surgery

Magnolia man joins exclusive trial in battle against cancer

Source: www.cantonrep.com Author: Denise Sautters Rich Bartlett is looking forward to getting back to his hobbies — woodworking and nature watching — and enjoying a good steak and potato dinner. Until then, though, he is in a fight for his life, one he plans to win. Bartlett is a cancer patient and the first participant in a clinical trial at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland to test the safety of an immunotherapy drug — Pembrolizumab — when added to a regimen of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Back to the beginning Bartlett went to the dentist in October for a checkup. "He had a sore in his mouth he thought was an abscess," explained his wife, Nancy Bartlett, who pointed out that, because radiation and chemo treatments cause the inside of the mouth to burn and blister, it is hard for Bartlett to talk. "When the dentist looked at his sore, he sent Richard to a specialist in Canton, and in early November, he had a biopsy done. It came back positive for cancer." From there, he was referred to Dr. Pierre Lavertu, director of head and neck surgery and oncology at University Hospitals, and Dr. Chad Zender from the otolaryngology department, who did Bartlett's surgery. "They let us know it was serious," said Nancy. "It had gone into the bone and the roof of the mouth, but they were not sure if it had gone into the lymph nodes. By the time we got through that appointment, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2017-03-20T08:31:02-07:00March, 2017|Oral Cancer News|

Imaging method has potential to stratify head and neck cancer patients

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: press release Manchester researchers have identified a potential new way to predict which patients with head and neck cancer may benefit most from chemotherapy. These patients commonly receive pre-treatment induction chemotherapy, before either surgery or radiotherapy, to reduce the risk of disease spread. However the effectiveness of such treatment is reduced in tumours with poor blood flow. Previous studies have shown that CT scans can be used to assess tumour blood flow. Now researchers at The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust - both part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre - have explored the use of MRI scans in predicting which patients would benefit from induction chemotherapy. Professor Catharine West, who led the study, said: "It's also important to identify those patients who are unlikely to respond to induction therapy so that we can skip ahead in the treatment pathway and offer them potentially more effective treatments and hopefully improve their outcome." The team used an imaging technique known as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), where a contrast agent tracer is injected into a patient's vein whilst they have a series of MRI scans taken. This allows scientists and doctors to investigate the blood flow and vessel structure of a patient's tumour. They found that the blood flow of a patient's tumour before they received induction therapy could predict response to treatment. In a paper recently published in the journal Oral Oncology, the group report that those with high tumour blood flow were more [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2015-09-19T08:39:53-07:00September, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Critical Outcome Technologies and MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate COTI-2 in treating head and neck cancers

Source: www.marketwatch.com Author: press release Critical Outcome Technologies Inc. ("COTI"), the bioinformatics and accelerated drug discovery company, announced today that it recently executed a material transfer agreement ("MTA") with Dr. Jeffery Myers, MD, PhD, FACS of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for the continued evaluation of COTI-2 in the potential treatment of patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer ("HNSCC"). There are approximately 500,000 new cases worldwide of HNSCC a year, making it the sixth leading cancer in terms of new cases. In the United States, HNSCC is considered to be a rare disease and therefore represents a second "Orphan Disease" opportunity for COTI-2. If HNSCC is caught at an early stage, current therapies, which include surgery and radiation followed by chemotherapy, can be effective. Unfortunately, HNSCC tumors with p53 mutations tend to be more difficult to treat with such mutations occurring in 30-70% of HNSCC tumors. These mutations are associated with poorer patient outcomes as traditional chemotherapy, using the current first line chemotherapy, cisplatin, is often ineffective. The overall five-year survival rate of patients with HNSCC is 40-50%. As a small molecule activator of misfolded mutant p53 protein, COTI-2 has demonstrated in preclinical studies its ability to restore p53 function and thus induce cancer cell death for many common p53 mutations. As previously announced, the Company is planning a Phase 1 study in gynecological cancers (ovarian, cervical and endometrial) at MD Anderson with Dr. Gordon Mills and his team and these studies in HNSCC with [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-10-23T06:30:17-07:00October, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Blood test could predict oral cancer recurrence

