“Oral cancer often goes unnoticed until it has spread to another area of the body,” said Dr. Jamie Chan. “Dentists can identify early signs of oral cancer during regular dental checkups, which include an oral cancer screening that is essential in the detection of cancerous and precancerous conditions.”

According to the American Cancer Society, oral cancer affects over 54,000 people in the United States every year. Statistics show 20% of patients under the 55 years old are diagnosed with Oral Cancer and hygiene screenings are by far our best tool for detection and early intervention.

Oral cancer is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can affect any part of the mouth, including the tongue, cheeks, throat, tonsils, and the floor of the mouth. Regular dental visits and hygiene checkups are critical for maintaining oral health and can also serve as a frontline defense against oral cancer.

Dr Chan continues: “During an oral cancer screening, the hygienist or dentist will take a look in your mouth, at your tongue, cheeks, throat, tonsils, and floor of the mouth to check for any red/white patches or sores, and check the surrounding head and neck region for any lumps or bumps.”

She concludes with “early detection saves lives.”

About Woburn Dentistry

Founded in 2021, Woburn Dentistry has been serving patients in Woburn, Massachusetts, and its surrounding areas. Woburn Dentistry specializes in general, cosmetic, implant, sedation, and emergency dentistry. The dentists at Woburn Dentistry consider their patients to be their top priority and their mission is to provide compassionate, quality care for patients of all ages. Patient reviews note the friendly, considerate, and quality work done by both the dentists and hygienists.

For more information, visit https://www.woburndentistryma.com/.

For more information, call (203) 778-0200 or visit addent.com.

It is more important than ever to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Oral cancer can affect any part of the mouth, including the tongue, lips, gums, and throat.

The most common symptoms include:

• Red or white patches in the mouth
• A sore throat that does not go away
• Difficulty swallowing or speaking
• A lump or thickening in the mouth or throat
• A persistent earache

If you notice any of these symptoms, it is important to see your dentist or doctor right away. Early detection is key to successful treatment.

There are several risk factors that can increase your chances of developing the disease.

These include:

• Smoking or using tobacco products
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Exposure to HPV (human papillomavirus)
• Poor diet and nutrition
• Chronic inflammation in the mouth

While some of these risk factors, such as age and gender, are beyond our control, there are steps we can take to reduce our risk of developing the illness.

These include:

• Avoiding tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco
• Limiting alcohol consumption
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables
• Practicing good oral hygiene, including brushing and flossing regularly and visiting the dentist for regular checkups and cleanings
• Getting vaccinated against HPV

In addition to these preventive measures, there are also screening tests available to detect it early. Your dentist or doctor can perform a screening during a regular checkup. This involves a visual and physical examination of the mouth and throat to look for any abnormalities or signs of cancer.

If it is detected, treatment will depend on the stage and location of the cancer. Treatment options may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these.

Oral Cancer Awareness Month is an important time to raise awareness about the risk factors, symptoms, and prevention of oral cancer. By taking steps to reduce our risk and by getting regular screenings, we can help prevent this serious disease and ensure early detection and successful treatment if it does occur.

In conclusion, oral cancer is a serious disease that can affect anyone. By being aware of the risk factors, symptoms, and prevention methods, we can take steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

This Oral Cancer Awareness Month, do yourself a favor and make a commitment to taking care of your oral health.

That should include scheduling regular screenings to help prevent oral cancer.

Together, we can help raise awareness and prevent the spread of this disease.

FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Tang Yan Song/Shutterstock.com.

This April, we all observe the 23rd annual oral cancer awareness month. Read more about it from The Oral Cancer Foundation. (PRNewsFoto/Oral Cancer Foundation) (PRNewsFoto/Oral Cancer Foundation)

Every hour, 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year, someone dies of oral or oropharyngeal cancer (cancer of the back of the oral cavity and upper throat). Yet if oral cancer is detected and treated early, treatment-related health problems are reduced, and survival rates may increase.

This year an estimated 54,000 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. Of those individuals, 43 percent will not survive longer than five years, and many who do survive suffer long-term problems, such as severe facial disfigurement or difficulties with eating and speaking. The death rate associated with oral and oropharyngeal cancers remains particularly high because the cancers routinely are discovered late in their development.

