saliva – Page 3 – Oral Cancer News

Brits call for smoking in films to be stubbed out

Source: www.economicvoice.com Author: staff After a record night of success for British talent at the Oscars, a new poll reveals a majority of us would like to stub out smoking in films watched by children. In a survey conducted by oral health charity the British Dental Health Foundation, more than two thirds (67 per cent) said they thought films featuring actors smoking should receive the highest classification rating, suitable only for adults. According to the British Board of Film Classification, rated-18 films currently allow scenes of drug-taking, provided ‘the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse’. The film board makes no reference to smoking or alcohol misuse, two of the leading risk factors for mouth cancer. Rita Hayworth One in five people in the UK smoke, and the habit is still considered the leading cause of mouth cancer. But while many of us are aware of the damage that smoking does to our lungs, the danger to our mouths remains relatively unknown. Smoking helps to transforms saliva into a deadly cocktail that damages cells in the mouth and can turn them cancerous. As alcohol aids the absorption of tobacco into the mouth, those who smoke and drink to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop the disease. Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, urged the film board to consider its policy on films depicting smoking. Dr Carter said: “The risks of smoking have been well [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-03-07T07:09:27-07:00March, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Mouth bacteria trigger oral cancer

Source: www.digitaljournal.com Author: Tim Sandle Chemicals released from two bacteria that cause gum disease can incite the growth of deadly lesions and tumors in the mouth, trigger oral cancer. This is according to a new study carried out by Case Western Reserve University. High levels of certain bacteria found in the saliva of people are associated with the risk of oral cancer. The researchers were keen to understand why most people never develop oral cancer and what it is that protects them. Their answer related to most people not carrying a certain type of bacteria in their mouths. The cancer of concern is Kaposi's sarcoma-related (KS) lesions and tumors in the mouth. The bacteria associated with this are the species Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. These species are associated with gum disease. For the research, scientists recruited 21 patients, dividing them into two groups. All participants were given standard gum-disease tests. The first group of 11 participants had an average age of 50 and had severe chronic gum disease. The second group of 10 participants, whose average age was about 26, had healthy gums. The bacteria were common to those with gum disease. By carrying out further tests, the researchers found that the bacteria produce fatty acids and these fatty acids then allowed oral cancer causing viruses to grow. The discovery could lead to early saliva testing for the bacteria. When such bacteria are found the mouth of a patient could be treated and monitored for signs of cancer and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-03-09T21:58:39-07:00February, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

New oral cancer saliva test could reduce false-positive results

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: staff Researchers at Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry have discovered a new saliva test for oral cancer that could reduce false-positive results. As new oral cancer diagnoses rose to more than 41,000 in 2013, the demand for early detection continues to increase. Yi-Shing Lisa Cheng, DDS, PhD, an associate professor in diagnostic sciences at Baylor College, has been working to develop a saliva test as an oral cancer screening tool, according to an A&M announcement. In 2009, she received a $381,000 R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to find reliable oral cancer salivary biomarkers, which can be used as indicators of disease or other health conditions. Dr. Cheng recently received a $50,000 faculty bridge grant from Texas A&M Health Science Center and A&M Baylor College of Dentistry's diagnostic sciences department to continue this research. The goal is to determine whether patients with oral lichen planus and periodontal disease exhibit false positives for the future oral cancer saliva tests. Dr. Cheng noted that early detection of cancer is always good and using a saliva test is a noninvasive and relatively easy procedure. Her research differs from models that compare salivary biomarkers of oral cancer patients with those of completely healthy individuals. Instead, Dr. Cheng looked at the biomarkers of patients with noncancerous oral conditions. It's an effort that could save patients thousands of dollars, not to mention the stress and health complications associated with false-positive results. Dr. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-01-31T08:39:38-07:00January, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Genetic markings could spot cancer before it develops

