oropharyngeal cancer

Throat cancer is becoming an epidemic, and sex could be why

Source: www.sciencealert.com Author: Hisham Mehanna, Professor, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham Over the past two decades, there has been a rapid increase in throat cancer in the west, to the extent that some have called it an epidemic. This has been due to a large rise in a specific type of throat cancer called oropharyngeal cancer (the area of the tonsils and back of the throat). The main cause of this cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which are also the main cause of cancer of the cervix. Oropharyngeal cancer has now become more common than cervical cancer in the US and the UK. HPV is sexually transmitted. For oropharyngeal cancer, the main risk factor is the number of lifetime sexual partners, especially oral sex. Those with six or more lifetime oral-sex partners are 8.5 times more likely to develop oropharyngeal cancer than those who do not practice oral sex. Behavioral trends studies show that oral sex is very prevalent in some countries. In a study that my colleagues and I conducted in almost 1,000 people having tonsillectomy for non-cancer reasons in the UK, 80 percent of adults reported practicing oral sex at some point in their lives. Yet, mercifully, only a small number of those people develop oropharyngeal cancer. Why that is, is not clear. The prevailing theory is that most of us catch HPV infections and are able to clear them completely. However, a small number of people are not able to get rid [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-09-15T06:24:29-07:00September, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Lifting the Stigma: The Importance of HPV Vaccination Education in Head and Neck Cancer

Author: Hayley Virgil Source: www.cancernetwork.com Although a stigma has persisted surrounding human papillomavirus (HPV)–associated head and neck cancers, a lot of progress has been made through education efforts within the head and neck surgical oncology community, according to Tom Thomas, MD, MPH, an Otolaryngologist and director of Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery and Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) at the Leonard B. Kahn Head and Neck Cancer Institute at Morristown Medical Center of Atlantic Health System in New Jersey, said in an interview with Cancer Network. The main reason for stigma to persist is due to lack of public understanding of the science behind HPV infection and disease progression.HPV is a family of over 150 viruses and the leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in the world, but a minority can cause cancer. Most of us are often exposed to HPV through intimate contact, but we can fight off the disease and eliminate it.However, in a small minority of us, disease could potentially remain dormant for decades before resurfacing. “We don't know the triggers of this coming back as cancer later, stated Dr. Thomas. When it comes to HPV associated oropharyngeal cancer, Dr. Thomas is careful in counseling patients and their current partners about the long latency of the virus. Without this premise, there can be misunderstanding and distrust in the relationship, that can affect cancer treatment. If caught early, the disease has a good cure rate. “HPV associated oropharyngeal cancer is a curable cancer. If caught early and treated [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-06-29T15:15:31-07:00June, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Yale doc: Throat, neck cancers caused by HPV ‘completely preventable’ with vaccine

Author: Ed Stannard Source: www.ctinsider.com NEW HAVEN — While it’s become widely known that the human papilloma virus causes cervical cancer, doctors have more recently discovered HPV is associated with another form of cancer. While cancer of the throat, back of the tongue, tonsils and soft palate (the location of the uvula), known as oropharyngeal cancer, can be caused by smoking or heavy drinking, HPV also has been linked to it, according to Dr. Saral Mehra, section chief for head and neck and otolaryngology surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. “This didn’t exist as far as we knew 20 or 30 years ago,” Mehra said, but it became clear that younger people who didn’t smoke or drink could get this type of cancer. That is why, Mehra said, it is important for all young people to receive the HPV vaccination. “If there’s one message I think we need to get out is we need to vaccinate all of our boys and girls,” he said. “I feel like head and neck cancer is such an important cancer and it’s not one of the big ones” that people think about, Mehra said. But surgery or radiation for these cancers “impacts so much of a person’s life: speaking, eating, drinking, cosmetic appearance,” Mehra said. “Head and neck cancer is typically thought of as a disease of people who smoke a lot and drink a lot,” Mehra said. “Not that everybody who has it has bad habits, but that is generally how it [...]

OCF News Team - B2022-05-23T11:16:01-07:00May, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

HPV-associated head and neck cancer blood test shows promise as a test to replace tissue biopsy

Date: December 2nd, 2021 Author: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Source: MedicalXpress Featured Image Courtesy of Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary: Daniel L. Faden, MD, a head and neck surgical oncologist and investigator in the Mike Toth Head and Neck Cancer Research Center at Mass Eye and Ear, and assistant professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School. Credit: Mass Eye and Ear Researchers at Mass Eye and Ear and Mass General Hospital have developed a blood test, or liquid biopsy, for head and neck cancer associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV) that was shown in a new study to be more accurate, faster and cheaper than conventional testing methods. In the study, published December 2 in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, liquid biopsy was more than 98 percent accurate and obtained a diagnosis 26 days quicker on average than conventional tissue biopsy. The cost of the novel test was 38 percent lower than standard methods. When the researchers combined the liquid biopsy with findings from routine imaging and physical exam to create a fully non-invasive diagnostic approach, diagnostic accuracy remained greater than 95 percent. With HPV-associated head and neck cancer rates on the rise, there is a great need for more accurate, less-invasive, faster and less expensive diagnostic tests, according to authors of the study. "Current diagnostic approaches for HPV-associated head and neck cancers are imperfect and invasive, which means patients often need repeat biopsies to get to [...]

