radiotherapy – Page 12 – Oral Cancer News

HSE apologises over diagnosis

Source: Irishtimes Author: Mary Carolan The HSE has apologised to the family of a deceased 59 year old man after admitting a two year delay in diagnosing his cancer and is also to pay over some €102,000 under a settlement of High Court proceedings. John McNeive, Logalisheen, Ballindine, Co Mayo, died in August 2005 four months after he was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth. Proceedings for mental distress and trauma arising from his death were brought on behalf of the family by his widow Eileen. Liability in the case was admitted by the HSE. The court heard Mr McNeive had been referred to University College Hospital Galway in April 2003, where he underwent a number of tests, after attending his GP with a headache. Despite the concerns of his wife, family and his GP, it was not until April 2005 that a biopsy revealed he had extensive cancer. By that stage, the cancer had spread to his spleen and he died on August 13th of that year. Yesterday, in a statement read before Mr Justice John Quirke, Patrick Hanratty SC for the HSE said his clients “acknowledged that there was a delay in the diagnosis of Mr McNeive”. The HSE wished to apologise to the family of Mr McNeive for what had occurred and for all the hurt and distress caused to them, the statement added. “The HSE acknowledges that his family could have done no more to help him,” added counsel. Eoin McCullough SC, for the family, said [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-01-22T13:00:38-07:00January, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Presence of rash associated with improved survival in patients receiving adjuvant Erbitux® for locally advanced head and neck cancer

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff A multicenter randomized trial has shown that patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer receiving adjuvant Erbitux® (cetuximab) and radiotherapy who develop a rash have a better survival than patients receiving this therapy who don’t develop a rash. The details of this five-year follow-up of a Phase III randomized study were published early online in the Lancet Oncology on November 7, 2009.[1] Standard treatment for head and neck cancer is largely determined by the stage and by the specific locations within the head or neck area where the cancer has spread. The patient’s overall medical condition is also a deciding factor. Treatment typically consists of radiation therapy, chemotherapy with surgery, or surgery alone. Erbitux is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the epithelial growth factory receptor (EGFR) and inhibits the receptor’s effects on cellular replication. Erbitux is currently FDA-approved for treatment of head and neck cancer. Researchers involved in an international study have previously reported that the addition of Erbitux to radiation therapy improves survival over radiation therapy alone in the treatment of head and neck cancer. The results of this randomized trial with a 54-month follow-up were published in the February 9, 2006, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. This trial included 424 patients; approximately half were treated with Erbitux plus high-dose radiation therapy, and the other half received high-dose radiation therapy alone. This study now has a follow-up of more than five years. The Following table summarizes some of the findings [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-17T19:52:44-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Terminal cancer patient is given the all clear

Source: www.northamptonchron.co.uk Author: staff A mouth cancer patient who was told he had only a year to live is celebrating after being given the all clear from doctors. In May this year, Brian Barford was given the awful news after he had been referred by a dentist to Northampton General Hospital where he was told he had mouth cancer. The 66-year-old said: "My mouth had been bleeding but I had no other signs. I had no idea – there had been no swelling or anything. "I saw the consultant who said the tumour was too near the vital organs to operate on and there was nothing they could do. It was just a matter of time. "They told me I had around a year to live. "It hit me like a ton of bricks. "I accepted it, though I was never going to give up, but I thought, 'I'm 66, and I've had a good life.'" Mr Barford, from Kings Heath, Northampton, decided to enjoy the time he had left and spend his days with loved ones. He went running, drank beer and, following a two-week course of radiotherapy, took a well-earned holiday with family and friends. On hearing the news Mr Barford had been diagnosed with cancer, colleagues at his former workplace, Phoenix Paving LTD, in Kettering, took their old workmate for a day to remember, watching the cricket at Lord's. With the onslaught of cancer, his weight plummeted from 14 to 11 stone. His wife Susan, aged 56, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-16T22:10:29-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Chemoradiation confers long-term benefits in head and neck cancer