This April, as the nation observes the 23rd Annual Oral Cancer Awareness Month, the Academy of General Dentistry Foundation, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Academy of Oral Medicine, the American Academy of Periodontology, the American College of Prosthodontics, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Canadian Dental Hygiene Association, and the California Dental Hygienists’ Association are again joining the non-profit Oral Cancer Foundation in its campaign to raise awareness of the opportunity of oral cancer screenings, and the importance of early detection.

Regular oral cancer examinations performed by your oral health professional remain the best method for detecting oral cancer in its early stages.

Be Mindful of Symptoms: Public Urged to “Check Your Mouth”

For the fourth straight year, the efforts of the Foundation and the dental associations cited above will be bolstered by the Oral Cancer Foundation’s Check Your Mouth initiative.

Check Your Mouth encourages the public to regularly check for signs and symptoms of oral cancer between dental visits at home, and to see a dental professional if they do not improve or disappear after two or three weeks.

Signs and symptoms of oral cancer which is predominantly caused by tobacco usage and/or excessive alcohol usage may include one or more of the following:

• • Any sore or ulceration that does not heal within 14 days.
  • A red, white, or black discoloration of the soft tissues of the mouth.
  • Any abnormality that bleeds easily when touched (friable).
  • A lump or hard spot in the tissue, usually border of the tongue (induration).
  • Tissue raised above that which surrounds it; a growth (exophytic).
  • A sore under a denture, which even after adjustment of the denture, does not heal.
  • A lump or thickening that develops in the mouth.
  • A painless, firm, fixated lump felt on the outside of the neck, which has been there for at least two weeks.
  • All the above symptoms have the commonality of being persistent and not resolving.

Signs and symptoms of HPV-caused oropharyngeal cancer may include one or more of the following (which may persist longer than two-three weeks):

• • Hoarseness or sore throat that does not resolve within a few weeks.
  • A swollen tonsil on just one side. This is usually painless.
  • A painless, firm, fixated lump felt on the outside of the neck, which has been there for at least two weeks.
  • A persistent cough that does not resolve after many days.
  • Difficulty swallowing; a sensation that food is getting caught in your throat.
  • An earache on one side (unilateral) which persists for more than a few days.
  • All the above symptoms have the commonality of being persistent and not resolving.

Always call your dentist right away if there are any immediate concerns.

Risk Factors

Research has identified a number of factors that may contribute to the development of oral and oropharyngeal cancers.

Historically, those at an especially high risk of developing oral cancer have been heavy drinkers and smokers older than age 50, but today the cancer also is occurring more frequently in nonsmoking people due to HPV16, the virus most commonly associated with cervical cancer. About ten percent of oral cancers occur in individuals with no known risk factors. They share no discernable commonalities, and they may be due to an unidentified genetic frailty yet to be discovered.

The sexually transmitted human papillomavirus 16 (HPV) is related to the increasing incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (most commonly involving lymphoid tissue occurring in the tonsils or the base of the tongue). Approximately 99 percent of people who develop an HPV oral infection will clear the virus on their own.

In approximately one percent of individuals, the immune system will not clear the virus and it can lay dormant for decades before potentially causing a cancer. This occurs mostly in a non-smoking population composed of males four to one over females.

If you have never had an oral cancer examination, there is no better time to schedule one than during Oral Cancer Awareness Month in April. When you do, be sure to ask that this examination be made a routine part of all your future dental check-ups.

For a list of local dental professionals who are participating in this year’s event by offering free oral cancer screenings, visit the Oral Cancer Foundation’s website.

For more information about oral cancer and its diagnosis and treatment, visit the websites of the partner organizations listed, or visit the oral cancer foundations main web site at www.oralcancer.org

About Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Each April, most of the nation’s top dental associations join together with the Oral Cancer Foundation to raise awareness for oral and oropharyngeal cancers. Many dental professionals around the country open their offices to do free screenings to the public during this month each year as well.

This is an important reminder to the public that when these cancers are detected and treated early, mortality and treatment related health problems are reduced.

For more information visit the Oral Cancer Foundation website at www.oralcancer.org.