Source: www.livescience.com Author: Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer A new blood and saliva test that looks for traces of the human papillomavirus (HPV) can predict whether some people with oral cancers will have their cancer come back, early research suggests. It helps to know as soon as possible that cancer has returned, because tumors that are caught early are easier to treat. In the study, the researchers analyzed blood and saliva samples from 93 people with head and neck cancers; about 80 percent of these patients had cancers that tested positive for HPV. All of their cancers had previously been treated with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. The researchers looked for fragments of DNA from HPV-16, a strain of the virus that is strongly linked with head and neck cancer. The virus may be found in cancer cells that linger in the body after treatment, the researchers said. Among people with HPV-positive tumors, the new test identified 70 percent of those whose cancer returned within three years, the researchers said. "Until now, there has been no reliable biological way to identify which patients are at higher risk for recurrence, so these tests should greatly help [to] do so," study researcher Dr. Joseph Califano, professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said in a statement. Patients with head and neck cancer typically visit the doctor every one to three months during the first year after their diagnoses to check for cancer recurrence. But new tumors in the tonsils, throat and base [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-08-02T11:03:13-07:00August, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers find way to diagnose aggressiveness of oral cancer

Source: www.news-medical.net Author: staff Studying mouth cancer in mice, researchers have found a way to predict the aggressiveness of similar tumors in people, an early step toward a diagnostic test that could guide treatment, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "All patients with advanced head and neck cancer get similar treatments," said Ravindra Uppaluri, MD, PhD, associate professor of otolaryngology. "We have patients who do well on standard combinations of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, and patients who don't do so well. We're interested in finding out why." Reporting in Clinical Cancer ResearchK/em>, the investigators found a consistent pattern of gene expression associated with tumor spreading in mice. Analyzing genetic data from human oral cancer samples, they also found this gene signature in people with aggressive metastatic tumors. "We didn't automatically assume this mouse model would be relevant to human oral cancer," said Uppaluri, who performs head and neck surgeries at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "But it turns out to be highly reflective of the disease in people." Rather than use genetic methods to induce tumors in the mice, the research team repeatedly applied a known carcinogen, in much the same way humans develop cancer of the mouth. "Patients often have a history of tobacco and alcohol use, which drive the development of these tumors," Uppaluri said. "We felt that exposing the mice to a carcinogen would be more likely to produce similar kinds of tumors." The researchers, including first author Michael D. Onken, PhD, research assistant [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-06-29T20:25:48-07:00June, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Jim Kelly’s toughest game: Fighting oral cancer

Source: www.foxnews.com Author: Dr. Manny Alvarez Jim Kelly, the Hall of Fame quarterback who played for the Buffalo Bills until 1996, is one of the greatest football players that I have ever seen. During his football career, I followed him closely and was always in awe of his athletic abilities, his leadership qualities and his love of family. Unfortunately, Jim Kelly is currently battling a second recurrence of oral cancer and has been scheduled to undergo surgery in an attempt to control the disease. His wife, Jill, told the Associated Press that her 54-year-old husband’s cancer is aggressive and beginning to spread. I’ve been following Jim Kelly’s health struggles and have been thinking about him, praying that he gets better. It is easy to think of some humans as immortal – especially when you’re looking at an individual as physically fit as Jim Kelly. But we tend to forget that sometimes nature has a unique plan for all of us. However, Jim Kelly’s struggles can serve as a reminder for us all to be vigilant about our health. Jim Kelly is suffering from oral cancer, which doesn’t get the attention that it deserves, despite the fact that 42,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2014, according to the National Cancer Institute. Oral cancers are any cancers occurring in the oral cavity, which starts in your throat and extends all the way to your lips. The sad part about this disease is that oral cancers are typically not identified early, which [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-03-30T10:22:43-07:00March, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Recurrent mouth and throat cancers less deadly when caused by HPV

Source: www.oncologynurseadvisor.com Author: Kathy Boltz, PhD People with late-stage cancer at the back of the mouth or throat that recurs after chemotherapy and radiation treatment are twice as likely to be alive 2 years later if their cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), suggests new research. This study was presented at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, held in Scottsdale, Arizona. Previous studies have found that people with so-called HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers are more likely to survive than those whose cancers are related to smoking or whose origins are unknown. The new study shows that the longer survival pattern holds even if the cancer returns. Oropharyngeal cancers, which once were linked primarily to heavy smoking, are now more likely to be caused by HPV, a virus that is transmitted by oral and other kinds of sex. The rise in HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers has been attributed to changes in sexual behaviors, most notably an increase in oral sex partners. For the study, the researchers used data provided by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group on 181 patients with late-stage oropharyngeal cancer whose HPV status was known and whose cancer had spread after primary treatment. There were 105 HPV-positive participants and 76 HPV-negative ones. Although the median time to recurrence was roughly the same (8.2 months vs 7.3 months, respectively), some 54.6% of those with HPV-positive cancer were alive 2 years after recurrence, whereas only 27.6% of those with HPV-negative cancers were still alive at that point in time. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2014-03-19T07:11:24-07:00March, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Surgery beats chemotherapy for tongue cancer, U-M study finds