Source: www.thealmagest.com Author: press release Unique DNA markings on certain genes may “predict” the risk of developing head and neck cancer, according to new research led by Queen Mary University of London. The findings, published in the journal Cancer, raise the potential for the development of non-invasive tests which could pick up these tell-tale signs of early cancer initiation. Head and neck cancers are cancers that develop anywhere in the head and neck, including mouth cancer and throat cancer. About 16,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every year*. In this study scientists analysed clinical specimens of malignant tissue from 93 cancer patients from Norway and the UK. These were compared with either tissue donated by healthy individuals undergoing wisdom tooth extractions, or with non-cancerous tissue from the same patients. They were trying to identify whether there were any epigenetic changes in the cancerous cells which were not seen in the healthy cells. Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Not all genes are active all the time and there are many ways that gene expression is controlled. DNA methylation marks act as ‘switches’, either turning genes on or off. Abnormal DNA methylation is known to precede cancer initiation. Lead researcher Dr Muy Teck-Teh, from the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, said: “In this study we have identified four genes which were either over or under-expressed in head and neck cancer. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-12-09T07:49:48-07:00December, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Lower radiation reduces xerostomia in head/neck cancer patients

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: DrBicuspid Staff Lowering the radiation dose to the submandibular gland of patients with head and neck cancer decreases xerostomia, according to a study presented on April 20 at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) meeting in Geneva. Radiation oncologists at University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) showed for the first time that it is possible to reduce xerostomia in patients treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer if the radiation dose to a salivary gland (the submandibular gland) on the opposite side to the tumor is minimized, stated a university press release. It is the largest study yet to show a correlation between radiation doses to the submandibular glands and their output of saliva. Guidelines for the recommended maximum dose could potentially be issued for use in clinical practice to benefit patients, according to the researchers. Approximately 40% of head and neck cancer patients suffer from xerostomia in the long term, which causes problems with eating, sleeping, speech, tooth loss, and oral hygiene, leading to diminished quality of life, social isolation, and difficulty in the ability to work. Attempts to treat xerostomia and its consequences can be costly and are not very effective, the study noted. Therefore, the UMCU researchers looked at using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) to treat the tumors and spare the submandibular gland on the opposite side of the tumor and both parotid glands. They also wanted to determine the maximum radiation dose and how the treatment would affect patients' xerostomia. They analyzed [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-04-24T12:19:16-07:00April, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Understanding the connection between “dry mouth” and cavities

Source: www.hivehealthmedia.com Author: Rob Gazzola Do you have an unusually dry mouth? Do you suffer from bad breath, cracked lips, split skin at your mouth’s corners or a frequent sore throat? If your answer is “yes,” your symptoms may be caused by xerostomia, a condition caused by a lack of saliva. More commonly known simply as “dry mouth,” xerostomia can also cause difficulties swallowing and speaking and an altered sense of taste. Even worse, the condition can lead to an increase of tooth decay and plaque. Saliva plays an important role in maintaining the health of your teeth and gums. It protects your teeth’s enamel by neutralizing potentially harmful acids, and it rinses food debris away from both the teeth and the gums. Without it, food particles, plaque and acid build up in your mouth, leading to tooth decay. Luckily, there are many ways to improve dry mouth symptoms: To stimulate the production of saliva, suck on hard candies or chew gum. Just make sure the varieties you choose are sugar-free. Caffeine can dry out your mouth even more, so limit your intake of tea, coffee, soda and other caffeinated products. Avoid foods and candies with high levels of acid or sugar. These foods can raise your risk of developing tooth decay. When eating fruit, try to avoid dried fruit as generally they are high in sugar and often leave particles that cling to your teeth, while fresh fruit, though also having sugar content, is less likely to cause issues [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-04-01T08:31:44-07:00April, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers report early success using saliva to detect oral cancer

