oral cancer

Understanding personal risk of oropharyngeal cancer: risk-groups for oncogenic oral HPV infection and oropharyngeal cancer

Author: G D’Souza, T S McNeel, C Fakhry Date: October 19, 2017 Source: Academic.oup.com Abstract Background Incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer is increasing. There is interest in identifying healthy individuals most at risk for development of oropharyngeal cancer to inform screening strategies. Patients and methods All data are from 2009 to 2014, including 13 089 people ages 20–69 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), oropharyngeal cancer cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER 18) registries (representing ∼28% of the US population), and oropharyngeal cancer mortality from National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Primary study outcomes are (i) prevalence of oncogenic HPV DNA in an oral rinse and gargle sample, and (ii) incident oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer. Results Oncogenic oral HPV DNA is detected in 3.5% of all adults age 20–69 years; however, the lifetime risk of oropharyngeal cancer is low (37 per 10 000). Among men 50–59 years old, 8.1% have an oncogenic oral HPV infection, 2.1% have an oral HPV16 infection, yet only 0.7% will ‘ever’ develop oropharyngeal cancer in their lifetime. Oncogenic oral HPV prevalence was higher in men than women, and increased with number of lifetime oral sexual partners and tobacco use. Men who currently smoked and had ≥5 lifetime oral sexual partners had ‘elevated risk’ (prevalence = 14.9%). Men with only one of these risk factors (i.e. either smoked and had 2–4 partners or did not smoke and had ≥5 partners) had ‘medium risk’ (7.3%). Regardless of what other risk factors participants had, oncogenic oral HPV prevalence [...]

Charlotte Parker2018-02-06T14:59:06-07:00October, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Lindsey Stirling Honors Her Late Father with Moving Routine on Dancing with the Stars: ‘I Felt Like I Was Dancing with My Dad’

Author: Karen Mizoguchi Source: People.com Date: October 9, 2017 Lindsey Stirling has had an incredibly tragic year. The violinist is mourning the loss of her father, Stephen, who died of throat cancer. And on Monday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, she honored him with her routine for Most Memorable Year Week, choosing 2017. “I am the woman I am today because of you and I love you so much,” she said on the reality dancing competition series. To celebrate her dad’s life, Stirling and pro partner Mark Ballas — who wore her father’s hat and scarf as part of his costume — performed a touching Viennese Waltz. “I felt like I was dancing with my dad,” said Stirling, who was awarded a 26/30 by judges. “I feel like I got to thank my dad in a way I’ve never been able to before. I was really looking forward to this dance, I was terrified to do it and I’m really happy,” she said. “When you’re dancing about something that is so important that means so much to you doing something I’ve never done before, I just wanted it to be so special. And I feel like it was.” In January, the YouTube star announced the sad news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, writing, “My dad passed away early this morning. There is nothing to say that could express my gratitude for this amazing, selfless man.” She added, “But I love you daddy. I’m the woman I am today because of you.” Along with the loving message, the America’s [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-10-29T20:10:43-07:00October, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Treatment That’s Easy to Swallow in HPV+ Throat Cancer

Source: Medscape.com Author: Nick Mulcahy Date: September 27, 2017 SAN DIEGO, California ― Daniel Ma, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, treats a lot of relatively young patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancers who are cured by various standard combinations of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy and then have "another 30 to 40 years of life ahead of them." But that life expectancy can be marred by the "potentially life-altering side effects" of standard treatment, including dry mouth, loss of taste, and, in about one half of patients, difficulty swallowing, he said. These patients inspired the genesis of Dr. Ma's phase 2 study of an "aggressive dose de-escalation" of adjuvant radiation in this setting, he said. The investigators evaluated experimental radiation doses of 30 to 36 Gy, which is a 50% reduction from the current standard of 60 to 66 Gy. At a median of 2 years' follow-up among 80 patients, the treatment de-escalation has resulted in locoregional control rates comparable to historical controls, low toxicity, and, perhaps most notably, no decrement in swallowing function or quality of life, Dr. Ma reported here at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2016 Annual Meeting. The toxicity and swallowing results are "the most exciting data," Dr. Ma told a standing-room-only crowd at a meeting session today. "It's the first clinical trial in head and neck cancer to demonstrate no injury to swallowing function after radiation," he told Medscape Medical News. In other words, patients' ability to swallow was no [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-10-29T20:12:22-07:00September, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Don’t start, be smart: Local, Reno Rodeo competitor advocates being tobacco-free

