tobacco – Oral Cancer News

Health effects of using snuffs that should not be ignored

Source: ng.opera.news Author: LoudestSilence86 In recent years, there has been a surge in the use of snuffs as an alternative to smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Snuff is a powdered form of tobacco that is either inhaled through the nose or placed in the mouth. While some people believe that snuffs are a safer alternative to smoking or chewing tobacco, it is crucial to acknowledge that there are significant health effects associated with their use. According to webmd, This article aims to shed light on the health consequences of using snuffs that should not be ignored. Respiratory Health Risks One of the most concerning health effects of using snuffs is the impact on respiratory health. Snuffs are typically inhaled through the nose, causing numerous respiratory issues. The intimate contact of the tobacco powder with the nasal tissues can lead to chronic inflammation and irritation. Over time, this can cause nasal congestion, frequent nosebleeds, a decreased sense of smell, and even sinus infections. Furthermore, snuff contains high levels of nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Regular use of snuff can lead to the dependence on nicotine, making it difficult for users to quit. Oral Health Complications Snuffs that are placed in the mouth can have severe consequences on oral health. The tobacco powder in snuffs contains numerous harmful chemicals that can lead to dental problems. Continuous exposure to snuff can cause gum irritation, inflammation, and increased plaque buildup. These factors contribute to an increased risk of gum disease, tooth loss, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-08-01T10:40:14-07:00August, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

High-risk sexual behavior alone may not increase risk for oropharyngeal cancer

Source: www.healio.com Author: Matthew Shinkle High-risk sexual behavior may not be the primary contributor to the development of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, according to data published in Cancers. Although patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma appear more likely to self-report having their first sexual intercourse before age 18 years, study findings did not show an association between high-risk sexual behavior and the disease, researchers wrote. “The consistent absence of high-risk sexual behavior in the overwhelming majority of HPV-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas stands against the argument of a lowered frequency of HPV-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in our cohort ... that would have lowered the chance to detect an impact on high-risk sexual behavior on the development of HPV-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma,” Gunnar Wichmann, PhD, head of the ENT ResearchLab at University of Leipzig Medical Center, and colleagues wrote. Background and methodology Certain studies have provided evidence to establish a potential link between high-risk sexual behavior, the persistence of HPV DNA in saliva and the presence of oncogenic high-risk HPV subtypes in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Researchers conducted a case-control study of patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and propensity score-matched unaffected controls from a large population-based German cohort study. The investigators interviewed patients and provided them with questionnaires on main risk factors — including age, sex, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption — as well as logging information regarding sexual behavior categories. The study included 329 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, of whom 317 patients answered [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-07-30T06:12:27-07:00July, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Smoking and HPV found to increase risk of head and neck cancer

Source: www.news-medical.net Author: Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLM Tobacco smoking and human papillomavirus (HPV) are both well-known risk factors for head and neck cancer, but there is ample evidence to show they can interact to increase still further the risk of contracting the disease, according to a study by scientists at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the University of Chile. An article on the study is published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The results of the study clarify aspects of the molecular mechanisms involved in head and neck cancer, paving the way for novel strategies of prevention and treatment, or other interventions that could benefit patients. Head and neck cancer is a group of cancers of the mouth, nose, sinuses, tonsils, throat and thyroid. It affected some 830,000 people worldwide in 2020, causing the death of more than 50%. In Brazil it caused almost 21,000 deaths in 2019, according to the most recent data from the National Cancer Institute (INCA). Historically speaking, its main causes have been alcohol, tobacco and poor oral hygiene, but in recent decades HPV has become a significant risk factor, especially for younger people and relatively well-off patients. Head and neck cancer is now one of the fastest-rising types of cancer associated with HPV in the world. "Instead of continuing to analyze smoking and HPV as oncogenic factors separately, we set out to focus on their possible interaction." Enrique Boccardo, penultimate author of the article and professor in the Department [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-07-04T11:44:15-07:00July, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

