Here at the International Oral Cancer Association, our mission is to help people in their fight against oral cancer, and to find other people who are doing the same thing. Today we are very excited to share some information about a wonderful organization, the Cleaning for A Reason Foundation.

This foundation provides “free professional housecleaning, and maid services to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer – any type of cancer.” This must be such a relief to women struggling to take care of their families at the same time that they are fighting cancer.

The Cleaning for a Reason Foundation’s website is packed full of information about their organization and how you can help them with their mission. The site also has a section to request cleaning services for a cancer patient. They can’t help everyone, but it can’t hurt to see if they will be able to help you or a friend in your time of need.

If you have an organization or business that provides free services or support for cancer patients please contact us with more information. The International Oral Cancer Association would love to help you make people aware of additional support for cancer patients.

We hope that this information will help some of our readers. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

We are very pleased to announce the launch of our new website. There have been a few changes, but we hope that you will enjoy the new look and feel of our website.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that you can find updates from The International Oral Cancer Association on Facebook, Twitter, and our RSS feed.

Thank you for your continued support and we wish you a happy and safe July 4th weekend.

The Dr. OZ show on June 8th 2011 focused on The Rise Of Oral Cancer, who is at Risk from it, and how it is spreading. Check out part 1 of the video below for more information.

No appointment necessary.  First come, first served.

For more information call 214-820-3535.

The American Dental Association has posted two pages on its website highlighting the importance of dentist visits as a method for the early detection of oral cancer.  The pages are broken up into a patient and dentist page featuring information that includes updated oral cancer statistics and for detecting and preventing oral cancer.  Key takeaways are:

• Oral cancer strikes an estimated 34,360 Americans each year.  An estimated 7,550 people (5,180 men and 2,370 women) will die of these cancers in 2007
• On average, only half of those diagnosed with the disease will survive more than five years.
• The best way to prevent oral cancer is to avoid tobacco and alcohol use.
• Regular dental check-ups, including an examination of the entire mouth, are essential in the early detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions.
• Understanding the signs of oral cancer is key to early detection.
• Your dentist has the skills and tools to ensure that early signs of cancer and pre-cancerous conditions are identified.

As with any cancer, the key to surviving oral cancer is early detection.  Educating yourself on general awareness and scheduling regular checkups with your dentist are two essential responsibilities you have in the process.

Detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) in oral mucosa of women with cervical lesions and their relation to oral sex practices. Should we start testing partners?

Source: 7thspace.com
Authors: Luis Sanchez-Vargas et al

Previous studies have either investigated the relationship of HPV with oral cancer or the prevalence of HPV on the oral cavity. The purpose of this investigation was to study the prevalence of HPV in oral cavity of women with oral sex practices and cervical lesions.
Methods:

Forty six (46) non-smokers and non-alcoholic patients attended the “Clinica de Displasias”of “Ciudad Juarez”were sampled. This population had a CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) diagnosis sometime between the previous six months. On previous consent they filled out a questionnaire related to their oral sex practices. Afterwards one swab from cheeks and another from palate/gum were taken; PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was used to determine generic HPV, HPV16 and HPV18.
Results:

Seventy two percent (72%) of the patients stated to have oral sex practices regularly which all of them were positive to HPV either in oral mucus, palate/gum or both. The total of the given results showed that 35% had HPV16; among those distributed in 26% with regular oral sex practices and 9% stated as never practiced oral sex.
An association was found between oral HPV16 positivity and progression to CIN advanced lesions. On the other hand HPV18 was not detected. The frequency of HPV16 was higher in buccal mucosa (23%) versus palate/gum (16%).
Conclusions:

This study suggests that buccal HPV16 infection is associated with CIN progression.
Source: Infectious Agents and Cancer 2010, 5:25
Authors: Luis Sanchez-Vargas, Cecilia Diaz-Hernandez, Alejandro Martinez-Martinez

In our effort to fight oral cancer, we generally try and alert the public on the treatments that are available and raise awareness on risk factors.  However, one thing we don’t want to ever neglect doing is talking about the hope for survival.  Early detection of oral cancer can aid in oral cancer survival and there are many that have stories to tell about how they overcame their diagnosis!

