surgery

“Immunotherapy is keeping me alive” – John’s story

Source: www.icr.ac.uk Author: John Dabell On his daughter’s second birthday in 2009, John Dabell was diagnosed with advanced head and neck cancer. He went through extensive surgery and treatment and was on the road to recovery when he was diagnosed with cancer again – this time, a tumour in his throat. John was told he didn’t have long to live. But then he started immunotherapy. Here, he talks about its incredible impact and the opportunity it’s given him to spend more time with his wife and daughter. The first red flag telling me something was wrong was when my tongue started to swell. I soldiered on because I didn’t think there was anything sinister going on. That was a mistake. I started having difficulty eating and swallowing, but I put that down to my throat being sore. I was also extremely tired, but I had a young daughter at home and was busy being a primary school teacher. After about a month, things hadn’t improved. I found that I couldn’t utter my words in the same way and things started to get painful. Then my tongue inflated, and I went to see my GP, who recommended I see my dentist. My dentist immediately referred me to a head and neck specialist at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. My life changed forever A biopsy and MRI scan revealed that I had a tumour growing inside my tongue and it was stage four head and neck cancer. This knocked me for [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-06-15T05:51:09-07:00June, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Jay Aston, singer: ‘I have a leg scar and one on my neck, but it’s a small price to pay for life’

Source: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk Author: Gabrielle Fagan Jay Aston says she no longer stresses about "silly little things". After being diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2018, the former Bucks Fizz star was left wondering whether she would ever sing again - or even survive. The experience rocked her world. But Aston, part of the original band that stormed to victory in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and went on to sell millions of records, is still performing with Mike Nolan and Cheryl Baker in The Fizz, a new version of the group. Before lockdown hit, they'd been busy touring and promoting their latest album, Smoke And Mirrors. The enforced break has given her time to reflect on the "incredibly tough" two-year journey, which "made me re-evaluate my life", says Aston. "Surviving an experience like that makes you realise the simple things and pleasures you took for granted. "We all get so upset about minor things and miss the fact that whatever's happening, if you're here it is a good day." Aston (59) who's among a host of celebrities taking part in The Smiling Sessions - online sing-alongs to entertain care homes residents and isolated elderly people, - recalls the moment doctors revealed she had cancer. "The whole thing was such a shock and completely devastating. Also I had no idea what effect the surgery would have on my voice," she recalls. "I'm from a show-business family and singing and dancing is in my DNA and part of my identity, and to have [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-07-13T05:33:29-07:00July, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Surgery, radiation yield similar efficacy for early squamous cell carcinoma of lip

Source: www.healio.com Author: Earl Holland Jr. Both surgery and radiation therapy were beneficial methods of treating early-stage lip squamous cell carcinoma, according to findings presented at the American Academy of Dermatology virtual meeting. Kevin Phan, MD, of the dermatology department at Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia, and Mahmoud Dibas, MD, of Sulaiman Al Rajhi Colleges, College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia, sought to examine the survival rates in low-stage lip squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) between patients who had surgery alone and patients who had radiation therapy alone. “Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip composes 25% to 30% of all oral cancers,” the authors wrote. “Lip SCC is often detected at an early stage, due to the highly visible location and slow growth pattern.” Results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2010 and 2014 were analyzed. Overall survival and cancer-specific survival were measured. The researchers identified 900 patients with early-stage lip SCC who had received either radiation alone (36 patients) or surgery alone (864 patients). Patients who underwent surgical procedures had better overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates compared with patients who had radiation alone, the study found. The treatment modality did not have a significant effect on either survival rate; the radiation-alone group had an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.94 (95% CI; 0.83-4.53), while the surgery-alone group had an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.04 (95% CI; 0.07-15.55). “Our results support the notion that surgery and [radiation therapy] appear to be equally effective in treating early-stage lip SCC,” the researchers [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-07-08T03:32:43-07:00July, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Revealed: How cancer unit kept theatres open and saved lives despite coronavirus lockdown