Dr. Manu Dua, a dentist practicing in Calgary, Alberta, discovered a lesion on his tongue around his 33^rd birthday. He showed a photo of it to his sister, Parul, who is a dentist practicing in New York. “Get it biopsied,” she pleaded. He replied, “It can’t be cancer. I’m too young.” Less than 2 years later, Dr. Manu Dua died from oral cancer.  He was 34.

Manu had no risk factors for oral cancer.  He was young and didn’t smoke. He only had an occasional drink. He was athletic and had a healthy diet.  No one would suspect that the lesion on his tongue was cancer, not even him, not even the oral surgeon who thought it was lichen planus and prescribed him a steroid. His symptoms worsened: trouble speaking, pain on eating, and difficulty sleeping. Then came the devastating biopsy result – Stage 2 squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

The cancer was treated by removing the left half of Manu’s tongue and the lymph nodes from the left side of his neck. His tongue was repaired using the radial artery from his left arm and skin from his right thigh. He had to learn to speak, chew and swallow again. He recovered quickly and returned to the dental office that he recently opened. Less than a year later, he noticed swelling on the left side of his neck after he had a restoration. The cancer was back. A malignant lymph node on the left side of his neck was left behind. The cancer had spread throughout his body. It was the beginning of the pandemic and Manu had to return to the hospital for more cancer treatment.

Manu endured 33 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation around his 34^th birthday. He sold his practice and decided to focus on his health. He bought a Porsche and was ready to enjoy life. A few months later he had a chest CT. A large tumour was growing in his chest. The treatment didn’t work.

Manu deteriorated over the next few months. The young dentist known for his muscular build and fun personality could barely walk or talk. He could barely breathe due to the fluid build up in his lungs. It hurt to eat and sleep. As he struggled to survive, alone in a hospital room, he wrote a book about what he learned from living and suffering called, Life Interrupted, Dr Dua’s Survival Guide. (Available on Amazon and on BN.com). He wrote, “One of the most important things that I have learned during these turbulent and difficult times is to accept the loss of control, and continue to ride the wave day by day. What is imperative is inner peace, strength and truly believing that there will be a better life in this world or the next.”

Manu was dying. His parents called Parul asking her to come and say goodbye, as he went into organ failure. Across the border during a pandemic, Parul frantically got documents and COVID tests to get clearance to visit Canada. She didn’t make it in time. On a WhatsApp call, Parul tearfully said goodbye to her younger brother. “You can let go now.”

This is a sad story, but the story doesn’t end here. A new story has started. It’s a story that involves all of us doing thorough oral cancer screenings, referring suspicious lesions for biopsies, talking to our patients about decreasing risk factors, and encouraging the HPV vaccine which decreases the risk of oropharyngeal cancers. Manu is not here to tell his story. But we are here, and we can write a new story where no one dies from oral cancer.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Parul Dua Makkar started in Dentistry with a DDS in 2003, then worked in private practice in Calgary. In 2006, she moved to New York and did one-year general practice residency at Staten Island University Hospital. Makkar currently has a private practice in Long Island, New York, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

Email: parul_dua@yahoo.com. Instagram: @pdmfamilydental.com

Dr. Sanjukta Mohanta is a general dentist practicing in a publicly funded dental clinic in Brampton, Ontario. She graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry in 1999. She volunteers with the Canadian Dental Association, the Ontario Dental Association, the Halton-Peel Dental Association and Gift from the Heart.

Email: sanjuktamohanta@hotmail.com, Instagram: @drsanjmohanta.

Life Interrupted: Dr. Dua’s Survival Guide, written by Dr. Manu Dua, can be purchased on Amazon. Proceeds go to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

FEATURED IMAGE CAPTION: Dr. Manu Dua.

“Oral cancer that is diagnosed early has better outcomes in terms of treatment, quality of life and life expectancy,” said Dr. Juan Bugueno, oral medicine expert and assistant professor at WVU School of Dentistry.

As part of its mission to provide comprehensive oral healthcare and support overall patient wellness, the dental school, supported by the Academy of General Dentistry Foundation (AGDF), hosted “Catch It Early,” a free oral cancer screening and awareness initiative September 25, 2021.

Adults 18 and older were invited to the downtown campus and WVU campus recreation for oral cavity screenings where dental and dental hygiene students checked for irregularities in the oral cavity and on all sides of the tongue and underneath. By feeling the tissues in the mouth and neck, the future providers tried to detect lumps or abnormalities. In five hours, 175 people received screenings.

