Roger Ebert’s Fight with Oral Cancer on Oprah
Roger Ebert, the acclaimed movie critic from the group Siskel and Ebert, is an oral cancer survivor that is still thriving today. The Oprah.com published a recent article on Roger Ebert highlighting his fight and how he overcame the disease. His fight with cancer left him in a spot where he lost his voice completely. However, he didn’t let that stop him. According to Oprah,
Another blow came in 2002, when Roger was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which later spread to his salivary glands and jaw. He endured surgery after surgery, and the cancer eventually took Roger’s voice. In 2006, he was forced to leave his show after more than 30 years on the air.
Although cancer has left Roger unable to speak, eat or drink, it hasn’t slowed him down one bit. More than forty years after he started, his words are as powerful as ever. His reviews are still featured in more than 200 newspapers worldwide, and readers flock to his popular blog.
Follow this link for the full article on Roger Ebert’s fight with oral cancer.
**Photo Credit: Time Magazine
SIBLING Proteins and Oral Cancer Treatment
Recently Science Daily posted an article entitled: SIBLING Proteins May Predict Oral Cancer. This article is interesting as it offers greater hope in the advancement of oral cancer treatment. A SIBLING stands for Small Integrin-Binding Ligand N-linked Glycoproteins.
“Several years ago we discovered that three SIBLINGs — osteopontin, bone sialoprotein and dentin sialophosphoprotein — were expressed at significantly high levels in oral cancers,” said Dr. Kalu Ogbureke, an oral and maxillofacial pathologist in the MCG School of Dentistry. “Following that discovery, we began to research the potential role of SIBLINGs in oral lesions before they become invasive cancers.”
Up to this point it’s been so difficult to determine which cells were precancerous that early oral cancer treatment has been difficult. With the research on SIBLING proteins, there is hope for better results for treatment.
Dr. Ogbureke’s next step is to design a multi-center study that incorporates oral cancer risk factors, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, to further investigate their relationship with SIBLING protein expression.
Does Mouthwash Increase the Risk of Oral Cancer?
A risk simply means that there is an increased risk to a disease, but does not mean that it is a cause of a disease. For instance, if a substance produces a weakening in the body’s natural ability to fight disease, than it would be termed a risk factor. Mouthwash has been promoted for years as a way to improve the health of the mouth. However, with the high amounts of alcohol in many mouthwashes, there has been substantive evidence that has raised the concerns of researchers regarding the safety of mouthwash. There have been studies that have shown that mouthwash could increase the chances of oral cancer.
The ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.
Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.
Some mouthwash contains as much as 26 percent alcohol.
The University of Maryland reveals,
Some studies have shown that mouthwash with alcohol content increases the risk for oral cancer. In addition, other studies have shown that smokers and people who drink alcohol tend to use mouthwash more often, linking all three factors together.
The American Cancer Society mentions the concerns toward mouthwash being a risk factor for oral cancer. However, they state that the concerns are uncertain, unproven and controversial, albeit worthy of mention.
Some studies have suggested that mouthwash with high alcohol content might be linked to a higher risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancers. But recent research has questioned these results. Studying this possible link is complicated by the fact that smokers and frequent drinkers (who are already at increased risk of these cancers) are more likely to use mouthwash than people who neither smoke nor drink.
Whether or not mouthwash is a cause of oral cancer, is certainly being debated as there are controversial opinions on the matter. However, if a risk factor means that the guards that could protect a patient from acquiring oral cancer are reduced than the risks for oral cancer are certainly in question. The Australian Dental Association has the question on their radar as well. They sum up the controversy nicely with the below:
“The most significant difference (between alcohol and alcohol-containing mouthwash) is that one is for pleasure and the other is being recommended as a health product.”
Cancer Council NSW chief executive Andrew Penman said the review was “interesting”, but called for further research.
“I think it’s quite a well-thought-out proposition, but it does warrant further investigation,” he said.