Source: www.eurekalert.org Author: press release Patients with tongue cancer who started their treatment with a course of chemotherapy fared significantly worse than patients who received surgery first, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. This is contrary to protocols for larynx cancer, in which a single dose of chemotherapy helps determine which patients fare better with chemotherapy and radiation and which patients should elect for surgery. In larynx cancer, this approach, which was pioneered and extensively researched at U-M, has led to better patient survival and functional outcomes. But this new study, which appears in JAMA Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, describes a clear failure. "To a young person with tongue cancer, chemotherapy may sound like a better option than surgery with extensive reconstruction. But patients with oral cavity cancer can't tolerate induction chemotherapy as well as they can handle surgery with follow-up radiation. Our techniques of reconstruction are advanced and offer patients better survival and functional outcomes," says study author Douglas Chepeha, M.D., MSPH, professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School. The study enrolled 19 people with advanced oral cavity cancer. Patients received an initial dose of chemotherapy, called induction chemotherapy. Those whose cancer shrunk by half went on to receive additional chemotherapy combined with radiation treatment. Those whose cancer did not respond well had surgery followed by radiation. Enrollment in the trial was stopped early because results were so poor. Ten of [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-12-30T06:42:46-07:00December, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Swallowing exercises preserve function in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation

Source: http://www.newsfix.ca/ Author: staff A study at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation as part of their treatment were less likely to need a feeding tube or suffer unwanted side effects such as worsening of diet or narrowing of the throat passage if they performed a set of prescribed swallowing exercises — called a “swallow preservation protocol” — during therapy. The study, conducted from 2007 to 2012, was led by Dr. Marilene Wang, a member of the Jonsson Cancer Center and professor-in-residence in the department of head and neck surgery at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. The study was published online by the journal Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and will appear later in the journal’s print edition. Surgery and radiation have been the traditional treatments for head and neck cancer, but with the advent of improved and targeted chemotherapy, many types of this disease are treated with chemotherapy and radiation, (chemoradiation) in the hope of preserving the tissue and structure. But, even when tissue and structure are preserved, patients do not always retain their ability to swallow naturally and normally. Most patients who receive chemoradiation have significant side effects during treatment and for a long time after recovery. Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) is one of the most common unwanted side effects of radiation and chemoradiation, and is one of the main predictors of diminished quality of life for the patient after treatment. Wang’s study was designed to evaluate the swallow preservation [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2013-11-19T14:59:39-07:00November, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers find overactive protein among mouth cancer patients

Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ Author: B.S. Akshaya An overactive protein in mouth cancer encourages tumours to grow fast and scientists claim that the protein will help them to find an effective treatment for the disease. Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered FRMD4A, a protein that is overactive among mouth cancer patients. They claim that just deactivating the protein will help save many lives. A study conducted on mice revealed that when FRMD4A protein is turned on, it helps the cancer cells to group and stick together, but when the protein is deactivated the stickiness of the cell is lost and ultimately it causes cancer cells to die. Scientists have already found some potential drugs that could help them deactivate the protein. “What’s really exciting about this research is that we already have potential drugs that can be used to target this protein or compensate for the effects that it is having,” said Dr Stephen Goldie, researcher at Cancer Research UK, in a statement. “These drugs could offer new options to patients where surgery and chemotherapy have not worked or could be used alongside them. We now need to start trials with these treatments, but we hope this could make a real difference to people with mouth cancer in the future,” he added. Mouth cancer starts anywhere in the oral cavity area like in the cheek lining area, the floor of the mouth, gums or the roof of the mouth (palate). Symptoms of this cancer are chewing problems, mouth sores, speech difficulty, swallowing [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-07-19T07:41:38-07:00July, 2013|Oral Cancer News|