Dear Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Insider,
In addition to being screened for lung cancer, heavy smokers should also be checked for head and neck cancer (HNC) to improve early detection and survival, according to a new study in the journal Cancer. In this latest Insider Exclusive, University of Pittsburgh researchers note that tobacco use is among the major risk factors for HNC, so targeted screening for high-risk people could save lives.
In other Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Community news, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have advanced a surgical technique that is performed with the help of a robot to access previously unreachable areas of the head and neck. Click here to read about the new report in the journal Head & Neck.
Meanwhile, antacid medicines help patients control their acid reflux. What if they also contributed to better overall survival rates in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma? Read about the provocative idea, which was explored in a new study in Cancer Prevention Research.
And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all 11- or 12-year-old girls and boys receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, but some physicians and dentists have been reluctant to recommend it, because it may seem to encourage sex among adolescents. However, a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found the sexual behavior of teenage girls does not appear to be affected after they get the vaccine. Click here for details.
Finally, in a related story, 23 states and the District of Columbia currently have laws requiring young people to get HPV vaccinations or provide funding to cover the costs. But the laws have had a surprising impact. Read about the research presented at the recent American Public Health Association meeting in New Orleans.
