Oral Cancer Research Around the Globe
April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. As part of AGD Impact’s annual recognition, the April issue includes stories that examine oral cancer from a global to a very personal level. “Oral Cancer Research Around the Globe” chronicles the most cutting-edge advancements in the fight against oral cancer.
INDIA
This 18-Year-Old’s Invention Can Help Early Detection of Oral Cancer
The incidence of oral cancer is the highest in India, mainly due to late detection and diagnosis. After seeing oral cancer survivors, 18-year-old Nikhiya Shamsher decided to do something about it. She created QuitPuff, a prototype point-of-care test to determine risk of precancer and cancer. To use it, an individual spits into a bottle, heats it and then compares the color to a chart to determine the stage of risk. The more of a certain biomarker present in the saliva, the higher the risk of cancer. Learn more.
JAPAN
β2-AR Agonist Therapy Puts the Brakes on Oral Cancer Progression
In an article published in the January issue of Cancer Science, researchers from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) state that, by stimulating a group of cellular receptors called β2-adrenergic receptors (β2-ARs), the progression of oral cancer can be halted. They found that β2-AR agonists can interfere with epithelial mesenchymal transition — a series of changes cancer cells undergo prior to metastasis that makes them more invasive. Read the article.
Protein Can Stop Tumors from Creating New Blood Vessels
In an article published in Angiogenesis, researchers from TMDU found that the protein vasohibin-1 (VASH1) can block vascular-composing cells from receiving signals and developing new blood vessels near solid cancers, potentially reducing metastasis. Learn more.
MALAYSIA
Malaysian Scientists Identify Genes Behind Oral Cancer Growth
A cancer research center in Malaysia used CRISPR, Nobel Prize-winning gene editing technology, to seek out genetic vulnerabilities in oropharyngeal cancers. A handful of genes were identified that caused oral cancer cells to grow, and now these genes could be targeted as scientists develop specific treatment options. Learn more.
TAIWAN
Betel Nut Use in Taiwan Drops After Vigorous Campaign Against Oral Cancer
Millions of people around the world chew betel nuts, which are the seeds of a type of palm tree. Chewers appreciate a rush of energy likely caused by the nut’s natural alkaloids. However, many studies have shown a link between betel nut chewing and oropharyngeal cancers. In Taiwan, a government-led campaign to prevent oral cancer by discouraging betel nut chewing caused a drop from 17% in 2007 to under 7% in 2018. The decrease is largest among 30- to-39-year-olds. Learn more about betel nut consumption, and learn more about the campaign.
UNITED STATES
Deadly Spread of Some Cancers May Be Driven by a Common Mouth Microbe
Virginia Tech scientists are performing research that points to a common bacterium in the gums — Fusobacterium nucleatum — as playing an active role in oral cancer metastasis. When cultured human colon tumor cells were invaded by F. nucleatum, they produced cytokines that promote migration of malignant cells. Another study in mice correlated the amount of the bacterium with the number of metastases. The scientists still have to determine how much is actually happening in humans. Learn more.
Researchers Apply AI to Help Physicians Customize Treatments for Patients with Oral Cancers
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and partners in the United States and India are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify potential oral cancer cells, which can in turn inform treatment decisions. AI can identify cancer cells and spot patterns in digital images of oral squamous cell carcinoma better than any human. This information can help determine how aggressive the cancer is and whether patients in early stages can safely receive only surgery without postoperative radiation. Learn more.
Oral Cancer Pain Predicts Likelihood of Cancer Spreading
Researchers at the New York University College of Dentistry correlated painful oral cancer with the likelihood of the cancer spreading. Using a survey, they found that patients who experienced the most pain were those whose cancer had spread beyond the mouth. The researchers suggested that the link between pain and metastatic oral cancer lies in certain genes that both promote metastasis and mediate pain. Learn more.
Oral Sex Before Age 18 Increases Oral Cancer Risk by 80%
A study at Johns Hopkins University found that people who had oral sex before age 18 were at an 80% higher risk of developing oropharyngeal cancers compared to those who did so after age 20. They found that cancer risk was negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with more sexual partners over a shorter period of time. More partners means greater potential exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV), several strains of which can cause oropharyngeal cancers. The researchers emphasized that the findings should be used to promote the HPV vaccine. Learn more.