Fourth-year DDS student, Ali Alshamali, performs an oral cancer screening at the WVU School of Dentistry’s Catch It Early event. Ali is pursuing a career in Prosthodontics and Implant Dentistry. Alshamali states, “Everyone deserves a well, healthy life.”

Patient Education

The outreach event afforded dental school students the opportunity to share tobacco and nicotine cessation strategies, information about human papilloma virus and its connection to oropharyngealoral cancer and suggestions on when patients should see a dentist, especially to detect lesions early.

“While oropharyngeal cancer can be most prevalent in middle aged men, a younger population of men and women is not exempt from developing oral or oropharyngeal cancer,” said Elizabeth Southern Puette, assistant professor in the dental school’s department of dental hygiene.

Patients were educated to look for symptoms like sores, lumps or even difficulty chewing.

“Oral cancer is the appearance of lesions in any part of the mouth that need immediate attention and appropriate care. First, we want patients to avoid the development of oral cancer. Secondly, we want patients to be aware of suspicious lesions in the mouth,” Bugueno said.

Volunteers also provided information about WVU Dental resources and clinical services that include but are not limited to teledentistry and specialty services such as a biopsy service, oral medicine clinic, oral and maxillofacial radiology, forensic dentistry and other oral diagnostic specialty services.

Following Up

Thanks to support from WV Mountains of Hope Cancer Coalition, participants received a self-oral cancer screening kit; a plastic mouth mirror, a flashlight, and self-oral screening instructions. Participants were taught how to conduct their own two-minutes self-screening at home and were encouraged to do so once a month in front of the bathroom mirror, right after they brushed their teeth.

Packets also contained literature about oral cancer, early diagnosis and tips to reduce risk factors.

Providers discussed personalized tobacco cessation information with patients, distributed 18 Nicorette samples and made referrals to the WV Quitline.

Of the 175 participants at the screening, 72 were recommended for dental hygiene services resulting in five appointments for dental prophylaxis appointments two days after the event.

Another 28 participants were recommended for “further evaluation and treatment by a dentist,” and two patients were referred to the WVU Dental Diagnostic Sciences department for further review of a suspicious lesion.

Third-year DDS student, Eamonn Cronin, performs an oral cancer screening and educates the participant about the importance of monthly 2 minute self-screenings. WVU School of Dentistry’s Catch It Early event was made by possible by a generous support from Academy of General Dentistry Foundation (AGDF).

Continuing Education for Providers

In addition to patient screenings, the dental school and WV Oral Health Program hosted a free continuing education webinar open to professionals in fields including dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and respiratory therapy.

Continuing education presenters encouraged the use of evidence-based strategies in tobacco cessation counseling. Health professionals learned the importance of implementing routine screening strategies to identify oral cancer lesions early and next steps; including an overview of risk factors, referrals, biopsy services, and adjunctive aids to help identify suspicious lesions. Other objectives of the course included:

• Educate oral health professionals on the importance of teaching patients how to reduce their risk factors and how to complete oral cancer self-exams between visits
• Provide updates on the incidence of oral cancer and resources available in WV to improve access to care for patients with suspicious lesions
• Provide updated recommendations for screenings, vaccinations, and referral procedures from sources such as ADA, Academy of General Dentistry, American Cancer Society, and West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

Suann Gaydos, director of the dental school’s Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program and dental hygiene professor, provided updates regarding the United States and West Virginia oral and orophyarngeal cancer burden report and shared oral cancer screening tips. She explained the American Dental Association (ADA) Resolution 65H-2019, which promotes early detection and prevention of oral cancer to include oropharyngeal cancer and cover all patients, not just those previously thought to be at an increased risk due to a history or habit of tobacco and alcohol use.

Dr. Susan Morgan, founder of the WVU School of Dentistry CTTTP director, former director and dental school professor, detailed oral cancer risk factors such as cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, alcohol and E-cigarettes.  She also reviewed prescribing methods and made recommendations for seven FDA approved tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy agents.

