radiation – Page 24 – Oral Cancer News

Experts: CT scans pose risks, need more regulation

Source: news.yahoo.com Author: Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer From long-term cancer risks to radiation overdose mistakes, CT scans pose a growing danger to the American public and need more regulation to improve their safety, imaging experts write in a leading medical journal. The articles in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine come a week after a story by The Associated Press detailed the overuse of imaging tests and how much the average American's radiation dose has grown in recent years. CT scans are super-sharp X-rays that have transformed medicine by helping doctors quickly diagnose or rule out injuries and diseases. But they use far more radiation than ordinary X-rays, and too much radiation raises the risk of cancer over time. The federal Food and Drug Administration and Congress are considering new measures to help prevent medical mistakes — relatively rare cases where some people are accidentally given radiation overdoses. However, far more people face potential long-term harm from ordinary scans that are done correctly but that are overused, repeated or simply unnecessary. Each year, 10 percent of the U.S. population gets a CT scan, and use of this imaging is growing more than 10 percent per year. "That's really the area we should focus on," said the author of one of the articles, Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman. She is a radiologist at the University of California at San Francisco on temporary leave to do radiation research at the National Cancer Institute. The FDA regulates scanning equipment, but lacks authority to say [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-06-27T10:30:46-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

HPV is changing the face of head and neck cancers

Source: www.hemonctoday.com Author: Christen Cona In February, at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Chandler, Ariz., Maura Gillison, MD, PhD, professor and Jeg Coughlin Chair of Cancer Research at The Ohio State University in Columbus, presented data that showed that the proportion of all head and neck squamous cell cancers that were of the oropharynx — which are most commonly HPV-positive cancers — increased from 18% in 1973 to 32% in 2005. In addition, studies from the United States, Europe, Denmark and Australia indicate that HPV-positive patients have a more than twofold increased cancer survival than HPV-negative patients, according to Gillison. With the rising incidence of HPV-related oropharynx cancers, it will soon be the predominant type of cancer in the oral or head and neck region, according to Andy Trotti, MD, director of radiation oncology clinical research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, in Tampa, Fla. “We should be focusing on HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer because it will dominate the field of head and neck cancers for many years,” he said during an interview with HemOnc Today . “It is certainly an important population for which to continue to conduct research.” Because HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer is emerging as a distinct biological entity, the recent rise in incidence will significantly affect treatment, and prevention and screening techniques, essentially reshaping current clinical practice. Social change driving incidence In the analysis performed by Gillison and colleagues, trends demonstrated that change in the rates of head and neck cancers [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-06-27T10:24:39-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

San Francisco passes cellphone radiation law

Source: USA Today Author: Staff San Francisco, a U.S. trendsetter on many social issues, voted Tuesday to require retailers to post notices on how much radiation is emitted by cellphones they sell. The Board of Supervisors approved the ordiance, believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, despite opposition from the cellphone industry, which argued that it could impede sales and mislead consumers into believing some phones are safer than others. There's no scientific consensus on the dangers of cellphone radiation, but the Federal Communications Commission sets exposure limits. Cellphones can't have a specific absorption rate (SAR) -- the amount of radio waves absorbed by the user's body -- greater than 1.6 watts per kilogram. The Environmental Working Group, a private government watchdog group, says cellphone users can take steps to reduce exposure by, among other things, texting and listening rather than talking and by using a headset or speaker. Mayor Gavin Newsom, an avid iPhone user who is running as the Democratic nominee for California's lieutenant governor, is expected to sign the ordinance into law after a 10-day comment period, reports the Associated Press. "In addition to protecting the consumers' right to know, this legislation will encourage telephone manufacturers to redesign their devices to function at lower radiation levels," Gavin said in January in proposing the legislation. Gavin said more research is needed on cellphone safety but cited recent studies that indicate long-term exposure to cellphone radiation can increase the risks of brain and mouth cancer, among [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-06-16T11:25:45-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