Check out the full issues of the April issue of AGD Impact.
INDIA
This 18-Year-Old’s Invention Can Help Early Detection of Oral Cancer
The incidence of oral cancer is the highest in India, mainly due to late detection and diagnosis. After seeing oral cancer survivors, 18-year-old Nikhiya Shamsher decided to do something about it. She created QuitPuff, a prototype point-of-care test to determine risk of precancer and cancer. To use it, an individual spits into a bottle, heats it and then compares the color to a chart to determine the stage of risk. The more of a certain biomarker present in the saliva, the higher the risk of cancer. Learn more.
JAPAN
β2-AR Agonist Therapy Puts the Brakes on Oral Cancer Progression
In an article published in the January issue of Cancer Science, researchers from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) state that, by stimulating a group of cellular receptors called β2-adrenergic receptors (β2-ARs), the progression of oral cancer can be halted. They found that β2-AR agonists can interfere with epithelial mesenchymal transition — a series of changes cancer cells undergo prior to metastasis that makes them more invasive. Read the article.
Protein Can Stop Tumors from Creating New Blood Vessels
In an article published in Angiogenesis, researchers from TMDU found that the protein vasohibin-1 (VASH1) can block vascular-composing cells from receiving signals and developing new blood vessels near solid cancers, potentially reducing metastasis. Learn more.
MALAYSIA
Malaysian Scientists Identify Genes Behind Oral Cancer Growth
A cancer research center in Malaysia used CRISPR, Nobel Prize-winning gene editing technology, to seek out genetic vulnerabilities in oropharyngeal cancers. A handful of genes were identified that caused oral cancer cells to grow, and now these genes could be targeted as scientists develop specific treatment options. Learn more.
TAIWAN
Betel Nut Use in Taiwan Drops After Vigorous Campaign Against Oral Cancer
Millions of people around the world chew betel nuts, which are the seeds of a type of palm tree. Chewers appreciate a rush of energy likely caused by the nut’s natural alkaloids. However, many studies have shown a link between betel nut chewing and oropharyngeal cancers. In Taiwan, a government-led campaign to prevent oral cancer by discouraging betel nut chewing caused a drop from 17% in 2007 to under 7% in 2018. The decrease is largest among 30- to-39-year-olds. Learn more about betel nut consumption, and learn more about the campaign.
UNITED STATES
Deadly Spread of Some Cancers May Be Driven by a Common Mouth Microbe
Virginia Tech scientists are performing research that points to a common bacterium in the gums — Fusobacterium nucleatum — as playing an active role in oral cancer metastasis. When cultured human colon tumor cells were invaded by F. nucleatum, they produced cytokines that promote migration of malignant cells. Another study in mice correlated the amount of the bacterium with the number of metastases. The scientists still have to determine how much is actually happening in humans. Learn more.
Researchers Apply AI to Help Physicians Customize Treatments for Patients with Oral Cancers
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and partners in the United States and India are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify potential oral cancer cells, which can in turn inform treatment decisions. AI can identify cancer cells and spot patterns in digital images of oral squamous cell carcinoma better than any human. This information can help determine how aggressive the cancer is and whether patients in early stages can safely receive only surgery without postoperative radiation. Learn more.
Oral Cancer Pain Predicts Likelihood of Cancer Spreading
Researchers at the New York University College of Dentistry correlated painful oral cancer with the likelihood of the cancer spreading. Using a survey, they found that patients who experienced the most pain were those whose cancer had spread beyond the mouth. The researchers suggested that the link between pain and metastatic oral cancer lies in certain genes that both promote metastasis and mediate pain. Learn more.
Oral Sex Before Age 18 Increases Oral Cancer Risk by 80%
A study at Johns Hopkins University found that people who had oral sex before age 18 were at an 80% higher risk of developing oropharyngeal cancers compared to those who did so after age 20. They found that cancer risk was negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with more sexual partners over a shorter period of time. More partners means greater potential exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV), several strains of which can cause oropharyngeal cancers. The researchers emphasized that the findings should be used to promote the HPV vaccine. Learn more.
Check out the full issues of the April issue of AGD Impact.