throat cancer

Vaccine is credited with steep fall of HPV in teenagers.

Source The New York TimesBy SABRINA TAVERNISEPublished: June 19, 2013 342 Comments The prevalence of dangerous strains of the human papillomavirus — the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and a principal cause of cervical cancer — has dropped by half among teenage girls in recent years, a striking measure of success for a vaccine against the virus that was introduced only in 2006, federal health officials said on Wednesday. Dr. Judith L. Schaechter gives an HPVvaccination to a 13-year-old girl in heroffice at the University of Miami LeonardM. Miller School of Medicine. The sharp decline in the infection rate comes at a time of deepening worry among doctors and public health officials about the limited use of the HPV vaccine in the United States. Health departments across the country are scrambling for ways to increase vaccination rates, while nonprofit groups are using postcard reminders and social media campaigns and pediatricians are being encouraged to convince families of the vaccine’s benefits. There are some signs that resistance to the vaccine may be growing. A study published in the journal Pediatrics in March found that 44 percent of parents in 2010 said they did not intend to vaccinate their daughters, up from 40 percent in 2008. Because it prevents a sexually transmitted infection, the vaccine comes with a stigma. Some parents worry it promotes promiscuity. And it has been controversial. During the Republican primary in 2011, Representative Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota, said the vaccine could have [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-06-20T11:31:05-07:00June, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Health Experts Praise Michael Douglas For His Oral Cancer Revelation

June 3rd, 2013 7:20pm EDTSource: starpulse.com Health experts have commended Michael Douglas for speaking out about link between throat cancer and oral sex. The 68 year-old actor, who endured a six-month battle with the illness, hit headlines over the weekend when he voiced his belief that his cancer was caused by HPV, the human papillomavirus, which can be contracted through oral sex. The Behind The Candelabra star told Britain's The Guardian newspaper, "Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus... I mean, I did worry if the stress caused by my son's incarceration didn't help trigger it. But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it." Douglas' frank admission has now won him praise from Brian Hill, executive director of Oral Cancer Foundation, who tells the New York Post, "I'm really quite proud of Michael saying this. This (oral sex) is not an aberrant sexual behavior. But the willingness to talk about this openly can be difficult." The actor recorded a public service announcement for the Oral Cancer Foundation last year. *This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2013-06-10T11:43:06-07:00June, 2013|OCF In The News|

The Man’s Guide to HPV

Source: Men's HealthBy: Melaina Juntti What men can do about HPV Michael Douglas caught major flak for saying oral sex gave him throat cancer. But if you're laughing, it's time to grow up. Oral cancers caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) have skyrocketed 225 percent in the past 15 years, with men accounting for 75 percent of all cases. The number-one culprit: HPV passed via oral sex. It used to be that cigarettes caused most of these cancers. But since smoking rates have plummeted over the past few decades, and we're having way more oral sex today than even our fathers' generation, HPV has become the most common STD in the U.S. – inevitably leading to more oral cancer cases. It only takes one time going down on someone to contract HPV, and experts estimate that 80 percent of us will be exposed to the virus at some point in our lives. This STD sometimes causes genital warts, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that's not very common. In most cases, HPV has no symptoms. And since no test exists to detect HPV in guys, you won't know you have the virus until years later – if it turns into cancer. "It's very hard to determine when you acquired HPV," says Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University. "It doesn't usually come from just one sexual episode. That said, every once in a while, cancer develops within [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-06-10T11:35:49-07:00June, 2013|OCF In The News|

Michael Douglas pleased that oral sex story raised public awareness

By Agence France-PresseTuesday, June 4, 2013 18:40 EDTSource: The Raw Story Michael Douglas said he would win a Nobel prize if he knew exactly what caused his throat cancer, in fresh comments Tuesday after a dispute with a British newspaper over an interview he gave. The “Fatal Attraction” star, whose spokesman already denied he blamed his throat cancer specifically on oral sex, also said that, regardless, he was happy to raise awareness about causes of the killer disease. “I never expected to become a poster boy for head and neck cancer,” Douglas said in comments issued by a representative. “But, if after what started out as trying to answer a couple of questions about the suspected sources of this disease results in opening up discussion and furthering public awareness, then I’ll stand by that.” In an interview with Britain’s Guardian newspaper, Douglas, who stars in the just-released biopic of flamboyant entertainer Liberace, “Behind The Candelabra,” said his cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). “Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus,” he said, in comments the newspaper said amounted to blaming oral sex for his cancer. Douglas’s spokesman Allen Burry said Monday that the 68-year-old actor was talking in general, not personal terms. “This is not the cause of his cancer,” he said. On Tuesday, Douglas himself added: “Head and neck cancer can be caused by many things including [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-06-05T09:36:15-07:00June, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