Charlotte Parker2021-12-06T11:31:49-07:00December, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Treatment Paradigms Are Shifting for Locally Advanced HPV-Positive Head and Neck Cancers

Date: November 18th, 2021 Authors: Kaveh Zakeri, MD, MAS, Nancy Y. Lee, MD Source: OncLive The standard of care for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas does not substantially differ according to human papillomavirus (HPV) status in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.1 Resectable tumors can be treated with surgery followed by adjuvant therapy. Alternatively, definitive chemoradiation therapy with cisplatin is the other dominant treatment paradigm. Incidence of HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has increased rapidly and is associated with higher overall survival (OS) compared with cancers caused by smoking and alcohol.2,3 Given the unique biology of HPV-associated oropharyngeal disease, a separate staging system was developed for these tumors.4 HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers are more radiosensitive and chemosensitive than cancers caused by smoking and alcohol, yet the traditional treatment paradigms—including high doses of radiation and chemotherapy—were developed prior to the epidemic of HPV-associated disease. De-escalation of therapy has been proposed for HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer based on data demonstrating high OS and progression-free survival (PFS).5 De-escalation of therapy has been investigated for both definitive surgical and chemoradiation therapy paradigms. Most de-escalated approaches focus on selecting patients according to clinical features, such as disease stage and smoking status, whereas personalized de-escalation reduces treatment intensity for patients according to treatment response. Transoral Robotic Surgery Followed by Adjuvant Radiotherapy Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is a minimally invasive approach that reduces morbidity compared with traditional, open surgery for patients with oropharyngeal cancers. TORS is a standard of care option for patients with [...]

Charlotte Parker2021-12-06T11:00:39-07:00December, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

An Occult HPV-Driven Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Discovered Through a Saliva Test

Source: Frontiers in Oncology Date: March 31st, 2020 Authors: Kai Dun Tang, Sarju Vasani, Touraj Taheri, Laurence J. Walsh, Brett G. M. Hughes, Lizbeth Kenny, and Chamindie Punyadeera Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) is a rising global concern. Early lesions are small and are often located in difficult to access areas (such as the crypts of the tonsils or base of tongue). Unlike cervical cancer, there is no standard or routine screening program for HPV-driven OPC. HPV DNA from OPC tumors may shed directly into saliva, and this can be used as a biomarker for early diagnosis. In this study, we report the first-ever clinically occult OPC in an asymptomatic patient discovered through a saliva test. This case relied upon serial measurements of HPV-16 DNA in saliva, which fell to undetectable levels following low morbidity, curative treatment. Introduction The incidence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV−16,-18,-33) driven oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is rapidly increasing in developed countries (1–3). HPV-driven OPCs have surpassed cervical cancer as the most common HPV-driven cancer in the USA. The prevalence of HR-HPV has been reported as 3.7% of the USA population, with a bimodal age distribution of incidence (4). It remains unclear why some individuals go on to develop OPC, while others clear the initial HPV infection (5). The strong association between HR-HPV infection and cervical cancer has led to screening programmes in primary healthcare settings, resulting in earlier diagnosis and a reduction in cancer deaths (6). Unlike cervical cancer, no screening test is [...]

Charlotte Parker2020-05-26T11:07:07-07:00May, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Blood Test Spot On for HPV Cancer Recurrence

Source: MedPage Today Date: April 1st, 2020 Author: Charles Bankhead A blood test for tumor-associated human papillomavirus (HPV)-DNA had near-perfect accuracy for identifying oropharyngeal cancer patients at high risk of recurrence after treatment, a prospective study showed. Overall, 28 patients tested positive for circulating tumor (ct) HPV-DNA, including 16 patients who had two consecutive positive tests. All but one of the 16 patients subsequently had biopsy-proven disease recurrence. No patient who had only negative tests developed recurrent disease. The findings have clear and immediate implications for clinical practice, including earlier initiation of salvage therapy for patients with recurrent disease, reported Bhisham S. Chera, MD, of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. "With regard to how this is applicable to clinical practice, I think it improves the effectiveness, it improves the efficiency, and it reduces the cost and financial toxicity to patients," Chera told MedPage Today. "This blood test's performance is really good: Negative predictive value (NPV) 100%, two consecutive positive tests, 94% positive predictive value (PPV). This performs better than any physical examination, PET/CT, or fiberoptic re-examination in identifying cancer recurrence. Right now, I think this is the best surveillance tool we have." The findings extended those of a previous report, which showed that a persistently negative ctHPV-DNA test ruled out disease recurrence. HPV infection accounts for a majority of new cases of oropharyngeal cancer in the U.S. After years of rapid increases in prevalence and [...]