Dr. Bugueno reviewed oral examination techniques and provided examples of cases, including some his own, of premalignant and malignant oral mucosal lesions, intra and extra oral exam techniques, a review of HPV association in both oral and oropharyngeal lesions, and the importance of documenting patient symptoms such as dysguesia and other oropharyngeal cancer related symptoms. Adjunctive screening aids were discussed as well as when to refer for further evaluation and or a biopsy.

Ms. Puette, dental hygiene professor, provided a history of FDA approvals related to the HPV vaccine spanning from 2006 to the most current June 2020 FDA approval of Gardisil 9 for the prevention of “oropharyngeal and other head and neck cancers caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58.” She provided resources to aid in talking to patients about the HPV vaccine and shared the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s stance of recommending and advocating for the HPV vaccination as cancer prevention.

Click to watch the online continuing education opportunity.

Volunteers

Thank you to the student volunteers and patients who participated in the Oral Cancer: Catch It Early event. Click to see an online gallery of photos from the event. Faculty volunteers included specialist ranging from oral medicine, to pathology, to smoking cessation, to oral cancer related dental care. Additional faculty volunteers included Dr. Fotinos Panagakos, associate dean for research, Dr. Brian Whitaker, interim chair of the department of diagnostic sciences, and assistant professor Dr. Hiba Qari. Dental hygiene students served as site managers.

Supporters of Oral Cancer: Catch It Early included:

Academy of General Dentistry Foundation
Mountains of Hope West Virginia Cancer Coalition
WV Oral Health Program
Crest and Oral B
WVU Medicine
WVU Cancer Institute
WVU Dental
WVU Dental Diagnostic Sciences
WVU Dental Dental Hygiene
WVU School of Dentistry
3M Science. Applied to life.
American Cancer Society

Precautions during COVID

Prior to any screenings, student volunteers were responsible for COVID pre-screenings. All volunteers passed a COVID screening upon arrival to the oral cancer screening sites that included questions about history, current symptoms and a temperature check. Participants were required to pass the COVID screening, as noted in promo and advertising leading up to the event. Distancing and masking protocols were in place. Hydrogen peroxide pre-rinses were used as an additional precaution.

Queen Mary University of London is building a center at its Blizard Institute in Whitechapel designed to improve the survival rates of patients with squamous cancer, including oral cancers as well as skin, lung, and cervical cancer. It will bring together clinical and research experts to explore who is at risk of developing squamous cancers and why.

More than 70,000 people are diagnosed with squamous cancer every year in the United Kingdom, said the university, adding that it is the most common cause of solid tumors and results in many deaths.

The Barts Centre for Squamous Cancer is being established with a £2.6 million grant from Barts Charity. It will focus on oral cancer, which is a particularly common problem among the local East London population, the university said.

Oral cancer has increased by 58% over the past decade, the university continued. But despite more than 8,700 people being diagnosed each year in the United Kingdom, only one in five people know the main signs and symptoms, the university said.

Many patients won’t survive for five years after diagnosis. Also, treatment for survivors can be harsh and disfiguring, often leaving a devastating impact on a person’s appearance and ability to eat, drink, and speak.

Smoking, alcohol, diet, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) all increase an individual’s risk of developing oral cancer, and it is a particular problem in areas of high social deprivation and among certain groups such as South Asian communities.

In the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the university said, the rate has risen by a third over the past decade to 21.5 people per 100,000, and it continues to increase among younger adults due to tobacco use.

“Oral cancer has been underfunded for many years, and we hope that by bringing our expertise together in this new center we will be able to develop a better understanding of mouth cancer,” said Paul Coulthard, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London.

“Awareness of risk factors and symptoms is still very low, and we hope our work will improve detection, diagnosis, and access to treatment,” Coulthard said.

“We know that the risk of being diagnosed with oral cancer is strongly associated with social deprivation, and this is a particular health challenge in London. This center will enable us to develop a much better understanding of who is at risk and why, so that we can improve treatment and the quality of life for all those affected, both in the UK and wider afield,” he continued.

The Barts Centre for Squamous Cancer will assemble clinical and research experts who will work with patient groups, run clinical trials, and build a human tissue bank to improve knowledge and understanding of squamous cancer, the university said.

East Londoner Steve Bergman, who lived in Walthamstow for more than 30 years, was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous throat cancer in May 2016.