Source: www.sundaypost.com Author: Janet Boyle Patients with head and neck malignancies have continued to get vital surgery at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow under strict infection vigilance set up by its maxillofacial surgery unit. More than 40 patients have been treated for head and neck cancer during lockdown. Others have undergone procedures for facial skin cancer and facial injuries. The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh says 87% of its members in cancer surgery had stopped operating altogether or significantly reduced the number of procedures due to the danger of patients contracting the virus. And experts fear deaths from cancer could rise by a fifth over the next year as a result of scores of treatments and consultations being cancelled. Now it is hoped the protocols followed by the Glasgow team can be adopted to allow more surgery to resume. Critical to the safety of the operations is that the patients are tested for coronavirus twice before the procedure – once 48 hours beforehand, and then again immediately before surgery begins. Patients are also asked to self-isolate for two weeks before surgery, the surgical team works in a separate building to the main hospital and some surgical techniques have been modified to reduce the risk of infection. Operating on head and neck malignancies poses considerable risk to theatre teams because the work is closely associated with patients’ faces and respiratory systems, making the virus easily transmissible. Further risk lies in the head and neck surgeon having to abandon a face [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-05-26T09:08:16-07:00May, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Study: Healthy diet may avert nutritional problems in head, neck cancer patients

Source: news.illinois.edu Author: Sharita Forrest At least 90% of head and neck cancer patients develop symptoms that affect their ability or desire to eat, because of either the tumor itself or the surgery or radiation used to treat it. These problems, called nutrition impact symptoms, have wide-ranging negative effects on patients’ physical and mental health and quality of life. However, patients who eat foods high in antioxidants and other micronutrients prior to diagnosis may reduce their risks of developing chronic nutrition impact symptoms up to one year after being diagnosed with head or neck cancer, according to a recent study led by researchers at the University of Illinois. The scientists analyzed the dietary patterns of 336 adults with newly diagnosed head and neck cancers and these patients’ problems with eating, swallowing and inflammation of the digestive tract. This painful inflammatory condition, called mucositis, is a common side effect of radiation treatment and chemotherapy. The mitigating effects of a healthy diet were particularly significant in people who had never smoked and in patients who were underweight or normal weight at diagnosis, who often experience the greatest eating and digestive problems during treatment, said Sylvia L. Crowder, the paper’s first author. Crowder is a research fellow in the Cancer Scholars for Translational and Applied Research program, a collaborative initiative of the U. of I. and Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois. “While previous work has established that the presence of nutrition impact symptoms is associated with decreased food intake and weight loss, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-12-17T09:16:56-07:00December, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Anti-malarial drug can make cancer chemotherapy more effective

Source: medicalxpress.com Author: Emma McKinney, University of Birmingham Scientists at the University of Birmingham have found an anti-malarial drug was effective in treating head and neck cancer in mice. The drug quinacrine was used extensively to prevent and treat malaria in soldiers fighting in mosquito-ridden areas during World War Two. It is similar to the quinine that makes tonic water glow, has minimal side-effects, and is now used for treating parasite infections and other conditions. Each year around 11,900 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancer in the UK. Current treatment relies heavily on debilitating surgery and toxic chemotherapy, but despite this, it has a poor outcome with three to seven in 10 people surviving their disease for five years or more. The drug, quinacrine, was tested through a number of methods, including on cell cultures, in tumour biopsies from patients with head and neck cancer, and in mice. The research results, published in Oncotarget, show that in mice quinacrine can make standard chemotherapy more effective—suggesting a lower dose may be used, reducing toxic side effects. The results also showed the drug to be effective at reducing the growth of cancer cells grown in the lab, and in tumors. Significantly, the research in mice showed a combination therapy of quinacrine and chemotherapy, and so allowed for the chemotherapy dose to be halved while still maintaining the same impairment of tumor growth. Lead author Dr. Jennifer Bryant, of the University of Birmingham's Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-10-01T14:04:25-07:00October, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Psychological impact of head and neck cancers

Source: pharmafield.co.uk Author: Emma Morriss Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), in partnership with patient groups The Swallows and the Mouth Cancer Foundation, have announced the results from a patient survey into the psychological impact of head and neck cancers. The research explored the long-term burden of treatment on head and neck cancer patients. After undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer, which can include surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, many patients report an ongoing impact on their day-to-day life. However, 55% of the 118 patients surveyed indicated they did not receive the right level of information in preparation for the complications encountered from treatment. There are around 11,900 new head and neck cancer cases in the UK every year and the incidence of head and neck cancer has increased by 32% since the early 1990s. Following treatment, the survey showed 56% of patients had problems with simple things like swallowing, often experiencing severe pain, while two-thirds of patients experienced changes in their voice or speech. The survey also showed self-reported change from pre- to post- treatment in vital areas including a drop in the ability to communicate (37%), memory loss (21%), and trouble sleeping (20%). As well as physical symptoms, treatment can have severe implications on mental health too. 52% of patients reported feelings of anxiety before treatment, which only reduced to 48% following treatment. However, emotional and psychological support was only offered to 46% of patients. A majority of patients did receive access to a clinical nurse specialist, however there was still [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2019-07-31T19:42:04-07:00July, 2019|Oral Cancer News|