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Zosia Chustecka In patients with head and neck cancer who do not undergo surgery, chemotherapy with nonplatinum agents given concurrently with radiotherapy offers clear benefits for recurrence and survival, say the authors of one of the largest and longest randomized trials carried out in this patient group. Event-free survival in patients who received concomitant chemoradiation was double that seen in patients who received radiotherapy alone or in those who received chemotherapy after radiation (with or without concurrent chemotherapy). Overall survival was also nearly doubled, although this result was not statistically significant. These benefits persisted for 10 years, the researchers note in their report published online October 27 in the Lancet Oncology. The results come from the UK Head and Neck (UKHAN1) trial, headed by Jeremy Tobias, FRCP, from the Department of Clinical Oncology, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Chemoradiation as a treatment option for head and neck cancer is still rather controversial, Dr. Tobias told Medscape Oncology, and there are some physicians who would consider using radiation alone. "I think this study has gone quite a long way toward showing that chemotherapy given simultaneously with radiation is useful," he said. The benefits were "so striking that they trump any additional toxicity," he added. However, chemotherapy given after radiation did not confer any benefit, and it increased toxicity. Also, there was no benefit from the addition of chemotherapy to radiation in patients with head and neck cancer who had undergone surgery. Details of the Long-Term Results The [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-05T07:45:25-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

YM Biosciences reports positive nimotuzumab four-year survival data

Source: www.reuters.com Author: press release YM BioSciences Inc., a life sciences product development company that identifies and advances a diverse portfolio of promising cancer-related products at various stages of development, announced that an oral presentation at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) 2009 Annual Meeting reported positive 48-month survival data for its EGFR-targeting antibody, nimotuzumab. The "BEST" trial was a randomized four-arm study treating patients with inoperable, locoregionally-advanced, stage III/IVa head and neck cancer with radiation alone, chemoradiation alone, or radiation or chemoradiation in combination with nimotuzumab. These data were a follow-up to 30-month survival data presented at ASCO 2009 and demonstrate that the benefit of adding nimotuzumab to radiation and chemoradiation is durable and persists for several years. "These data are convincing evidence that nimotuzumab is an efficacious and safe drug and highlight its potential in the head and neck cancer indication. In this respect we note that the National Cancer Centre of Singapore has initiated a global Phase III trial with nimotuzumab in the adjuvant setting for head and neck cancer patients," said David Allan, Chairman and CEO of YM BioSciences. "Activity of nimotuzumab in the BEST trial was similar to that demonstrated in separate trials with cetuximab in locally advanced head and neck cancer but there was no evidence that nimotuzumab's activity was accompanied by the advanced toxicities of the class." In the ASTRO presentation, Dr. Lokesh Viswanth, Kidwani Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, India described that the addition of nimotuzumab to radiotherapy (RT) [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-03T08:17:42-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Brave dad has face rebuilt with bones from own body following cancer fight

Source: Author: Dad Tim Gallego feels like a new man after having his face rebuilt from different parts of his body. Financial adviser Tim, 46, had 16 operations to reshape his face after he was hit with disfiguring mouth cancer. Bones from his ribs and hips were used to form a new nose and jaw. Arteries from his legs were moved to his neck and skin from his wrists was grafted on to his lower face. The father of three joked yesterday: “I seem to be running out of a supply of body parts. And because of the changes people I know don’t recognise me. “They just look at me and wonder what happened but the only people who actually come forward to to ask are young children.” Tim, supported by wife Katie, has now made a full recovery after his eight-year ordeal. He was unable to talk for a year and could not eat or drink for two weeks after one operation. He was first diagnosed when he went to his doctor with sinus problems. Tests revealed he had a large tumour behind his nose. He underwent a 21-hour operation and his head ballooned to the size of a basketball. Months of radiotherapy followed before he started the long process of rebuilding his face bit by bit. And within a week of being diagnosed Katie found out she was pregnant with their first child, Imogen. Tim, from Poundbury, Dorset, said: “I looked like a monster but I’ve always been positive and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-28T03:50:33-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Surgeons carry out world’s first face, jaw and tongue transplant

Source: www.mirror.co.uk Author: staff Surgeons have successfully carried out the world's first face, jaw and tongue transplant. They spent 16 hours operating on a man of 43 whose face had been horribly disfigured by radiotherapy for a tumour 11 years ago. The patient will eventually be able to eat, taste, swallow and speak again. Pedro Cavadas, who led 30 Spanish medics in Valencia in the day-long op, said yesterday: "The patient's seen himself and is delighted." The case was marred by controversy after authorities released details about the donor against his family's wishes. French woman Isabelle Dinoire received the first face transplant four years ago after losing her nose, lips and chin when a dog mauled her.