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Photo Credit: Telegraph
New HPV Salivary Test to Detect Oral Cancer
One of our goals here at The Fight Oral Cancer Foundation is to stay informed on new research and developments as they relate to oral cancer. Recently OralDNA Labs introduced a new test that will help dentists diagnose particular forms of oral cancer.
Shockingly, recent results have show that 50% of oral cancer cases are the resultant of HPV virus. This is a huge percentage, which is a leading factor in OralDNA Labs’ interest in finding a better way to diagnose and detect HPV in at-risk patients. According to OralDNA Labs, at-risk includes:
- Sexually active
- Family history of oral cancer
- Signs and symptoms of oral cancer
- Traditional risk factors for oral cancer
- Suspicious oral lesions
Chief Dental Officer, Thomas W. Nabors, DDC offers this information regarding the effectiveness of the detection tool:
“Oral HPV is a silent, serious infection that can now be detected adn closely monitored by the dental professional. Specifically, the laboratory report derived from the OraRisk HPV salivary diagnostic test helps dental professionals identify the specific types(s) of HPV present, as well as the associated risk profile for each type of HPV variant detected in the patient’s oral cavity.”
Having these types of salivary test should be a part of every patient’s plan as together we all fight oral cancer.
“Together we fight oral cancer. Together we save a life every hour.“
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Oral Cancer Research: Oral Cancer Patients Needed
A fundamental requirement for the fight against oral cancer and finding a cure is effective research. Baylor Hospital of Dallas is committed to the fight and is currently recruiting oral cancer patients to participate in a clinical study.
About the Study
The purpose of the study is to determine if a saliva test will provide an opportunity for earlier detection of cancer cells in those that are at a higher risk of developing oral cancer.
Involvement of Participant
The involvement for the participant will be a one-time saliva collection. The collection will be in the morning before the patient eats, drinks or brushes his or her teeth.
Compensation: $30 (in cash) for their time and effort.
Process:
- Travel to the school
- Take a water mouth rinse
- Fill out consent form
- Participant will spit into a test tube that will be placed on ice.
- School will collect 8 ml saliva within 30 minutes of that time.
Eligible Patients
Baylor is looking for a couple of specific patients for this study. Below are some of the requirements that were posted on their website:
We need two types of oral cancer patients:
- Those who have been diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma and have not yet started treatment.
- Those who were diagnosed earlier with this oral cancer, completed treatment at least two years ago, and have had no recurrence since then.
The oral cancer patient has to be a person who has not smoked at all within one calendar year prior to the study
We need two types of lichen planus patients:
- Those who currently have active lichen planus lesions in the mouth.
- Those who have the asymptomatic reticular type of oral lichen planus, or who do not have oral lesions.
The lichen planus patient has to be a non-smoker (defined here as a person who has smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in his/her lifetime, and has not smoked at all within one calendar year prior to the study).
In addition, all patients must:
- Have no previous history of bone marrow transplants or kidney transplants.
- Have no history of hepatitis C, lupus erythematosus, or Sjőgren’s syndrome.
- Have no history of other previous malignancies.
- Have no history of radiation therapy in the head and neck area.
- Have not used any corticosteroid or immunosuppressant, for any reason, for at least 1 week prior to participation in the study.
- Be a person who drinks fewer than 14 servings of alcoholic beverages per week (one serving is counted as the equivalent of 50 ml of win, 330 ml of beer, or 30 ml of hard liquor).
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For more information on the clinical study, please visit the Baylor Hospital website.
Oral Cancer Support Group Tonight!
Baylor Hospital in Plano hosts an Oral/Head & Neck Cancer Support Group once a month. This month Dr. Lee Fitzgerald and Arma Fitzgerald will be discussing oral cancer and the Fight Oral Cancer Foundation. The group will be held today, March 2, 2010 at 6:00pm.
This group is a part of the SPOHNC group that we participated in a fundraising event in September of 2009.
Visit the Baylor Health Group page for more information on the support group.
We look forward to seeing you there!
