Tonsil News and Research

RSS

Advanced radiation techniques treat head and neck cancer, reduce swallowing complications

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have applied advanced radiation techniques for head and neck cancer to avoid treating critical structures that affect swallowing and eating.

11 May 2010

Study suggests way to predict tumors most likely to respond to chemotherapy and radiation

Levels of a key type of immune cell are higher in head and neck cancer patients whose tumors are linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

27 Apr 2010

Hospitals use surgical robot for head and neck tumors

On Dec. 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the da Vinci Surgical System for benign and malignant tumors in such locations as the tongue, tonsils, mouth and voice box.

24 Apr 2010

Many health care professionals not aware of health problems associated with mouth breathing

For some, the phrase "spring is in the air" is quite literal. When the winter snow melts and flowers bloom, pollen and other materials can wreak havoc on those suffering from seasonal allergies, usually causing a habit called "mouth breathing."

7 Apr 2010

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center reviews top cancer stories

Surgeon Jeremy Richmon, M.D., at Johns Hopkins is using robotic assistance to cut away tumors of the tongue and tonsils. Conventional surgery leaves disfiguring neck and jaw scars, but the robotic procedure leaves no scar except for inside the mouth, and he says, patients retain good function of speech and swallowing.

5 Apr 2010

Smokers, tobacco users and high alcohol consumers: Get mouths, gums and tongues checked for cancer

The National Basketball Association's (NBA) Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl announced today that he has been diagnosed with treatable neck and throat cancer. According to published media reports, Karl's physician says the coach has cancer of his right tonsil that has spread to a lymph node in his neck. The 58-year-old Karl, who is also a prostate cancer survivor, coached in the NBA's All-Star game this past weekend.

22 Feb 2010

Tobacco users with HPV-positive head and neck cancers at increased risk of recurrence

Patients with head and neck cancer linked to high risk human papillomavirus, or HPV, have worse outcomes if they are current or former tobacco users, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

15 Feb 2010

Study could lead to non-surgical alternatives for tonsillectomies

Children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may one day be able to have an injection or use a throat spray instead of getting their tonsils removed to cure their snoring, according to a new study from the University of Chicago, which found that a specific gene product may be responsible for the proliferation of adenotonsillar tissue that can cause pediatric OSA.

4 Feb 2010

PET-CT imaging appears to detect cancer in patients with neurologic complications

A combined positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan of the whole body appears to detect cancer in individuals with related neurologic complications more accurately than some other commonly used tests, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the March print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Jan 2010

FDA approves minimally invasive procedure for treating benign and malignant tumors

A minimally invasive surgical approach developed by head and neck surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The

5 Jan 2010

Being obese increases the risk for developing OSA in adolescents, study shows

A study in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adolescents but not in younger children.

15 Dec 2009

New technique to determine pediatric OSA

Researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered a technique that is able to determine whether a child has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or habitual snoring by screening their urine.

7 Dec 2009

Surgery may not be the best option for children with obstructive sleep apnea

For children with obstructive sleep apnea, standard care often includes a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. But researchers at Saint Louis University say further research is needed to determine if surgery is the best option for these patients.

5 Nov 2009

Some patients with tonsil cancer can be treated with radiation, says PMH study

Clinical researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) have confirmed that patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer ("tonsil cancer") harbour a common type of human papilloma virus (HPV16), but also that such cancers are very sensitive to radiation. For some patients, this may mean successful treatment with radiation alone and avoiding the side effects of chemotherapy.

4 Nov 2009

Tonsil cancer patients harbouring HPV16 can avoid chemotherapy

4 Nov 2009

Specific immune system cells linked to susceptibility of younger people to variant CJD

Specific cells within the immune system could help explain why younger people are more susceptible to variant CJD, scientists believe.

15 Oct 2009

New study finds rare type of head and neck cancer caused by HPV

An increase in cases of a rare type of head and neck cancer appears to be linked to HPV, or human papillomavirus, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

8 Oct 2009

Medtronic receives global distribution rights for PEAK Surgical’s tissue dissection device

PEAK Surgical, Inc. and Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced an agreement that grants the Surgical Technologies business at Medtronic exclusive rights for global distribution and marketing of the PEAK PlasmaBlade® TnA (Tonsil and Adenoid) tissue dissection device for the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) market.

6 Oct 2009

Two-thirds of tonsil tumour samples show evidence of HPV-16 gene: Study

It is estimated that more than 7,000 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancer each year in the UK and approximately 3,500 cases result in death. These cancers include tumours of the mouth, lips, throat and voice-box, and some have been linked to the sexually transmitted infection, HPV-16. Scientists at Liverpool analysed the DNA of more than 90 cancerous tissue samples to look for genes that indicated infection.