Source: www.nih.gov Author: press release Scientists funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, reported today taking a major step forward in using saliva to detect oral cancer. As published in the current issue of Clinical Cancer Research, the scientists found they could measure for elevated levels of four distinct cancer-associated molecules in saliva and distinguish with 91 percent accuracy between healthy people and those diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma. This so-called "proof-of-principle" study marks the first report in the scientific literature that distinct patterns of "messenger RNA" not only are measurable in saliva but can indicate a developing tumor. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is the molecular intermediate between gene and protein, serving as a chemical record that an individual gene has been expressed. According to David Wong, D.M.D., D.M.Sc., a scientist at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry and senior author on the paper, it may be possible with further refinement of the test, possibly by including additional cancer-linked mRNAs, to attain the necessary 99 to 100 percent accuracy of commercial diagnostic tests for oral squamous cell carcinoma, the sixth most common cancer in the United States. Wong noted that currently no biochemical or genetic diagnostic tests are commercially available for oral cancer. He also noted that the RNA patterns in saliva may be informative for other cancers and common diseases. "Saliva is a mirror of our blood," said Wong. "We're now conducting our initial [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-07-13T18:15:21-07:00July, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer breakthrough

Source: cancertreatmentmx.com Author: staff UCLA scientists have come up with a revolutionary new way of identifying oral cancer. Funded by the National Institute of Dental and Cranial Facial Research, they developed a simple saliva test that makes detecting oral cancer easy. No longer must patients wait until they find an unusual sore in their mouth or make a routine trip to their dentist:

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-04-03T08:50:11-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

IMRT provides better QOL in head and neck cancers

Source: www.oncologyreport.com/ AUthor: Miriam E. Tucker Intensity-modulated radiotherapy is more expensive than 3-D–conformal radiotherapy is and has not been shown to improve standard outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer. But it results in better quality of life. These findings from two studies presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium raise the question: Does improved quality of life justify the greater expense of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which has been rapidly adopted for the treatment of head and neck cancer? Because IMRT spares surrounding tissues, it reduces the likelihood of developing xerostomia, noted Dr. Nathan C. Sheets, who presented data on billing charges associated with IMRT, compared with 3-D–conformal radiotherapy (CRT). IMRT is reimbursed at a substantially higher level than CRT, however, and it is unclear how to assess this cost relative to other aspects of care in this population, said Dr. Sheets, a radiation oncology resident at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A separate study presented by Dr. Allen M. Chen compared quality of life in patients who received IMRT vs. CRT. "There’s very little data to suggest IMRT is better than non-IMRT using traditional end points. But the question is: How do you define ‘better’?" said Dr. Chen, director of the radiation oncology residency training program at the University of California, Davis in Sacramento. "IMRT might not particularly involve better cure rates, but it could make a difference in terms of other end points, such as quality of life, which we all know [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-02-12T09:20:40-07:00February, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

The search for biomarkers of disease in spit

Source: University of Minnesota It's a researcher's dream: a simple, noninvasive test to detect life-threatening cancer, heart disease, or other maladies while they're still treatable. A team of University of Minnesota researchers is in hot pursuit of that goal, using one of the simplest means imaginable: testing spit. They've discovered that conditions such as breast and oral cancer leak certain proteins into saliva, and if detected, such proteins can be "biomarkers" for the disease. "This would be an easy way to monitor oral cancer," says Timothy Griffin, an associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics. "Every year in the United States there are about 40,000 cases, more than cervical or ovarian cancer, melanoma, or lymphoma, and it has a higher mortality." Saliva contains at least 2,000 proteins, but the most abundant ones tend to be the least informative, he notes. But he and his colleagues have become the world experts on snagging rare proteins from spit and detecting both their presence and their abundance. Promising discoveries In a study of 10 women with metastatic breast cancer, the researchers sifted through their salivary proteins and found a handful that were already known to seep into the blood of women with this cancer. The proteins appeared only at very low levels in saliva of healthy controls. "The next idea is, can you take this back through the earlier stages to detect nonmetastatic cancer?" says Griffin. Biomarker proteins also appear in saliva of patients with oral cancer. Team members Frank Ondrey, an [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-02-01T16:42:25-07:00February, 2012|Oral Cancer News|