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-22T05:37:19-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Taste, odor intervention

Source: speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com Author: staff Cancer and its therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may directly alter and damage taste and odor perception, possibly leading to patient malnutrition, and in severe cases, significant morbidity, according to a Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center compilation of various existing studies [Journal of Supportive Oncology, 7(2): 58-65]. One of the purposes of the study, said Andrea Dietrich, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at Virginia Tech, is to provide researchers and physicians with a better understanding of the types and causes of taste and odor dysfunctions so that they can develop treatments for these conditions and improve the quality of life of their patients. According to Susan Duncan, PhD, RD, professor of food science and technology at Virginia Tech, a bad taste in the mouth can lead to poor nutrition because patients avoid eating. Approximately two thirds of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy report altered sensory perception, such as decreased or lost taste acuity or metallic taste. Altered sensory perception causes psychological anxiety and malnutrition, and thus negatively impacts the chances of survival for cancer patients, as reported in an earlier study conducted by Duke University. Dr. Dietrich, an expert on water quality and treatment, as well as the taste and odor assessment of water, has expanded upon her knowledge of this field to include such assessments in cancer patients. She worked with Jae Hee Hong, Dr. Duncan, and Brian T. Stanek of the Virginia Tech Food Science and Technology [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T05:07:36-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Effect of HPV-associated p16INK4A expression on response to radiotherapy and survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 27, No 12 (April 20), 2009: pp. 1992-1998 Authors: Pernille Lassen et al. Purpose: A subset of head and neck cancers is associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Viral infection is closely correlated with expression of p16INK4A in these tumors. We evaluated p16INK4A as a prognostic marker of treatment response and survival in a well-defined and prospectively collected cohort of patients treated solely with conventional radiotherapy in the Danish Head and Neck Cancer Group (DAHANCA) 5 trial. Patients and Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of p16INK4A was analyzed in pretreatment paraffin-embedded tumor blocks from 156 patients treated with conventional primary radiotherapy alone. The influence of p16INK4A status on locoregional tumor control, disease-specific survival, and overall survival after radiotherapy was evaluated. Results: p16INK4A positivity was found in 35 tumors (22%). Tumor-positivity for p16INK4A was significantly correlated with improved locoregional tumor control (5-year actuarial values 58% v 28%; P = .0005), improved disease-specific survival (72% v 34%; P = .0006), and improved overall survival (62% v 26%; P = .0003). In multivariate analysis, p16INK4A remained a strong independent prognostic factor for locoregional failure (hazard ratio [HR], 0.35; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.64), disease-specific death (HR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.64), and overall death (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.68). Conclusion: Expression of p16INK4A has a major impact on treatment response and survival in patients with head and neck cancer treated with conventional radiotherapy. Authors: Pernille Lassen, Jesper G. Eriksen, Stephen Hamilton-Dutoit, Trine Tramm, Jan Alsner, Jens [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-04-17T12:04:53-07:00April, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Early-stage head and neck cancer in patients 80 years of age or older highly treatable

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff Researchers from France have reported that patients 80 years of age or older with Stage I-II head and neck cancer have good outcomes following surgery or radiation therapy. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication in Cancer on October 17, 2008.[1] Although most cancers occur in older individuals, this patient population is not proportionately represented in current clinical trials. In fact, many trials specifically exclude older patients on the assumption that they will not tolerate the protocol therapies. Thus, the results of many clinical trials are only applicable to the minority of younger patients with a specific type of cancer. In a recent study, researchers affiliated with ECOG looked at 53 patients with head and neck cancers who were 70 years or older. These patients were entered on two randomized trials and represented only 13% of the study group. However, the median age of patients with head and neck cancer is over the age of 65 years. This shows that a disproportionate number of younger patients are included in these trials. However, in this study the results in elderly patients were as good as for younger patients but with more treatment-related toxicities. This study looked at the outcomes of 316 patients with head and neck cancer who were 80 years of age or older treated in a single institution from 1987 to 2006. Thirty-one percent of patients received surgery, and 57% received definitive radiotherapy. Patients with Stage I-II head and neck cancer [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-11-22T08:09:13-07:00November, 2008|Oral Cancer News|