New oral cancer data could prompt new treatments

Source: The Columbus Disbatch Author: Misti Crane Doctors are focusing increasingly on the role that human papilloma virus plays in oral cancer, and new research is prompting hope that treatments can be better tailored to patients. People with oral cancer have a better chance of surviving if the cancer is linked to HPV, according to a new study led by an Ohio State University researcher. Dr. Maura Gillison and her colleagues found that 82 percent of those with HPV-positive tumors in the back of their mouths survived at least three years, compared with 57percent of those with mouth tumors not tied to HPV. Their study included 323 oropharyngeal cancer patients. HPV, which is spread by sexual contact, is the virus that also causes cervical cancer. It can cause cancer of the mouth through oral sex. The research took into account other risk factors such as tobacco use. It was published online yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study should prompt more studies and advances in treatment, Gillison said. For example, it could be that patients with a better prognosis could have less radiation and suffer fewer side effects, she said. Side effects of treatment include trouble swallowing, dental problems, difficulty speaking and inflexibility in the neck. Gillison also presented new data yesterday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. The data showed a worse outcome for smokers who have HPV-positive cancers than for patients with the same type of cancer who don't smoke. The risk [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-06-09T10:00:14-07:00June, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

ASCO: Mouth cancer patients do better if tumor is HPV-positive

Source: www.medpagetoday.com Author: Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today Patients with cancer of the oropharynx did significantly better if their tumor showed markers of human papillomavirus (HPV), a researcher said. In a retrospective analysis of patients in a large chemotherapy trial, those with HPV-positive tumors had a five-year survival rate of 79% regardless of the type of treatment, according to Marshall Posner, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. In contrast, those whose tumors were HPV-negative had a five-year survival rate of just 31% -- a difference that was statistically significant at P<0.0001, Posner said in a poster discussion session at the annual meeting here of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The pattern was similar for progression-free survival, Posner told MedPage Today. The two groups were significantly different in several ways, he said, including age, T-stage, and performance status, suggesting that HPV-positive cancers are a different clinical entity from environmentally driven HPV-negative cancers. One possible clinical implication is that patients with HPV-positive tumors might be treated with lower doses of radiation, since they respond well to treatment, he said. "We might reduce the late consequent toxicity (of radiation) - the scarring, the fibrosis, the dry mouth, the osteo-radionecrosis," he said. He noted that patients with HPV-positive tumors tend to be younger, and thus have longer to live with the consequences of therapy. "If we can reduce those effects, we would do a big boon," he said. The finding comes from an analysis of patients who took part [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-06-06T07:41:22-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

New report compares radiation approaches in head and neck cancer

Source: MedScape Today Author: Nick Mulcahy June 1, 2010 — Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer leads to fewer cases of xerostomia, but has not yet been proven to be more successful than any other kind of radiation therapy in reducing tumors or improving survival, according to a new comparative-effectiveness review funded by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The review compares the effectiveness of 4 types of radiotherapy (IMRT, 3DCRT, 2DRT, and proton-beam therapy) in terms of tumor control, overall survival, adverse events, and quality-of-life issues. Many scientists consider IMRT to be theoretically better able to target cancerous cells while sparing healthy tissue than either 3DCRT or 2DRT, but more research is needed, the authors of the report point out. The report, entitled Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Radiotherapy Treatments for Head and Neck Cancer, is authored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's Technology Evaluation Center Evidence-Based Practice Center. The late adverse effect of xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, is less common than in the past because the use of IMRT has allowed radiation oncologists to spare most patients' salivary glands from radiation as part of treatment planning, an expert recently told Medscape Oncology. Sparing salivary glands has become standard among clinicians who use IMRT, said Avraham Eisbruch, MD, professor of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School and Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor. Dr. Eisbruch's comments came in the context of his study on the use of IMRT [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-06-04T16:26:20-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer doesn’t silence North Carolina man