Source: mynews4.com Author: Kenzie Bales Date: June 13th, 2017 RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — As a country phenomenon, Garth Brooks once said, "It's bulls and blood, it's dust and mud, it's the roar of a Sunday crowd. It's the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle, he'll win the next go 'round. It's boots and chaps, it's cowboy hats, it's spurs and latigo, it's the ropes and the reins, and the joy and the pain and they call the thing rodeo." 2017 Reno Rodeo competitor Cody Z Kiser has been riding and roping for as long as he can remember. Born and raised to Carrie and P.D. Kiser in Carson City, Nevada, Cody started riding bulls as a Dayton High School student. A horrific injury would set Kiser back, but by no means did it keep him from chasing his dreams. Kiser says a bull stepped on his face and crushed all the bones in the left side of his face. After recovering, Kiser transitioned from bull riding to bareback bucking horses and hasn't looked back since. If traveling to rodeos all the time wasn't enough to keep someone completely preoccupied, Cody competed while pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. After testing the waters in the engineering field for awhile, Kiser decided it was time to chase his lifelong dream and give rodeo his full attention. During his endeavors as a cowboy, Cody was fortunate enough to establish a [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-06-14T12:17:21-07:00June, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Study reveals high environmental cost of tobacco

Source: www.cnn.com Date: May 31st, 2017 Author: Jacopo Prisco Details of the environmental cost of tobacco are revealed in a study released Wednesday by the World Health Organization, adding to the well-known costs to global health, which translate to a yearly loss of $1.4 trillion in health-care expenses and lost productivity. From crop to pack, tobacco commands an intensive use of resources and forces the release of harmful chemicals in the soil and waterways, as well as significant amounts of greenhouse gases. Its leftovers linger, as tobacco litter is the biggest component of litter worldwide. "Tobacco not only produces lung cancer in people, but it is a cancer to the lungs of the Earth," said Dr. Armando Peruga, who previously coordinated the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative and now works as a consultant. He reviewed the new report for the WHO. Commercial tobacco farming is a worldwide industry that involves 124 countries and occupies 4.3 million hectares of agricultural land. About 90% of it takes place in low-income countries, with China, Brazil and India as the largest producers. Because tobacco is often a monocrop -- grown without being rotated with other crops -- the plants and the soil are weak in natural defenses and require larger amounts of chemicals for growth and protection from pests. "Tobacco also takes away a lot of nutrients from the soil and requires massive amounts of fertilizer, a process that leads to degradation of the land and desertification, with negative consequences for biodiversity and wildlife," Peruga [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-05-31T11:27:48-07:00May, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Padres Hall of Famer Randy Jones Battling Throat Cancer

Source: 10news.com Author: Mark Saunders Posted: Jan 26, 2017 SAN DIEGO - Legendary San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Jones is battling throat cancer, the team's website announced Thursday. Jones was reportedly diagnosed in November 2016 and has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments since December at Sharp's Hospital. "I feel positive," Jones said told the Padre's Bill Center. "They caught it early. It's all in the throat and not in the lymph nodes. I'm beating this thing." Jones said he used chewing tobacco as a player and has smoked cigars throughout his adult life. "I've completed 90 percent of my treatment," Jones told Center. He added that his physicians have said his cancer is linked to tobacco use. He also said his cancer is low-risk. Since his playing days he has remained heavily involved with the team. He is a spokesperson for the team and a local radio and television personality. The Friars drafted Jones in 1972, during the 5th round of the amateur draft. Jones pitched for the Padres from 1973-1980. He recorded a 3.42 ERA and 735 strikeouts through his career. He was the first Padre to win the National League Cy Young Award and the first Padre to start an All-Star Game. He was a National League all-star in 1975 and 1976, when he led the NL in ERA in 1975 and led in wins in 1976. Jones' number was retired by the team in 1997 and two years later, he was a member of the Padre's first Hall [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-01-26T13:50:37-07:00January, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

FDA Warns Against So-Called “Cancer Cure”

Source: http://www.curetoday.com/articles/fda-warns-against-socalled-cancer-cure Published: 01/13/2017 Author: BRIELLE URCIUOLI The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just added another agent, PNC-27, to the growing list of drugs that falsely claim to treat or cure cancer. An FDA lab recently found the bacteria Variovorax paradoxus in PNC-27, a product that is claiming to treat and cure all cancers, claiming to affect lung cancer as affectively as head and neck cancer. Though no illness or serious adverse events were reported to the FDA, contact with contaminated samples can lead to life-threatening infections, especially in vulnerable populations, such as young children, elderly people, pregnant women and people who have weakened immune systems, according to a statement released by the FDA. “In general, consumers should be cautious of products marketed and sold online claiming to treat, cure or prevent any disease. Products claiming to treat, cure or prevent disease, but are not proven safe and effective for those purposes not only defraud consumers of money, they can lead to delays in getting proper diagnosis and treatment of a potentially serious condition,” Kristofer Baumgartner, FDA spokesperson, said in an interview with CURE. PNC-27 is being dosed in multiple ways, such as a nebulized solution, intravenous solution, vaginal suppository or rectal suppository. The FDA is urging people not to purchase or use PNC-27, which is neither FDA evaluated or approved. Patients should consult with their licensed health care providers before deciding on a treatment plan, and if they have already taken PNC-27, they should see their doctor as [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-01-17T10:39:51-07:00January, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