Charlotte Parker2020-04-06T15:57:39-07:00April, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Prevalence of Oral HPV Infection Declines in Unvaccinated Individuals

Source: Infectious Disease Advisor Date: September 30th, 2019 Author: Zahra Masoud Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence has decreased in unvaccinated men, possibly as a result of herd protection, but the incidence of such infection has remained unchanged in unvaccinated women from 2009 to 2016 in the United States, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Since 2011 for women and 2006 for men, prophylactic HPV vaccination for prevention of anogenital HPV infection has been recommended for routine use in the United States. Previous studies have demonstrated that this vaccine has high efficacy in reducing the prevalence of oral HPV infection. However, the vaccine is not indicated to prevent oral HPV infection or oropharyngeal cancers because there are few results from randomized trials. Further, there has been a lack of surveillance studies reporting on herd protection against oral HPV infection, which is defined as a form of indirect protection from infectious diseases that occurs when a large percentage of the population has become immune/vaccinated, thereby providing protection for individuals who are not immune/not vaccinated. Therefore, this study investigated evidence for herd protection against oral HPV infection in unvaccinated men and women in the United States using temporal comparisons of oral HPV prevalence for 4 vaccine types and 33 non-vaccine types. This study was conducted across 4 cycles (from 2009 to 2016) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using a cross-sectional, stratified, multistage probability sample of the civilian population in the United States. For the examination [...]

Charlotte Parker2019-10-01T16:15:25-07:00October, 2019|OCF In The News|

Robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer not better than radiation therapy, study finds

Source: News Medical Date: June 7, 2019 Author: Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych (Editor) In 2012, scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute launched the world's first clinical trial comparing robotic surgery to radiation therapy for the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer (cancer at the back of the throat). The team is now reporting findings from the seven-year study which challenges beliefs that surgery leads to better swallowing outcomes, suggesting instead that radiation results in better quality of life for patients. For Betty Ostrander, an operating room nurse from Tillsonburg, Ontario, a throat cancer diagnosis was life-changing. Betty was 59 when she discovered a small lump on the right side of her neck. After seeking medical care and testing, she was told she had oropharyngeal cancer. "I remember thinking 'I'm healthy, I eat right and I exercise; this can't be happening to me.' But it was, and it was scary," recalls Betty. "One of the first questions I asked was whether there were any clinical trials available." Betty was one of 68 research participants in the ORATOR trial. The study included six centres from across Canada and Australia, including London Health Sciences Centre's (LHSC) London Regional Cancer Program. Participants were randomized to receive either precision radiation therapy, often combined with chemotherapy, or transoral robotic surgery (TORS). TORS is a surgical method for treating throat cancer which uses a small 3D camera and miniature robotic instruments to remove tumors. LHSC was the first center in Canada to offer TORS in 2011. "Early studies [...]

Charlotte Parker2019-06-10T10:11:19-07:00June, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Queensland scientist develops new HPV cancer vaccine

Source: 9News Date: May 22, 2019 Author: 9News Staff *click Source to view video* Former Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer has developed a vaccine aimed at treating HPV-related cancers of the head, neck, throat and tongue. While funding is still being finalised, a trial of the vaccine is being prepared for people with incurable oropharyngeal cancers. Professor Frazer, the Scottish-born immunologist who developed and patented the vaccine against HPV-related cervical cancer, has been working on this vaccine for nearly 15 years. While the cervical cancer vaccine works as a preventative, this new vaccine is a treatment therapy. It works by teaching the patient’s immune system to target the cancer cells containing HPV. The patient will then be given immunotherapy drugs that supercharge the immune system. “This is all about a new way to treat cancer using the body's defence against infection,” Professor Frazer said. “This might give a second chance at life.” HPV-related throat cancer kills three Australians every day. “It's going to become a major problem in Australia, in fact in the US we've seen an increase in HPV-related throat cancers by 225 per cent," head and neck radiation oncologist Sandro Porceddu said. Professor Porceddu will conduct the trial at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. It should begin towards the end of this year if a further $700,000 in necessary funding is found. © Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019

Charlotte Parker2019-05-22T16:06:08-07:00May, 2019|Oral Cancer News|