5 major risk factors for head and neck cancers are within your control

Source: news.llu.edu Author: Lisa Aubry, Loma Linda University Health While head and neck cancers represent a broad category for numerous cancers, a set of five controllable risk factors contribute to most head and neck cancers, says Jared Inman, MD, a head and neck surgical oncologist at Loma Linda University Health. For April’s Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, Inman outlines how reducing these five risks in your life can help prevent head and neck cancers. Head and neck cancers, those cancers occurring above the shoulder bones not including brain cancers, occur in the voice box, throat, tongue, mouth, sinus, nose, ear, eyes, as well as other places. Squamous cell cancers are by far the most common types of head and neck cancers, says Inman, and can happen in any location of the head and neck. Therefore, the risk factors and Inman's prevention tips pertain especially to squamous cell cancers. TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL Tobacco, which includes secondhand smoke and smokeless tobacco, is the number one stand-alone risk factor for head and neck cancers, Inman says, with alcohol consumption a close runner-up. Additionally, he says combined tobacco and alcohol use places people at a greater risk of developing these cancers than those who use tobacco or alcohol alone. Most head and neck squamous cell carcinomas of the mouth and voice box are caused by tobacco and alcohol use, according to the National Cancer Institute. “Head and neck cancers are almost always tied to smoking and drinking alcohol,” says Inman. Quitting smoking and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-04-19T13:44:29-07:00April, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Another setback for vapes? Using the devices can increase the risk of oral cancer as much as cigarettes do, study finds

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk Author: Cassidy Morrison, Senior Health Reporter DailyMail.com Using a vape causes cancer-linked DNA damage to the mouth at the same rate as using a cigarette does, study finds. The latest study from researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) further pokes holes in the notion that vaping e-cigarettes such as Juul and PuffBar devices are a healthier alternative to smoking. Vapers who regularly use e-cigarettes saw just as much damage to DNA in their mouths as smokers of regular tobacco cigarettes, raising the specter of chronic diseases including cancer. Flavor pods in particular were the most dangerous. Cancers are caused by such DNA damage, also referred to as gene mutations that, over time, may stop working normally or grow out of control and become cancerous. This is not the first study to come to this conclusion. Canadian researchers found that mice exposed to flavored vapes consistently suffered serious cellular and molecular damage to their lungs. Dr Ahmad Besaratinia, senior author of the study and public health experts at USC, said: ‘For the first time, we showed that the more vapers used e-cigarettes, and the longer they used them, the more DNA damage occurred in their oral cells.’ Smoking exposes the cells coating the inside of the mouth, the airways, and the lungs to dozens of powerful chemical carcinogens. The cells in parts of the body that are directly exposed to smoke are damaged most acutely, with 150 mutations found to occur in each lung cell within one [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-02-18T14:11:07-07:00February, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Why Big Tobacco’s attempts to rehabilitate its image are so dangerous

Source: theconversation.com Author: staff In September, Imperial Tobacco Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of British American Tobacco, was awarded the “Great Place to Work” certification, one of the leading authorities on workplace culture. Since then, Imperial Tobacco Canada representatives have met with graduate students across the country, including at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, York University’s Schulich School of Business and McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, urging students to “come join us as we build a better tomorrow.” As of May 2022, Imperial Tobacco Canada was listed as a Presidents’ Circle Member on the University of Toronto website, to acknowledge their “vital financial support at the leadership level.” Despite Big Tobacco’s efforts to renormalize itself, we should all be very wary of engaging with the self-described “Bold, Fast, Empowered” corporate culture. Suppressing incriminating evidence British American Tobacco and other big tobacco companies have known about the clear links between smoking and a host of diseases, including cancer, since at least the 1950s. Despite this, they did not disclose their internal damning evidence. Instead, they aggressively undermined mounting scientific evidence of the public health risks associated with their products through a sophisticated array of deceitful strategies and tactics. These included funding dubious research, relying on allies that did not disclose their links to the industry, along with other forms of aggressive lobbying and marketing. Fast forward 70 years, and tobacco remains the leading cause of cancer worldwide today. Epidemiologist Prabhat Jha estimates that one death results from each [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-12-05T08:30:51-07:00December, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

A shift in focus for head and neck cancer treatment

Source: www.curetoday.com Author: Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN When Cindy Stemple of Westerville, Ohio, noticed a sore on her tongue, the last thing she imagined was that she may have head and neck cancer. After all, she was only 27 years old. She finally went to see her dentist when the sore wouldn’t heal. Since Stemple didn’t have any known risk factors for head and neck cancer, the dentist didn’t expect cancer either. After trying several treatments, they decided it was time for a biopsy. Stemple still wasn’t concerned. “It wasn’t even in the realm of possible things,” she says. “I didn’t even take anybody to the appointment when I got the results and found out it was cancer because it was the furthest thing from my mind.” She received a diagnosis of stage 3 oral squamous cell carcinoma — which is a cancer that occurs in the mouth and/or throat. Tremendous Change in Head and Neck Cancer Historically, head and neck cancer, the seventh most common cancer globally, was predominantly diagnosed in older individuals and was often linked to tobacco and alcohol use. As smoking rates began to decline, so did tobacco- and alcohol-related cases among older individuals. But head and neck cancer rates began rising in another group — younger and middle-aged adults — driven by HPV infections, predominantly HPV type 16, which has been shown to be a clear risk factor for head and neck cancer as well as cervical cancer. HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers in the United States [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-09-21T06:29:44-07:00September, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Canada poised to become 1st country to add warnings on individual cigarettes