“I was 56, fit  and healthy, eating a good diet, and was a keen cyclist and runner. It took me by complete surprise, and within two weeks I was admitted to Whipps Cross Hospital for what I thought was a routine exploratory operation,” Bergman said.

“However, I had to have radical surgery to remove a massive growth on my right tonsil, and I woke up to find I had been fitted with a tracheostomy. I was in hospital for a further two weeks to recover, and then came to a period where I underwent six weeks of chemotherapy followed by six weeks of radiotherapy,” he continued.

“I then went through a period of physical recovery, but the psychological and emotional impact of my condition affected everyday life. I would be doing the most routine of tasks, and all of a sudden a surge of panic would run through my veins. This went on for several months, and eventually I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder,” he said.

“From two or so weeks into radiotherapy until several weeks after the treatment finished, I lost the ability to swallow, my saliva glands stopped working, and I completely lost all sense of taste and developed ulcers in my throat and mouth,” he said.

“However, I have been very fortunate, as everything has returned to fully functioning. Currently, I am fit and healthy and have been clear of cancer for nearly six years,” he said.

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Up to half of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma will experience tumor recurrence or new tumors, which often spread and are difficult to treat, according to researchers led by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

The researchers identified a mechanism by which head and neck cancer cells subvert adjacent normal tissue, allowing small clusters of cancer cells to burrow beneath the healthy tissue.

The researchers examined this particular mechanism because a specific gene, DMBT1, appeared on a screen of genes that are silenced during oral cancer, said principal investigator Nisha D’Silva, BDS, MSD, PhD, the Donald A. Kerr Endowed Collegiate Professor of Oral Pathology at the school.

When DMBT1 was suppressed in head and neck cancer cells, the researchers said, it promoted aggressive invasion and metastasis in laboratory studies and was associated with metastasis in patients.

Also, the researchers found that two proteins secreted by head and neck cancer cells suppress DMBT1 in nearby healthy tissue, subverting it to promote invasion of a small amount of cancer cells, which burrow under healthy tissue.

The researchers examined this mechanism in mice, chick embryos, and culture of human cancer cells. In the chick embryos, none of the tumors that overexpressed DMBT1 metastasized, while most of the control tumors that had low DMBT1 metastasized, D’Silva said.

“The importance of this paper is that loss of DMBT1 in cancer cells and adjacent normal tissue benefits cancer cells, allowing them to travel in tiny groups away from the main tumor,” D’Silva said.

“That is why cancer cells enlist the help of the adjacent tissue. Finding ways to interrupt this communication and enhance DMBT1 expression could help improve outcomes,” she said.

The findings could open possibilities for new therapeutics that target proteins in cancer cells that regulate DMBT1 and could have implications for other cancers in which DMBT1 expression is altered, D’Silva said.

“We are familiar with cancer cells enlisting the help of other cell types to grow and spread,” she said. “Our research demonstrated that cancer cells also communicate with healthy cells of their own type to facilitate spread.”

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, with 600,000 new cases annually, the researchers said.

The study, “Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subverts Adjacent Histologically Normal Epithelium to Promote Lateral Invasion,” was published by the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

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A coalition of doctors and scientists representing 71 National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Cancer Centers and other organizations is urging the nation’s physicians, parents, and young adults to get human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination efforts back on track.

Dramatic drops in annual well visits and immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a significant vaccination gap and lag in vital preventive services among children and adolescents in the United States, the coalition said, especially for the HPV vaccine.

Nearly 80 million Americans or one out of every four people are infected with HPV, which causes oral and other cancers, the coalition said. More than 36,000 people will be diagnosed with an HPV-related cancer this year, the coalition continued.

However, HPV vaccination rates remain significantly lower than other recommended adolescent vaccines in the United States, the coalition said, as well as far behind other vaccines and other countries’ HPV vaccination rates.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 54% of adolescents in the United States are up to date on the HPV vaccine. But early in the pandemic, rates among adolescents fell by 75%, resulting in a large cohort of unvaccinated children, the coalition said.

Since March 2020, the coalition said, about a million doses of HPV vaccine have been missed by adolescents with public insurance, which is a 21% decline over pre-pandemic levels.

“For many, the pandemic has disrupted routine immunizations,” said Roy Jensen, MD, director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center. “Missed vaccinations put children at risk for serious and preventable diseases.”

