Now, new data from a randomized, controlled trial found that acupuncture provided significant reductions in pain, dysfunction, and dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients after radical neck dissection.

According to David Pfister, MD, Chief of the Head and Neck Medical Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) — who led the study and who presented the results at the ASCO Annual Meeting:

“Chronic pain and shoulder mobility problems are common after such surgery, adversely affecting quality of life as well as employability for certain occupations.

Nerve-sparing and other modified radical techniques that preserve certain structures without compromising disease control reduce the incidence of these problems but do not eliminate them entirely.

Unfortunately, available conventional methods of treatment for pain and dysfunction following neck surgery often have limited benefits, leaving much room for improvement.”

While Barrie Cassileth, PhD, Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), said:

“Like any other treatment, acupuncture does not work for everyone, but it can be extraordinarily helpful for many.

It does not treat illness, but acupuncture can control a number of distressing symptoms, such as shortness of breath, anxiety and depression, chronic fatigue, pain, neuropathy, and osteoarthritis.”

Read more the MSKCC News.

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Acupuncture Against Pain of Head and Neck Cancer Surgery

Sometimes the reaction includes anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition characterized by a drop in blood pressure, fainting, difficulty breathing, and wheezing.

Now researchers funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have discovered that specific pre-existing antibodies cause the severe reaction to the drug.

Cetuximab is an immune-based therapy commonly used to treat persons diagnosed with head and neck cancer, or colon cancer, marketed as the popular brand Erbitux — a product of ImClone Systems Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

Find more details from NIAD/NIH.

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Allergic Reaction To Cancer Drug Cetuximab (Erbitux), Found

The researchers collected the rinsed saliva and filtered out cells thought to contain one or more of 21 bits of chemically altered genes common only to head and neck cancers. Tumor and blood samples also were collected.

The cellular mishaps occur when small molecules called methyl groups clamp on to the DNA ladder structure of a gene. In the grip of too many methyl groups, these genes can incorrectly switch on or off in a process called hypermethylation.

The said findings suggest that the gargle test could be a potential screening procedure for people at high risk for developing head and neck cancer (i.e. heavy smokers, alcohol drinkers).

According to lead investigator Joseph Califano, M.D. – associate professor of otolaryngology — head and neck cancer and oncology at Johns Hopkins:

“Mass-methylation” of particular genes can lead to cancer. Methylation mistakes in other genes could be triggered simply by aging and amount to no more than fine lines and wrinkles.

The challenge is to predict which hypermethylated genes are most specific to cancer. And because every cancer process involves a unique genetic fingerprint, combining several gene signatures for the disease rather than using single ones may identify a larger percentage of cancer patients.

Cool eh? Thus, your morning gargle is not just breath freshener after all.

Find more detail from Science Daily.

Post from: Blisstree

Your Morning Gargle Can Be Used to Accurately Detect Head and Neck Cancer

According to Samuel J. Wang, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator, Holman Pathway Resident in the Department of Radiation Medicine, OHSU School of Medicine:

“This new tool can help us make personalized predictions of conditional survival for an individual patient depending on his or her specific situation.

This is the first time we have the ability to make a customized prediction of conditional survival probability for an individual head and neck cancer survivor, based on his or her specific characteristics.

Now that cancer researchers are beginning to collect more specific information about patients’ tumors, such as tumor markers and genetic information, there is increasing interest in the development of these types of tools for making more specific predictions of a patient’s prognosis.”

For cancer researchers at OHSU, this is just the beginning. They hope to build similar software tools for other cancers that will enable physicians to give cancer patients more individualized prognosis and treatment recommendations.

Source: OHSU News

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OHSU’s Web-based Software Predicts Long-term Survival for Head and Neck Cancer Patients

• Anthocyanidins May Help Treat Leukemia
• Mushrooms to Prevent Breast Cancer
• Pomegranate Juice May Help Fight Lung Cancer
• Risk of Head and Neck Cancer Reduced with Fruits and Veggies

Do check them out.

Now you know that I am not only in the summer vacation mode but also in the “pig out mode”.

(Where I am is summer, sorry to confuse our readers of the west!)

Post from: Blisstree

Cancer Commentary Links 05-03-2007

Ruth Schaffer discussed snake venom toxin that can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells and the blood DNA test for early detection of liver cancer at The Biotech Weblog; fruit and vegetables reduce the risk of head and neck cancer at Eating Fabulous.

Kate Baggott wrote about breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk at Babylune.

Beauty blogger Christina Jones asks the question: to tan or not to tan at e-Beauty Daily (a pretty important question to those at risk of skin cancer).

Last but not least, Veggie Chic tells us to put down the bacon.

Post from: Blisstree

Cancer Commentary Links for 2007-04-18

Alteration of the sense of taste is a common side effect for head and neck cancer patients after radiation therapy and supplementation of zinc sulfate has been thought to help quickly regain the sense of taste in this patient population.

Now, in a new study recently released by the International Journal for Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics (the official journal of ASTRO), zinc sulfate has been found to have no significant impact in either preventing or curing taste alteration in these radiation therapy-treated cancer patients.

According to Michele Y. Halyard, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona:

“The results of this study were disappointing in that we hoped that zinc sulfate would help patients maintain their taste based on prior pilot data. However, I am glad that we were able to definitely rule out the use of zinc at this dose level so we can further explore other promising treatments to help patients maintain their quality of life during and after treatment.”

Read the full report.

Post from: Blisstree

Zinc Sulfate Supplements, Don’t Help Head and Neck Cancer Patients Regain Altered Sense of Taste

Patients with head and neck cancer often receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment. However, the salivary glands, which frequently reside within the irradiation field, can become damaged at the same time.

The resulting salivary dysfunction may involve dry mouth, oral infections, dental caries, and difficulty eating, some of which persist long after treatment ends, even permanently.

Now, researchers have shown that targeted overexpression of heat shock protein 25 prevents such a damage.

In treated rats, HSP25 protected salivary gland function by maintaining gland weight, salivary flow rate, and salivary fluid composition, whereas HSP70i significantly protected only salivary flow rate.

When specific damage to the glands was assessed, HSP25 and HSP70i both greatly diminished scarring, nuclear damage, and cell death (apoptosis), but HSP70i was slightly less effective.

Finally, HSP25 and HSP70i preserved expression of aquaporin 5, which is important for water transport in salivary glands.

These findings have been reported by Lee et al. in an article entitled: “Radioprotective effect of HSP25 on submandibular glands of rats”, appearing in the November issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

Read the full report from Science Daily.

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Overexpression of Heat Shock Protein (HPS) 25 Saves Salivary Glands from Radiation Therapy Damages