According to MD Anderson, “Thanks to earlier detection, improved treatments and the supportive care of family and friends, there are now more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States. One out of every six people over 65 is a cancer survivor, and 1.4 million were diagnosed more than 20 years ago.”  They go on to say that, “two-thirds of survivors report that cancer has not had a significant long-term impact on their lives.”

On the left column of our website you’ll see a section titled “Our Heroes”.  This is where we post the stories that have been given to us of people who have overcome oral cancer.  If you or someone you love has a story to tell, we’d love to hear it!

There is hope for survival.  There is hope for a cure. There is hope for the fight against oral cancer. Join us as together we raise awareness and help to fight oral cancer.

“Together we fight oral cancer. Together we save a life every hour.”

For many patients that have been diagnosed with oral cancer, neck cancer, or many other types of cancers, one of the cancer treatments that has been found to be helpful is hyperthermia cancer treatment combined with low dose radiation or chemotherapy.

When people hear “hyperthermia” they often will assume “hypothermia” which is when the body is exposed to very cold temperatures.  However, hyperthermia is the opposite of the aforementioned and is actually an effective means of cancer treatment when combined with low dose radiation.

Hyperthermia cancer treatment (also called thermal radiation) is a treatment where the temperature of the cancerous tissue is exposed to sometimes as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit temperature in order to kill cancer cells.

According to The National Cancer Institute, hyperthermia cancer treatment,

“is almost always used with other forms of cancer therapy, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy.  Hyperthermia may make some cancer cells more sensitive to radiation or harm other cancer cells that radiation cannot damage. When hyperthermia and radiation therapy are combined, they are often given within an hour of each other. Hyperthermia can also enhance the effects of certain anticancer drugs.

Numerous clinical trials have studied hyperthermia in combination with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. These studies have focused on the treatment of many types of cancer, including sarcoma, melanoma, and cancers of the head and neck, brain, lung, esophagus, breast, bladder, rectum, liver, appendix, cervix, and peritoneal lining (mesothelioma). Many of these studies, but not all, have shown a significant reduction in tumor size when hyperthermia is combined with other treatments. However, not all of these studies have shown increased survival in patients receiving the combined treatments.”

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Photo Credit:  Hyperthermia

Recently, it was announced that Michael Douglas was diagnosed with throat cancer. His throat cancer is related to excessive smoking and alcohol use.

According to a recent article,

Another reason to suspect that Douglas’s throat cancer is oropharyngeal cancer is his statement that the cancer probably was caused by smoking and drinking.

‘Smoking is a major cause of oropharyngeal cancer,’ Har-El tells WebMD. ‘Drinking alcohol, as far as the statistics can tells us, is not as bad by itself. But the combination of drinking and smoking is the worst combination.’

Michael Douglas’s throat cancer is at the base of his tongue, a location that produces no pain, causing it to often progress undetected.

As always we urge you to have regular oral cancer screenings in order to protect you from this awful disease.

It’s always eye-opening when you come across the stories of those that have survived oral cancer and their battle against it. There is no one like a survivor that understands the “real deal”. Recently, we ran across an article of a chef that survived.  The article made a true assertion: we have to be our own advocates. It is up to the individual to really push the professional to look for oral cancer. Oral cancer is not easily diagnosed, so it should be monitored by the individual and second, third and even fourth opinions are worth the effort.

See below for a clip of the article discussing the type of oral cancer test that did not work for him and what he suggests for the reader. You can find the full article here.

The hardest part for Achatz is how easily the spot could have been identified as cancerous had doctors administered something called a “brush test.” “If even one of my dentists had used this simple test, my whole ordeal could have been avoided,” he writes. He urges anyone who sees or feels a spot on his or her tongue to see a dentist who uses the brush test, which tests the cells beneath the spot to see whether it is precancerous.

As always…

“Together we fight oral cancer. Together we save a life every hour.”