tobacco – Page 27 – Oral Cancer News

Screen play: Take steps to prevent oral cancer

Source: www.pnwlocalnews.com Author: Dr. Stuart Rich, DDS. April is National Oral Cancer Awareness Month. More than 35,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed in the United States annually, and more than 45 percent of those will not be alive in five years. To put it another way, oral cancer kills one person every hour, 24 hours per day, seven days per week in the U.S. You can you avoid becoming a statistic for this deadly disease by abstaining from tobacco and alcohol use, since 75 percent of all oral cancers are diagnosed in people who use tobacco products. Those who use tobacco and alcohol have an even higher risk. However, there has been a 60-percent increase over the past decade in the number of oral cancer diagnoses in people under the age of 30 with none of the classic risk factors listed, due to a connection with the HPV virus. Everyone must be screened. While the rates of colon, cervical and prostate cancer have seen major declines in recent years due to early detection through professional screening, the oral cancer survival rate has not increased significantly in the last 50 years. However, if oral cancer is detected and treated in its early stages, the five-year survival rate climbs to 80-90 percent. Areas of highest risk for oral cancer are the side of the tongue, floor of the mouth and back of the throat, so regular dental visits must include a comprehensive examination of the soft tissues at least annually. All [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-20T06:58:24-07:00April, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Free screening for head and neck cancer

Source: www.komu.com Author: Alyson Myles Doctors examined hundreds of Mid-Missourians at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center today. The free cancer screenings were a part of national Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week. The screenings were a part of a walk-in clinic, so appointments were not necessary. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 50,000 Americans have some form of head or neck cancer. Ear, nose and throat doctor at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center Jeff Jorgensen said 85% of of head and neck cancers are related to tobacco use. "The bottom line is we are trying to get people to stop smoking. And stop using any tobacco products for that matter," Jorgensen said. Norman Larson was one of the 150 people who attended the screening. He was a smoker during his young adult life, but was not concerned that he had cancer. He came to the screening because he was in Columbia visiting his mother. "It was more curiosity than anything. Any sort of screening I think is a good idea espcially if it finds something early," Larson said. If a doctor did find anything suspicious during the screenings, the patient could make an appointment to come in for a more thorough exam. Some symptoms of head and neck cancer are: * A sore in your mouth that doesn't heal or increases in size * Persistent pain in your mouth * Lumps or white, red or dark patches in your mouth * Thickening of your cheek * Difficulty chewing or swallowing [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-04-18T06:44:01-07:00April, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Experts warn that new “smokeless” tobacco products are still dangerous

Source: FOX21News Author: Tracee Tolentino DULUTH - The tobacco industry is offering new products and finding new ways to attract and keep customers. However, health advocates say the new products are just as dangerous, and the customers are getting younger and younger. "Most 6-year-olds, if you queried them, they would know who Joe Camel is," said Michele Hughes of the Douglas County Health Department. Now, with the introduction of new smokeless tobacco alternatives, there are new ways that young adults can get hooked to nicotine. “They’re out there as the ‘good guy’ or look, these aren't quite as harmful, but indeed these are deadly products that lead to a lifetime of addiction and this is an industry that is out for our youth,” said Pat McKone of the American Lung Association of Minnesota. Many new tobacco products are more appealing to younger customers, with bright packaging, candy flavors and the illusion of a "safer" nicotine delivery source. McKone warns that these products are tricks. The alternative products include forms of snuff, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes or snus, which are spit-less tobacco pouches that users place under their upper lip. "These products are to enable people to keep using nicotine and nicotine delivery systems until they can get out to smoke," said McKone. The popularity of these products has increased as more states have adopted smoking bans for workplaces and businesses. Minnesota’s ban is already in place and in July, Wisconsin will follow suit. “80% of current adult smokers started between the [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-04-19T22:29:13-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco usage affects risk of metastases of HPV-related oropharynx cancer