ASCO: Actor’s Oral Sex Remarks May Aid HPV Prevention

By: Crystal Phend, Senior Staff WriterPublished: June 03, 2013Source: MedPage Today CHICAGO -- Actor Michael Douglas' apparent claim that he got throat cancer from human papillomavirus (HPV) contracted through oral sex may help aid prevention efforts, experts suggested. Douglas, now 68, was diagnosed with a "walnut-sized" stage IV tumor at the base of his tongue in 2010 after months of oral discomfort. His well-known tobacco and alcohol habits -- both risk factors for oropharyngeal cancers -- had been thought to be the cause, but he appeared to indicate otherwise in an interview appearing in British tabloid The Guardian yesterday. While one of his representatives has since challenged that interpretation of the interview, the spotlight on HPV as a cause of cancer should promote awareness of the need for HPV vaccination, head and neck cancer and HPV specialists contacted here at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting said. "It's no surprise to physicians such as myself, because probably 80% of the tonsil and tongue cancers I see are related to HPV," Eric Moore, MD, an oropharyngeal cancer specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., noted in an interview with MedPage Today. Most adults become exposed to the virus at some point but clear it like any other infection. Those who become chronically infected are at elevated risk of cervical, anal, and head and neck cancers, particularly from subtype 16. The tonsils and base of tongue are the predominant areas affected in the head and neck because of the [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-06-04T11:35:27-07:00June, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

It’s True. You Can Get Throat Cancer From Oral Sex

By: Alexandra SifferlinJune 03, 2013 Source: TIME On Sunday, in an interview with the Guardian, actor Michael Douglas revealed that his throat cancer was not caused by tobacco and alcohol, but by HPV, which was transmitted through oral sex. He has since called the statement a misunderstanding, but it’s still true: you can get throat cancer from HPV. In an eye-poppingly candid interview with the Guardian’s Xan Brooks, Douglas, who is married to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, allegedly told the reporter his cancer was caused by the STD: The throat cancer, I assume, was first seeded during those wild middle years, when he drank like a fish and smoked like the devil. Looking back, knowing what he knows now, does he feel he overloaded his system? “No,” he says. “No. Because, without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus.” From what? For a moment I think that I may have misheard. “From cunnilingus. I mean, I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it. But yeah, it’s a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer.” He shrugs. “And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it.” Right, I say. OK. So what he is suggesting is that it all evens out? “That’s right,” says Douglas. “It giveth and it taketh.” Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts or present itself without symptoms. If left untreated, it can also [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-06-04T11:13:31-07:00June, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

No increased risk of infection for long-term sex partners of people with HPV-related oral cancers

June 1, 2013 in Cancer Source: Medical Express Spouses and long-term partners of patients with mouth and throat cancers related to infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) appear to have no increased prevalence of oral HPV infections, according to results of a multicenter, pilot study led by Johns Hopkins investigators. The study's results suggest that long-term couples need not change their sexual practices, say the scientists. "While we can't guarantee that the partners of patients will not develop oral HPV infections or cancers, we can reassure them that our study found they had no increased prevalence of oral infections, which suggests their risk of HPV-related oral cancer remains low," says Gypsyamber D'Souza, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is expected to present the results of her study June 1 at the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. HPV-related oral cancers are rising in prevalence among white men in the United States, and fear of transmitting the virus can lead to anxiety, divorce, and curtailing of sex and intimacy among couples, says D'Souza. Persistent oral HPV infections are a risk for developing oropharyngeal cancers, located at the base of the tongue, tonsils, pharynx and soft palate. At the Johns Hopkins Hospital and three other hospitals, researchers conducted surveys and took oral rinse samples from 166 male and female patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers and 94 spouses and partners. The scientists also studied patients' tumor samples and performed visual [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-06-03T10:07:24-07:00June, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Robotic surgery vs. radiation, chemo for throat cancer, study to see which is best