Source: The Cherokee Scout Author: Lizz Harold Marble – Switching out one form of tobacco for another, Rick Miller, 44, learned how to quit smoking and dipping the hard way. Miller went to a doctor in March to see if an ulcer inside his mouth could be removed. He expected a round of antibiotics or oral surgery. He figured he would be back to dipping as usual after it was taken care of. “I really didn’t have any symptoms. I got an ulcer underneath my tongue. They thought it was all it was,” Miller said. Miller’s wife, Nicolia, did what most people do when they suspect they have an ailment. She went online and did an Internet search. After doing her own research, she was convinced it was mouth cancer, and Miller decided to see a specialist to see if their suspicions were correct. “Everything happened so fast after that,” Miller said. Informed by the specialist that he had oral cancer, he was immediately set up with a chemotherapy and radiation doctor. The father of four, two who are twin toddlers, had to undergo bouts of chemotherapy – including days where it was pumping into him everyday. From dipping to smoking Eight years ago, he stopped a 21-year smoking habit and began dipping tobacco. After more than 30 years of combined tobacco use, Miller has been forced to give up his addiction. “I gave up smoking and needed something to fill the void,” Miller said. He said he got a [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-06-03T15:55:07-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Robotic tongue cancer surgery-Mayo Clinic

Fighting cancer is not easy. Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery can be very hard on your body. Take head and neck cancers, for example. These tumors are often hard to reach. Doctors have to cut through bones such as your jaw to reach them. Now, doctors at Mayo Clinic are using robots to access these cancers through your mouth, leaving face bones intact.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-26T19:14:12-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

West Michigan woman serves as test subject for voice recreation

Source: www.wwmt.com Author: staff For Steve and Annet Shannon it's a chance to maintain normalcy, and regain a voice that could be lost. Five years ago Annet Shannon was diagnosed with a rare form of tongue cancer, and doctors removed 30% of the back of her tongue followed by a series of radiation treatments, which Steve Shannon says were working, "Everything was going well with no evidence of recurrence until this last December where she found a lump on her neck. To make a long story short she will be having surgery May 4, 2010. There is a possibility she could be losing her tongue and voice box and her ability to speak." For the Shannons it's a grim reality that Annet's surgery could take her voice, but the couple had at least heard of famed film critic Roger Ebert, who lost his jaw to cancer surgery, but was given a new custom text to voice device where he was able to communicate using his own voice. To Steve Shannon, that seemed like just the thing for them, "My wife was very interested in this technology and she was searching to learn more. By fate we met Professor John Eulenberg, director of MSU's Artificial Language Lab. The Artificial Language Lab has begun a project as one of five sites to help people to create their own personal text-to-speech software systems." The Shannons learned that the underlying technology was created by Tim Bunnell and his team at the University of Delaware [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-23T08:45:18-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Nutritional sciences investigator wins NIH challenge grant

Source: uanews.org (University of Arizona) Author: Jeff Harrison Kirsten Limesand's research focuses on how to restore salivary gland function in cancer patients. Each year approximately 40,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with some form of head and neck cancer. The majority of those patients will have surgery to remove the tumors, followed by one or more rounds of radiation therapy to kill any lingering cancer cells. A common side effect of radiation to this area is damage to the adjacent, normal salivary glands. Patients commonly experience a dry mouth that can lead to oral sores and infections, cavities, difficulty chewing and swallowing food and loss of taste. Kirsten Limesand, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences in the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has received a two-year NIH Challenge Grant worth nearly $1 million to study this problem. Specifically, Limesand is examining the role of autophagy in salivary glands in response to radiation therapy. Autophagy is an ongoing process where cells digest and recycle their proteins and organelles. This helps starving cells break down and redirect components from non-essential to essential cell functions. The process and the mechanics behind it are not well understood, but autophagy appears to have some role in preventing and fighting disease and infection. It also, in some cases, could make those problems worse. Side effects from radiation therapy begin within a few days and can continue for one to two years. Because saliva is essential for maintaining oral health, salivary gland [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-14T07:19:19-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|