Head and neck cancer: Novel treatment approaches

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: staff Meryl Kaufman, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, BRS-S, and Itzhak Brook, M.D., M.Sc., board members of the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, share insight into the role of novel treatment approaches like immunotherapy, robotic surgery and de-escalation in the management of cancers of the head and neck. Transcript: Meryl Kaufman, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, BRS-S: Dr. Brook, traditionally the treatment for head and neck cancer has been surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or some combination of those three. But there are some new and emerging treatment approaches to head and neck cancer along with many other cancers. Can you tell us a little bit about immunology? What is immunotherapy in the care of the head and neck cancer patient? Itzhak Brook, M.D., M.Sc.: Most days, we don’t get cancer because our immune system is like the police department of our body. They detect cancer early and eliminate it. Unfortunately, in the case of cancer, the cancer cells can fool the immune system, and they go undetected and cause the disease. The main advantage of immunotherapy is that we are using the body’s defenses, the immune system, to kill the cancer in a much better way than the chemotherapy. Chemotherapy destroys the cancer cells, but it also affects the body cells. Immunotherapy is more precise. It is directed only to the cancer cells, so the rest of the body stays unscathed. That’s the beauty of immunotherapy. So, immunotherapy is an evolving field in cancer. They have many, many new drugs in the pipeline, and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2018-09-04T12:56:32-07:00September, 2018|Oral Cancer News|

Complex cancer decisions, no easy answers

Source: blogs.biomedcentral.com Author: Jeffrey Liu With the many different options now available for the treatment of cancer, it can be very difficult for both clinicians and patients to decide on the best possible treatment strategy, particularly when faced with a complicated cancer. In this blog, Dr Jeffrey C. Liu reflects on the challenges encountered in cancer decision making, particularly when presented with difficult cases. When treating cancer, sometimes the treatment decisions are straightforward and unambiguous. For example, surgery is the treatment of choice for an early, uncomplicated tongue cancer. However, many times, the recommendation for cancer treatment is not straightforward and requires combination treatment – one or more of surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. As a head and neck cancer surgeon, I work with a team to make these treatment decisions, and usually team consensus is achieved. However, when we are faced with the choice of multiple treatments that all have the same chance of cure available, it seems to result in a never ending discussion amongst our team. Take for example an advanced tonsil cancer. These cancers can sometimes be removed first with surgery, a process which removes both the primary cancer and the lymph nodes in the neck. Then, depending on the pathology results, patients may need radiation treatment, chemoradiation or sometimes no further treatment at all. Meanwhile, chemoradiation alone, and no surgery, is an excellent option. Whether the patient receives surgery or no surgery, the chance of cure is pretty much the same. However, based on the need [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2017-10-16T14:13:43-07:00October, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Penn surgeons become world’s first to test glowing dye for cancerous lymph nodes

Source: www.phillyvoice.com Author: Michael Tanenbaum, PhillyVoice Staff Surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania have achieved a global first with the use of a fluorescent dye that identifies cancerous cells in lymph nodes during head and neck cancer procedures. The study, led by otorhinolaryngologist Jason G. Newman, seeks to test the effectiveness of intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI), a technique that illuminates tumors to provide real-time surgical guidance. More than 65,000 Americans will be diagnosed with head and neck cancers in 2017, accounting for approximately 4 percent of all cancers in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 75 percent of these cancers are caused by tobacco and alcohol use, followed by human papillomavirus (HPV) as a growing source for their development. Common areas affected by these cancers include the mouth, throat, voice box, sinuses and salivary glands, with typical treatments including a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Lymph nodes, which act as filters for the immune system, are often among the first organs affected by head and neck cancers as they spread or resurface. Initial surgeries may leave microscopic cancerous cells undetected in the lymphoid tissue, heightening the risk that a patient's condition will return after the procedure. “By using a dye that makes cancerous cells glow, we get real-time information about which lymph nodes are potentially dangerous and which ones we can leave alone,” Newman said. “That not only helps us remove more cancer from our patients during surgery, it also improves our ability to spare [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2017-10-11T12:33:52-07:00October, 2017|Oral Cancer News|