NCI-Designated Cancer Centers Issue Statement in Support of New CDC Recommendations on HPV Vaccination

Source: The ASCO Post Posted: 1/11/2017 The 69 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers have issued a joint statement in support of recently revised recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve national vaccination rates for human papillomavirus (HPV). According to the CDC, incidence rates of HPV-associated cancers have continued to rise, with approximately 39,000 new HPV-associated cancers now diagnosed each year in the United States. Although HPV vaccines can prevent the majority of cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, and other genital cancers, vaccination rates remain low across the United States, with just 41.9% of girls and 28.1% of boys completing the recommended vaccine series. New Recommendations The new guidelines from the CDC recommend that children under age 15 should receive 2 doses of the 9-valent HPV vaccine at least 6 months apart. Adolescents and young adults older than 14 should continue to complete the 3-dose series. Research shows there are a number of barriers to overcome to improve vaccination rates, including a lack of strong recommendations from physicians and parents not understanding that this vaccine protects against several types of cancer. In an effort to overcome these barriers, NCI-designated cancer centers have organized a continuing series of national summits to share new research, discuss best practices, and identify collective action toward improving vaccination rates. The original joint statement, published in January 2016, was the major recommendation from a summit hosted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer in November 2015, which brought together experts from the [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-01-11T16:57:19-07:00January, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Immunotherapies Form New Frontier in Treating Head and Neck Cancers

Source: OncLive.com Date: January 2nd, 2017 In August 2016, the FDA approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for patients with platinum-refractory squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).1 Not only was it the first immunotherapy approved for head and neck cancer (HNC), but it marked the first new drug approval for HNC in the United States in 20 years. “Now we have an agent that really changes the paradigm—a new class of treatment—and we are seeing amazing benefit in some patients,” said Tanguy Seiwert, MD, during an OncLive Peer Exchange® panel held during the 2016 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting. Less than a month later, the menu of immunotherapy options expanded as the FDA approved nivolumab (Opdivo) for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN with disease progression on or after a platinum-based therapy. During the Peer Exchange, the panelists provided an overview of the immunotherapy terrain in HNC, a discussion that was filled with considerable hope and excitement. “When we try immunotherapies in the second-line setting, we see objective responses—sometimes deep, clinically meaningful, extremely durable responses—and we’re beginning to think that maybe, on some occasions, we may be able to cure patients with relapsed metastatic head and neck cancer,” said Kevin Harrington, MD, PhD. This is especially remarkable since such patients have generally had a survival of ≤1 year. The panelists concurred that the care of patients with HNC will evolve significantly over the next 5 to 10 years, as the tip of the immunotherapy [...]

Charlotte Parker2017-01-11T16:58:01-07:00January, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

We Now Know Exactly How Many DNA Mutations Smoking Causes

Every 50 cigarettes you smoke gives you one extra DNA mutation per lung cell. Source: The Verge Author: James Vincent A common tactic for people trying to give up smoking is to quantify exactly how much damage — financial or physical — each cigarette or pack of cigarette does. How much does smoking cost you per month, for example, or how much shorter is your life going to be for each drag you take? Well, a new study into the dangers of smoking now lets us measure this damage right down to the number of mutations in your DNA. A research team led by scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory compared tissue samples from 1,063 non-smokers and 2,490 smokers, examining each individual's DNA to look for mutations. They found that for every 50 cigarettes smoked, there is one extra DNA mutation for each cell in the lungs. Over the course of a year, this means that someone who smokes a pack a day (20 cigarettes) has 150 extra mutations per cell in the lung, 97 per larynx cell, 23 per mouth cell, 18 per bladder cell, and six per liver cell. These changes to the cells aren’t dangerous in themselves, but each one has the potential to turn into a cancerous growth. "Smoking is like playing Russian roulette: the more you play, the higher the chance the mutations will hit the right genes and you will develop cancer," Ludmil Alexandrov, the co-lead author of the study, told the New Scientist. [...]

Charlotte Parker2016-11-04T09:43:28-07:00November, 2016|Oral Cancer News|