Source: professional.cancerconsultants.com Author: staff Researchers from the University of Michigan have reported that current tobacco users with advanced, human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer are at increased risk of disease recurrence. The details of this study were published in the February 15, 2010 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.[1] Human papillomaviruses are probably the sole cause of cancers of the cervix and have been associated with cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and rectum. Epidemiologic and molecular biology studies have also suggested that HPV infection may be associated with cancers of the head and neck. The overall frequency of HPV in benign and precancerous lesions ranges from 18.5% to 35.9%, depending upon the detection methodology. Researchers affiliated with an international study have also that reported that oral infection with HPV is associated with the development of head and neck cancers. These authors concluded that HPV infection increased the risk of oropharyngeal cancer in both users and non-users of alcohol and tobacco. These authors also suggested that the more prevalent practice of oral sex may explain the increased incidence of tonsillar and base-of-the-tongue cancers since 1973. Researchers from the University of Maryland and Harvard University have also reported that the better survival among White patients compared with African-American patients with oropharyngeal cancer appears to be due, at least in part, to the higher prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers in White patients. The current study evaluated the effect of tobacco usage on the outcomes of patients with HPV-related advanced oropharyngeal cancer. These authors [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-22T08:55:40-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Coalition to Stop Contraband Tobacco applauds Senate for passage of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009

Source: prnewswire.com Author: press release The Coalition to Stop Contraband Tobacco today praised the U.S. Senate for passing S. 1147, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act of 2009. Sponsored by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 20 senators, this legislation will help combat online cigarette sales that have robbed hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues from the states and that undermine state laws that prevent youth access to tobacco products. "Passage of the PACT Act is a huge victory for American taxpayers, American small business owners and America's youth," said Scott Ramminger, AWMA president and CEO and coalition spokesperson. "We applaud the Senate for its action today and thank Sen. Kohl for his leadership in ensuring that contraband tobacco sales are eliminated." Numerous stakeholders have worked with Sen. Kohl through the years to pass the PACT Act, which was passed in the House of Representatives last May. The PACT Act closes gaps in current federal laws regulating "remote" or "delivery" sales of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. "In a recent study we found that illegal cigarette sales cost states $5 billion per year, and that with online sales there is almost no age verification at the time of purchase," continued Ramminger. "We hope the House will pass this bill quickly and that President Obama will act swiftly to sign this common sense legislation into law so that we can put an end to the illegal sale of tobacco products," conclude Ramminger. The [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-13T11:50:39-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Smokeless tobacco launches an attack on U.S. market

Source: www.tobacco-facts.net Author: staff General Snus, a smoke-free moist tobacco product originated in Scandinavian countries in the 19th century, is currently holding a massive promotional campaign across the United States. Swedish Match, the manufacturer of General Snus brand has introduced a multi-million-dollar marketing drive intended for bringing the steam-cured tobacco pouches to wealthy tobacco-lovers in major markets across the nation. The General Snus are also promoted at high-end events, such as New York Fashion Week and several notable Film Festivals. Snus are made and sold in cooled pouches packed in cans. The consumers put these tobacco items between cheek and lip and sip it getting their portion of nicotine. Snus is extremely famous among upscale professionals in Sweden, where the product saw the world for the first time almost two centuries ago. Whereas these products are still relatively unknown to the majority of American smokers, they are going through an outstanding growth of popularity since the initial nationwide launch in 2000, according to Swedish Match. The latest General Snus promotional campaign – under slogan “Satisfaction: the Original Pursuit”— was launched at the Sundance Film Festival held in Salt Lake City in January, where Swedish Match has acquired sponsorship deal. Other venues for the marketing campaign include art shows in New York, Boston and Los Angeles, and New York’s Fashion Week. Lars Hansson, the communication director for Swedish Match told the press that in Scandinavian countries snus has been generally used by the upscale audience, and that has been the major [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-13T11:46:43-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

