hsia Yi-jan from Taipei's Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital Friday. The boy, surnamed Liao, was diagnosed with oral cancer after pustules were found on his tooth extraction wound, which failed to heal after he pulled out a tooth at the beginning of the year, said Hsia, who directs the hospital's oral and maxillofacial surgery center. It is rare for children to contract oral cancer, as oral cancer patients in Taiwan are usually between 30 and 45 years old, the doctor said. The exact cause of Liao's cancer has not yet been determined. Liao was discharged from the hospital Friday after successfully recovering from the surgery. Hsia, who performed the surgery for Liao, said many oral cancer patients mistake oral cancer for periodontal disease or ordinary mouth ulcers, and as a result, miss the best time for treatment. He said patients should seek medical treatment if their oral wounds have failed to heal after more than two to three weeks.

Charlotte Parker2011-08-08T12:12:05-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Ischemic Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attack after Head & Neck Radiotherapy

Source: AHA Journals Author: Chris Plummer, PhD; Robert D. Henderson, PhD; John D. O'Sullivan, MD; Stephen J. Read, PhD Abstract Background and Purpose—Cerebrovascular disease can complicate head and neck radiotherapy and result in transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke. Although the incidence of radiation vasculopathy is predicted to rise with improvements in median cancer survival, the pathogenesis, natural history, and management of the disease are ill defined. Methods—We examined studies on the epidemiology, imaging, pathogenesis, and management of medium- and large-artery intra- and extra-cranial disease after head and neck radiotherapy. Controlled prospective trials and larger retrospective trials from the last 30 years were prioritized. Results—The relative risk of transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke is at least doubled by head and neck radiotherapy. Chronic radiation vasculopathy affecting medium and large intra- and extra-cranial arteries is characterized by increasing rates of hemodynamically significant stenosis with time from radiotherapy. Disease expression is the likely consequence of the combined radiation insult to the intima-media (accelerating atherosclerosis) and to the adventitia (injuring the vasa vasorum). Optimal medical treatment is not established. Carotid endarterectomy is confounded by the need to operate across scarred tissue planes, whereas carotid stenting procedures have resulted in high restenosis rates. Conclusions—Head and neck radiotherapy significantly increases the risk of transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke. Evidence-based guidelines for the management of asymptomatic and symptomatic (medium- and large-artery) radiation vasculopathy are lacking. Long-term prospective studies remain a priority, as the incidence of the problem is anticipated to rise with improvements in [...]

Charlotte Parker2011-08-08T12:12:22-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Sentinel Node Biopsy Safe & Effective in Head/Neck Melanomas

Source: MD News Author: Staff *see below University of Michigan study refutes controversy about technique in delicate head, neck region. ANN ARBOR, MI — A common technique for determining whether melanoma has spread can be used safely and effectively even in tumors from the head and neck area, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sentinel lymph node biopsy involves injecting a special dye to identify the first node where cancer would likely spread. If that node is clean, patients can avoid further debilitating surgery to remove multiple lymph nodes. If that node shows cancer, patients know they need the more extensive surgery or further treatment with radiation, chemotherapy or a clinical trial. Patients with larger melanomas are routinely offered this procedure. But many surgeons believed that the complex anatomy combined with the critical nerves and blood vessels in the head and neck area made sentinel lymph node biopsy unsafe and inaccurate for melanomas in that region. In the current study, which appears online in Cancer, researchers looked at 353 head and neck melanoma patients who had received sentinel lymph node biopsy at U-M over a 10-year period. After reviewing patients’ records, the researchers found that the sentinel lymph node could be identified in all but one patient, and no patients sustained permanent nerve injuries during the procedure. About 20 percent of the patients had at least one sentinel node positive for cancer and were referred for a complete dissection to remove additional lymph [...]

Charlotte Parker2011-08-08T12:12:51-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

HPV Vaccine- Should it be Available for Boys?

Source: Dr.Bicuspid.com July 14, 2011 -- With the alarming rise in the rate of oropharyngeal cancer among men being linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering whether to also recommend the HPV vaccine for boys. Two vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) are currently available to protect females against the HPV types that cause most cervical cancers. The CDC currently recommends both for 11- and 12-year-old girls and for females 13 through 26 years old who did not get the three recommended doses when they were younger. The number of HPV-related oral cancers cases among men in the U.S. is increasing so quickly they could surpass the number of cases of cervical cancers in women by 2020, according to research presented last month at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Between 1984 and 1989, only 16% of oropharyngeal cancers were linked to HPV. But by 2000-2004, HPV was related to 75% of oropharyngeal cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In 2010, the institute estimated that there were 12,660 cases of oropharyngeal cancer, resulting in 2,410 deaths. About half of those cases were among males and at least 75% were caused by HPV, according to NCI researchers. Several studies and oral cancer specialists have attributed the sharp rise in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers to an increasing prevalence of oral sex among young people. For the past few years, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-07-14T09:53:49-07:00July, 2011|Oral Cancer News|