Source: globalnews.ca Author: Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press Canada is poised to become the first country in the world to require that a warning be printed on every cigarette. The move builds on Canada’s mandate to include graphic photo warnings on tobacco products’ packaging – a groundbreaking policy that started an international trend when it was introduced two decades ago. “We need to address the concern that these messages may have lost their novelty, and to an extent we worry that they may have lost their impact as well,” Addictions Minister Carolyn Bennett said at a news conference Friday. “Adding health warnings on individual tobacco products will help ensure that these essential messages reach people, including the youth who often access cigarettes one at a time in social situations, sidestepping the information printed on a package.” A consultation period for the proposed change is set to begin Saturday, and the government anticipates the changes coming into force in the latter half of 2023. While the exact messaging printed on cigarettes could change, Bennett said the current proposal is: “Poison in every puff.” Bennett also revealed expanded warnings for cigarette packages that include a longer list of smoking’s health effects, including stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease. Canada has required the photo warnings since the turn of the millennium, but the images haven’t been updated in a decade. Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society, said he hopes the warnings printed directly on cigarettes become [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-06-14T05:17:24-07:00June, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Smoking behaviors often continued after treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Source: www.oncologynurseadvisor.com Author: Vicki Moore, PhD Many patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who were daily smokers at the time of diagnosis continued smoking following treatment, according to study results reported in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. The study was a prospective cohort analysis of patients treated at an academic tertiary care center from January 2009 through December 2017. Eligible patients had received a new diagnosis of HNSCC and were daily smokers at the time of diagnosis, with a habit of 5 cigarettes smoked per day for 5 or more years. The researchers performing the study collected demographic and clinical data for these patients, as well as data from patient reports of smoking-related behaviors. Those included in the study had 24 months of post-treatment follow-up data. A total of 89 smokers with HNSCC had completed follow-up and were included in the analysis. They had a mean age at enrollment of 60.1 years. Multiple racial and ethnic groups were represented in the study population. Approximately half of the patients had been treated with surgery (50.6%), while others received chemoradiotherapy (49.4%). The oropharynx was the primary tumor site in 39.3% of patients, compared with the larynx in 23.6% and the oral cavity in 22.5%. Patients had a mean smoking habit of 14.7±10.0 cigarettes smoked per day and a mean duration of 23.1±18.6 years of tobacco use. At 6 months after treatment, 58.4% of the patients continued smoking. The percentage of patients still smoking at 12 months was 52.8%, at [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-06-01T06:46:49-07:00June, 2022|Oral Cancer News|

Alcohol should have cancer warning labels, say doctors and researchers pushing to raise awareness of risk

Source: www.cbc.ca Author: Ioanna Roumeliotis & Brenda Witmer · CBC News It's not a secret, but it may as well be. Few Canadians know the truth, and few may want to hear it: alcohol, any amount of alcohol, can cause cancer. There is no safe amount, and the calls to inform Canadians are growing. "Even drinking one drink a day increases your risk of some cancers — including, if you're a woman, breast cancer — but also cancers of the digestive system, the mouth, stomach," said Tim Stockwell, a senior scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria. "The risk increases with every drink you take." Alcohol has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic to humans) for decades by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It's right up there with tobacco and asbestos. Alcohol is also a top cause of preventable cancer after smoking and obesity. But the vast majority of Canadians have no idea of the risk. Stockwell wants to change that, and he and other health experts are advocating for cancer warning labels on alcohol containers. People need to know, he says, that though there are other genetic and lifestyle factors that contribute to developing cancer, every drink comes with a risk. "The risk from alcohol, it's a dose response. The bigger and more frequent the dose, the higher your risk." Kathy Andrews had no idea that the wine she enjoyed most nights before she got pregnant was [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2022-01-10T11:10:34-07:00January, 2022|Oral Cancer News|