Health News

Greater survival rate from recurrent mouth and throat cancers caused by HPV virus

Date: Feb-24-2014
People with late-stage cancer at the back of the mouth or throat that recurs after chemotherapy and radiation treatment are twice as likely to be alive two years later if their cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), new research led by a Johns Hopkins scientist suggests.Previous studies have found that people with so-called HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancers are more likely to survive than those whose cancers are related to smoking or whose origins are unknown.The new study, presented at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Color vision abnormalities found in 40 percent of older adults

Date: Feb-24-2014
Abnormal color vision increases significantly with aging - affecting one-half or more of people in the oldest age groups, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.While few people younger than 70 have problems with color vision, the rate increases rapidly through later decades of life, according to the new research by Marilyn E. Schneck, PhD, and colleagues of The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco.

Limiting radiation to major salivary glands in head and neck cancer patients

Date: Feb-24-2014
Avoiding the contralateral submandibular gland during radiation therapy is feasible and safe with advanced stage, node positive head and neck cancers and base of tongue lesions, according to research presented at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 71 patients from two facilities - the University of Colorado Cancer Center and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The median patient age was 55, and about 50 percent of the patients were current or former smokers.

HPV-positive SCCOP patients' recurrence differs from HPV-negative patients

Date: Feb-24-2014
Patients with HPV-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (SCCOP) had a longer time to development of distant metastasis (DM) after initial treatment, and had more metastatic sites in more atypical locations compared to HPV-negative patients, according to research presented at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.Culled from records of an IRB-approved registry, the study reviewed 285 patients with stage III-IV SCCOP (originally thought to be a smoking-related head and neck cancer) treated with chemotherapy and radiation from 2002 to 2013.

Effective markers of improved patient outcome: MATH, HPV status in HNSCC

Date: Feb-24-2014
Evaluating next-generation sequencing (NGS) data and associated clinical records of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients from several institutions, made available through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), showed that combining Mutant-Allele Tumor Heterogeneity (MATH) as a biomarker with the patient's HPV status provides an effective indicator of improved patient outcome, according to research presented at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.The TCGA data available for HNSCC patients included 302 patients, with 35 HPV-positive patients.

During RT for head and neck cancer, humidification of the mouth, throat reduces mucositis, hospital stay

Date: Feb-24-2014
Patients who received daily humidification of the mouth and throat region beginning from day one of radiation therapy treatment spent nearly 50 percent fewer days in the hospital to manage their side effects, according to research presented at the 2014 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.The study was conducted by the Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group and evaluated 210 head and neck cancer patients in New Zealand and Australia from June 2007 through June 2011.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, linked to frailty

Date: Feb-24-2014
Lower morning and higher evening cortisol levels contribute to frailty in older individuals, according to new research accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).Frailty confers a high risk for institutionalization and increased risk of mortality and is characterized by unintentional weight loss, feelings of exhaustion and fatigue, physical inactivity, slow gait speed and low grip strength.

Some of the ancient mysteries of leprosy revealed

Date: Feb-24-2014
Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is finally unearthing some of the ancient mysteries behind leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, which has plagued mankind throughout history. The new research findings appear in the current edition of journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. According to this new hypothesis, the disease might be the oldest human-specific infection, with roots that likely stem back millions of years.

Thyroid activity within normal range tied to depression in older adults

Date: Feb-24-2014
When older individuals' thyroid glands are more active than average, it may be a risk factor for depression, according to new research accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).Beyond its role in regulating the body's metabolism, the thyroid gland also can influence mental health. Past research has found links between an increased risk of depression and both over- and underactive thyroid glands. This study is the first to find an association between depression and thyroid activity variations within the normal range.

High potency statins linked to better outcome following a heart attack

Date: Feb-24-2014
A study looking at the data of thousands of patients who suffered heart attacks has suggested treatment with high-potency statins offers a significantly improved chance of survival compared to those taking normal statins.The study, led by the University of Dundee, also found a combination of statins and the drug ezetimibe showed no improved survival rate, although researchers caution this finding needs further testing.