“The HPV vaccine is an important way to prevent infection and the spread of HPV,” said Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, director of the Sanford Burnham Prebys NCI-designated Cancer Center, which is part of the coalition.

“The vaccine could also prevent more than 90% of the cancers caused by HPV, and getting vaccinated in childhood can prevent many of these cancers later in life. It’s important that we stay on the course of vaccinated all eligible adolescents to prevent unnecessary cancers,” Ronai said.

“Well-child visits are down. Usual back-to-school vaccination activity for adolescents has been limited by virtual and hybrid learning. It is crucial that we get back on track as a nation with adolescent vaccination to ensure we protect our children and communities,” said Heather Brandt, PhD, director of the HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and coordinator of the joint statement from NCI-designated Cancer Centers.

“The pandemic has already had an enormous impact on our overall health, which will be felt for years to come. We mustn’t let it further delay vital preventive care for our children,” said Jensen.

The United States has recommended routine HPV vaccination for females since 206 and for males since 2011. Current recommendations are for routine vaccination at ages 11 or 12 or starting at age 9. Catch-up HPV vaccination is recommended through age 26.

NCI Cancer Centers strongly encourage parents to educate their adolescents as soon as possible. The CDC recently authorized COVID-19 vaccination for 12- to 15-year-old children, allowing for missed doses or routinely recommended vaccines including HPV to be administered at the same time.

Also, NCI Cancer Centers strongly urge action by healthcare systems and healthcare providers to identify and contact adolescents due for vaccinations and to use every opportunity to encourage and complete vaccination.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated Viome’s proprietary mRNA analysis technology, combined with its next generation artificial intelligence (AI) platform, a Breakthrough Device for the early detection of oral and throat cancer.

The technology analyzes saliva samples for the presence of oral squamous cell carcinoma and oropharyngeal cancer, using unique mRNA analysis technology and machine learning techniques to discover the interactions between microbial activities and human gene progression in these cancers’ progression, Viome said.

Viome has developed more than 30 precision biomarkers for the early detection of cancers, metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, neurogenerative diseases, and mental health, the company said. It plans to take each biomarker to the FDA for similar breakthrough device approval and quickly bring them to market.

These efforts are a culmination of Viome’s goal to enable anyone to easily detect chronic diseases early when they can still be reversed with precision nutrition or medicine, the company said.

“Today’s standard of care to detect oral and throat cancer is severely outdated. Everyone relies on a primary care clinician to examine their mouths and look for lesions,” said Naveen Jain, CEO and founder of Viome.

“This subjective and qualitative approach is a key reason why oral and throat cancer are detected at stage three or four, when many people cannot receive lifesaving treatments,” said Jain.

“At Viome, we believe in the power of technology to help everyone stay healthier, do more, and live longer. This FDA approval of our technology and approach for early diagnosis of diseases when they are still treatable further cements our mission,” said Jain.

The approval validates the mRNA analysis technology and AI platform that powers Viome’s at-home Health Intelligence Test, which offers consumers deeper health insights about their own gut microbiome health, cellular health, immune system health, stress response, and biological aging, the company said.

The AI platform analyzes an individual’s unique microbial and human gene expressions to provide them with personalized food recommendations and tailor-made, precision supplements designed to address the root cause of low-grade inflammation and improve these health metrics over time, Viome said.

The technology is based on the work of Chamindie Punyadeera, an associate professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) who has spent a decade researching saliva as an optimum diagnostic liquid for the early detection of oral and throat cancer.

Punyadeera began this research after her young brother-in-law passed away within six months of being diagnosed with oral cancer.

Punyadeera’s systematic collection of saliva samples from oral and throat cancer patients, establishment of saliva collection and optimization protocols, identification of a key unmet need, and work with clinicians provided the foundations for the commercialization of the technology.

“This test could save many lives because until now, early stage oral cancer has been hard to detect because effective diagnostic tools have not been available,” Punyadeera said. “This has led to late diagnosis, poor prognosis, and low survival rates.”

The risk of oral cancer increases with age and increases more rapidly after the age of 50, Punyadeera said.

Punyadeera’s latest study, “The Salivary Metatranscriptome as an Accurate Diagnostic Indicator of Oral Cancer,” has been published by Genomic Medicine.

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