Oral Cancer Survival Rate Remains Unchanged Over the Last Thirty YearsAmerican Cancer Society Experts review epidemiological and clinical features of oral cancer and precancerous lesions This disease most commonly has been found in middle-aged and older individuals, and it has affected more men than women. However, authors Brad W. Neville, DDS, and Terry A. Day, MD, FACS, say that "a disturbing number of these malignancies is being documented in younger adults…[and the] disparity in the male:female ratio has become less pronounced over the past half century, probably because women have been more equally exposing themselves to known oral carcinogens such as tobacco and alcohol."  Along with a review of the epidemiological and clinical features of oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, Neville and Day emphasize early detection as the best method of prevention. "In spite of the ready accessibility of the oral cavity to direct examination, these malignancies still are often not detected until a late stage, and the survival rate for oral cancer has remained essentially unchanged over the past three decades," say the authors. Also in this issue of CA, a team of authors reviews options for prevention of ovarian cancer in Paradigms for Primary Prevention of Ovarian Carcinoma. It is estimated that 23,300 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year and 13,900 will die from the disease, according to data released earlier this year in the January/February issue of CA. Mack N. Barnes, MD and colleagues provide a description of promising chemopreventive agents and an overview of surgical strategies currently in use. Finally, a group of authors examines the role of cancer support networks and organizations. Over the past several years, countless community-based and philanthropic organizations have developed across the United States seeking to meet the needs of people with cancer, their family members, and friends. But little has been done to identify cancer patient and caregiver needs not met by existing services, as well as those needs already satisfied by existing services. In an effort to better understand who utilizes these formal support networks, which services are currently available, and what services are needed, Rebecca A. Shelby and colleagues undertook a two-phase study. In The Role of Community-based and Philanthropic Organizations in Meeting Cancer Patient and Caregiver Needs, Shelby et al. found "that those at highest risk for developing and dying of cancer are the least likely to utilize formal support networks." The full text of their study appears in this month's issue of CA. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, published for the American Cancer Society by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, is the most widely circulated cancer journal in the world. It appears six times a year and publishes articles, usually of a review nature, on all aspects of cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. For a copy of the July/August issue or an interview with any of the authors or an American Cancer Society authority on any of these or other topics, please contact Wendi Klevan at 404-417-5837 or Shawn Steward at 404-417-5850. The CA Web site can be accessed via the newly redesigned American Cancer Society Web site, www.cancer.org and it will continue to feature free, full-text versions of all articles that have been published since 1999. The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Inc. is a global publisher of medical, nursing, and allied health information resources in book, journal, looseleaf, and electronic media formats. The company is a unit of Wolters Kluwer International Health & Science, a group of leading publishing companies offering specialized publications and software in medicine, pharmacy, science, and related areas.
For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org |
 |
Email Article To A Friend |  |
Link to us! |