HPV-related cancer not confined to cervix

Source: www.businesswire.com Author: press release The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, but is also associated with several other types of cancer. Expert physicians from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Member Institutions presented an update on HPV and its link to various cancers including cervical cancer, anal carcinoma, and head and neck cancers discussing prevention strategies and the latest recommended treatment options according to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines™). “It is important to counsel against any tobacco use as well as excessive alcohol consumption, and also to inform patients about the role of HPV and its mechanism of spread” Robert J. Morgan, MD, FACP of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Cervical Cancer began the session speaking about the link between HPV and cervical cancer as well as methods of prevention. “Cervical cancer screening with the pap smear is one of the greatest success stories in medicine,” said Dr. Morgan pointing to data that shows a steadily decreasing death rate from cervical cancer since the 1980s. The link between HPV and cervical cancer first started to emerge in the 1970’s when researchers found evidence linking cervical cancer to a wart virus coupled with the fact that cervical cancer was associated with sexual activity. In 1983, HPV DNA was identified in cervical cancer tissue. There are 120 known HPV serotypes with 19 being considered high risk, although as Dr. [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-11T19:12:43-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Why men’s health is a feminist issue

Source: www.msmagazine.com Author: Adina Nack Jorge (not his real name) feared his girlfriend would dump him. He’d been diagnosed with genital warts before meeting her, and hadn’t yet told her about his infection. Jorge was being careful—no skin-to-skin sexual contact—but the disclosure was looming. So he’d done some research and learned what caused genital warts. Armed with that knowledge, he hoped that his girlfriend wouldn’t reject him, especially since he knew she could be protected from contracting warts “because of the Gardasil vaccine.” It never occurred to Jorge that Gardasil, made by the pharmaceutical company Merck, could also have protected him. But that’s probably because it was only last October that the Food and Drug Administration approved a “male” Gardasil for preventing genital warts. And the FDA has yet to put its stamp on another promising usage of the vaccine for men: preventing cancer, especially highly prevalent oral cancers. Since Gardasil was FDA-approved in 2006, it has received a huge marketing push for preventing cervical cancer in women. It has come into frequent—if sometimes controversial—use for females 9 to 26 years old because it’s designed to guard them, before they ever have sex, against contracting a virus that has been linked to cervical cancer. That virus is HPV, human papillomavirus, which causes one-third of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. Gardasil offers protection against four of the 30 to 40 types of sexually transmissible HPV. While it’s fear of cervical cancer that have motivated young women to get [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-09T21:48:41-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Cancer survivor tells his experience with smokeless tobacco

Source: Lifestyles Author: Nicole Printz Just like the trucks on every corner in Abilene, rings on back jean pockets are a common sight. Gruen Von Behrens, who visited Abilene High School on Wednesday, knows all about smokeless tobacco. He began with snuff at 13 years old. He asked the packed high school auditorium if the students knew someone who smoked cigarettes. A sea of hands rose at the question, with almost the same number rising for his next question – did they know someone who used smokeless tobacco? “I think about half our school smokes or uses smokeless tobacco,” Dynae Whiteley, a junior, said. “I mean, not to get anyone in trouble or anything.” “I have friends and relatives that use tobacco,” said senior Matt Bowers. “I think smokeless tobacco is safer because the use of cigarettes affects more people through second-hand smoke. Smokeless tobacco only affects that person.” Collin Sexton, a sophomore, also thought smokeless tobacco would be safer than smoking. Dynae Whiteley and Paige Piper, both juniors, thought all tobacco was “equally bad.” According to the Communities That Care 2009 survey, 23.1 percent of Dickinson County students sixth through 12th grade have used smokeless tobacco, and 27.4 percent had smoked a cigarette. Almost half of all seniors in Dickinson County had smoked a cigarette at least once. This statistics are almost double the state average. Von Behrens, one of the eight members of the National Spit Tobacco Education Program’s speakers bureau, continued his life story. He said “not [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-03-08T10:41:41-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Avoid incense

Source: featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com Author: Julie Deardorff You know you're in a yoga or massage studio when the smell of Nag Champa incense--a blend of patchouli and sandalwood--permeates the air. But you may not want to breathe too deep. Incense contains potent pollutants, notably benzene, toluene and formaldehyde--known carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, according to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. "A study in the journal Cancer linked long-term incense use with a significant increase in cancers of the upper respiratory tract (nose, tongue, mouth and larynx, for instance,) but not lung cancer. Incense also pollutes the air with fine particles that can be inhaled and can contribute to cardiorespiratory disease."

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-05T07:48:59-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|