By: Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press, April 17, 2013Source: ottawacitizen.com TORONTO - It was quite a shock for Rod Sinn when he learned the persistent sore throat he'd had for five months, initially diagnosed as tonsillitis, was actually an increasingly common form of throat cancer caused by the human papilloma virus. Equally unpleasant was the news that the standard treatment for oropharyngeal cancer, which typically affects the back of the tongue, tonsils and nearby tissues, is radiation and chemotherapy. Sinn, a physically fit non-smoker who only drinks alcohol occasionally, had seen what the double-barrelled treatment could do. A friend diagnosed with throat cancer a year earlier and given the standard treatment lost his salivary glands and sense of taste. "I thought, wait a minute, there's got to be another option. I really don't like the side-effects of all that radiation," the 52-year-old businessman, who lives in Oakville, Ont., near Toronto, said Tuesday. After searching the Internet, he discovered doctors at Western University in London, Ont., were the only ones in Canada performing robotic-assisted surgery for throat cancer. Sinn had the robotic surgery in spring 2011, plus a follow-up operation to remove some lymph nodes for testing to make sure his cancer hadn't spread. While the surgery left him unable to swallow for several weeks and he lost some taste buds for a time, he is virtually back to normal except for some numbness in his neck where the lymph nodes were removed. "It was fantastic," said Sinn, who counts himself a believer [...]

Charlotte Parker2013-04-18T16:40:32-07:00April, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Larry Hagman dies of throat cancer, ‘Dallas’ co-stars pay tribute

Source: www.newstank.co.uk Dallas star Larry Hagman, who played the scheming oil tycoon J.R. Ewing in the television soap opera, passed away last Friday, at the age of 81. The Dallas actor was suffering from throat cancer. Larry Hagman’s sudden death is being mourned by friends and family alike. After receiving the shocking news of Larry Hagman’s death, his Dallas co-stars Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Victoria Principal and Ken Kercheval paid tribute to the actor. Brenda Strong was quoted as saying to E! News, “Being able to work with one of my childhood idols was a dream come true. He was one of the most resilient and positive people I’ve ever known. Larry’s tremendous talent and contribution as an artist is only surpassed by his gigantic heart and how beloved he was by his friends, especially Patrick and Linda.” Larry Hagman rose to fame in 1965 when he was cast in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie as astronaut Major Anthony Nelson. He then went onto become famous for his villainous role as J.R. Ewing on Dallas from 1978 to 1991. Larry Hagman had once laughed off the idea of retiring, when he said, “I’d like to die onstage, so to speak. I love acting and I’ve had a wonderful career.” Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman’s I Dream of Jeannie co-star said, “I still cannot completely express the shock and impact from the news that Larry Hagman has passed…I can honestly say that we’ve lost not just a great actor, not [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-11-28T10:32:46-07:00November, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Marilyn Baker: Are some diseases more equal than others?

Source: National Post On Sept. 30, thousands of people will participate in the Run for the Cure marathon. They will raise thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website is a sea of pink and purple and shows many further upcoming events where people can get involved in fighting breast cancer: The Nite of Hope auction, garden parties, the Pink Ribbon Charity Ball. The viewer is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the support. It reminds me of an email I received a few years ago from a dear friend who asked me to pledge support for a breast cancer walkathon. Her personal website stated that “together, we can beat breast cancer.” There were some stats on the disease, plus a little thermometer measuring how her pledges were doing. Seeing the pink ribbons raises many emotions in me. And, to be honest, one of them is anger. Please don’t get me wrong. I have more than a passing interest in breast cancer. I lost a dear sister-in-law to breast cancer. I have friends who live with the illness. I consider myself a lucky breast cancer survivor. So why am I upset? Simple. I’m jealous of all the attention paid to breast cancer when there are so many other cancers that could also benefit from public awareness. All cancers should be a priority. My breast cancer was caught by a screening mammogram. After a biopsy confirmed an invasive lobular carcinoma, I underwent a partial mastectomy and underarm [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-09-14T11:02:30-07:00September, 2012|Oral Cancer News|