Neck News and Research

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Survival of head and neck cancer patients is greatly affected by coexisting ailments

Current estimates for head and neck cancer survival are largely inaccurate because they widely disregard many of the most common diseases such patients have in addition to their primary cancer, says Jay Piccirillo, M.D., a head and neck specialist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

19 Nov 2008

Phosphaplatins kill ovarian, testicular, head and neck cancer cells

A new class of compounds called phosphaplatins can effectively kill ovarian, testicular, head and neck cancer cells with potentially less toxicity than conventional drugs, according to a new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

19 Nov 2008

Routine testing with angiography following endovascular treatment of brain aneurysms found to carry very low risk of complication

A very low risk of complication is associated with a routine test that determines whether a brain aneurysm treated with endovascular coiling has started to recur, a study led by the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute has shown.

18 Nov 2008

Time, surgery appear to reduce episodes of dizziness in patients with Ménière's

Episodes of dizziness tend to become less frequent over time in patients with Ménière's disease, a condition characterized by vertigo, hearing loss and ringing in the ears, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery.

17 Nov 2008

Hypertension may develop undetected in young African-American men

Young and healthy African-American men have higher central blood pressure and their blood vessels are stiffer compared to their white counterparts, signs that the African American men are developing hypertension early and with little outward sign, according to a new study.

17 Nov 2008

CAPHOSOL shown to benefit cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy

New data show that CAPHOSOL, an advanced electrolyte solution, results in low rates of oral mucositis and pain in patients with head and neck (HN) cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

17 Nov 2008

Smoking linked to two forms of esophageal cancer and stomach cancer

Researchers who have been following the health of more than 120,000 residents of the Netherlands for more than two decades have found that smoking is associated with two forms of esophageal cancer as well as a form of stomach cancer, and that drinking alcohol is strongly linked to one form of esophageal cancer.

17 Nov 2008

Scientists establish completely new route to cancer development

CANCER RESEARCH UK scientists have linked cancer clues in faulty cells to provide a new route to cancer development, reveals a study published in Developmental Cell.

17 Nov 2008

Combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel with bevacizumab and cetuximab proves safe for lung cancer treatment

The four drug-combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel, with the targeted therapies bevacizumab (Avastin) and cetuximab (Erbitux), is safe and may improve survival for patients with advanced lung cancer, according to a cooperative group study led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

16 Nov 2008

Traditional chemotherapy agents with targeted therapies improves survival in advance-stage lung cancer

The combination of traditional chemotherapy agents with targeted therapies called monoclonal antibodies showed no safety concerns and improved survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago.

16 Nov 2008

Neck arteries of obese children and teens look more like those of 45-year-olds

Researchers used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the inner walls of the neck (carotid) arteries that supply blood to the brain. Increasing carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) indicates the fatty buildup of plaque within arteries feeding the heart muscle and the brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

11 Nov 2008

Comprehensive assessment of burden of HPV-associated cancers in the U.S.

Professor Vivien Chen, PhD,. Associate Professor Xiao Cheng Wu, MD, PhD and Assistant Professor Edward Peters, DMD, SM, ScD, at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health contributed five papers to the largest most comprehensive assessment of the burden of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers in the United States to date.

11 Nov 2008

Xamiol gel provides relief for scalp psoriasis

A new, once-daily treatment gel is available on prescription today for the itching, flaking and soreness caused by the common condition scalp psoriasis.

10 Nov 2008

Latest glaucoma research

Glaucoma-related highlights of today's scientific program of the 2008 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) and European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) include a study that correlates optic nerve damage in glaucoma patients with carotid artery narrowing and potentially elevated risk for stroke, and a survey that looks at how the practice of fasting, common to the world's seven major religions, may affect patient compliance with treatment for glaucoma and other eye diseases.

10 Nov 2008

Alteration of a gene causes neuroblastoma

Olivier Delattre's team (Inserm Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancer") of the Institut Curie reveal in an article in the 16 October issue of Nature that alteration of the ALK gene is closely associated with the most frequent solid extracerebral tumor in children-neuroblastoma. By studying the familial forms of this tumor, the researchers also conclude that ALK is a gene that predisposes to neuroblastoma.

7 Nov 2008

Age, race are among factors that influence carotid-surgery success

Advanced age and race are among the factors that can affect whether a patient dies or suffers a stroke after carotid-artery surgery, a UT Southwestern Medical Center physician involved in a multicenter study has found.

6 Nov 2008

10 symptoms that should never be ignored

Not every ache and pain merits a quick trip to the doctor -- but some do.

6 Nov 2008

Smokers lose ability to smell common odors, increased risk for laryngitis

As Americans prepare for a day without cigarettes and tobacco products as part of the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout (November 20), new research gives them more reasons to extend that break to a lifetime, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF).

4 Nov 2008

Call to explore broader use of human papillomavirus vaccines

A call to explore a broader use of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines and the validation of a simple oral screening test for HPV-caused oral cancers are reported in two studies by a Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigator.

4 Nov 2008

Human papillomavirus helps cervical and head and neck cancers resist treatment and grow and spread

The human papillomavirus (HPV) allows infected cervical and head and neck cancer cells to maintain internal molecular conditions that make the cancers resistant to therapy and more likely to grow and spread, resulting in a poor prognosis for patients, researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center found.

4 Nov 2008