Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, fresh frozen biopsy bio-specimens, cryogenically preserved sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid samples from patients diagnosed with Oropharyngeal Cancer.
The sera (serum), plasma and PBMC biofluid specimens are processed from patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols. The oropharyngeal cancer fresh frozen biopsy tissue samples and biofluid are collected from unique patients diagnosed with chronic oropharyngeal cancer and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, diagnostics, discovery and drug development.
Detailed clinical data, oropharyngeal cancer patients history, symptoms, complete blood count (CBC), chemotherapy information, fresh frozen biopsy tissue, elevated biomarker levels, genetic and metabolic information, histopathological findings, annotations associated with oropharyngeal cancer specimens is provided to a valued customer for research, development and drug discovery.
The oropharyngeal cancer sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid are processed from patients peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Oropharyngeal Cancer Overview
Cancer of the oral cavity and cancer of the oropharynx are two of the most common types of cancer that develop in the head and neck region, a grouping called head and neck cancer. The oral cavity and oropharynx, along with other parts of the head and neck, give us the ability to chew, swallow, breathe, and talk.
According to the the American Cancer Society’s recent estimates, over 54,000 patients will get oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer in the United States, and an estimated over 10,000 patients will die of oropharyngeal cancers. These cancers are more than twice as common in men than in women. In the United States oropharyngeal cancers are about equally common in blacks and in whites patients. In recent years, the overall rate of new cases of of oropharyngeal cancer linked to human papillomavirus HPV infection in both men and women has been an ongoing rise. The average age of most patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancers is 62, but they can occur in young patients as well. Oropharyngeal cancers are rare in children, but a little more than one-quarter of oropharyngeal cancers occur in patients younger than 55.
The oral cavity cancer includes the following parts:
- Lips
- Lining of the lips and cheeks, called the buccal mucosa
- Gingiva, which is the upper and lower gums
- Front two-thirds of the tongue
- Floor of the mouth under the tongue
- Hard palate, also called the roof of the mouth
- Retromolar trigone, which is the small area behind the wisdom teeth
The oropharynx cancer begins where the oral cavity stops. It includes the:
- Soft palate at the back of the mouth
- Part of the throat behind the mouth
- Tonsils
- Base of the tongue
More than 90% of oral and oropharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinoma. This means that they begin in the flat, squamous cells found in the lining of the mouth and throat. The most common locations for cancer in the oral cavity are:
- Tongue
- Tonsils
- Oropharynx
- Gums
- Floor of the mouth
Although oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancer are commonly described using a single phrase, it is important to identify exactly where the cancer began. This is because there are differences in treatment between the two locations.
Signs and Symptoms of Oropharyngeal Cancer
Following are the common signs and symptoms of patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer. Sometimes, patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer do not have any of these changes. The cause of these symptoms could be a different medical condition that is not cancer. Usually dentists are the first person to find oral or oropharyngeal cancer during a patients routine oral examination.
- Sore in the mouth or on the lip that does not heal; this is the most common symptom
- Red or white patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth
- Lump on the lip, mouth, neck, or throat or a feeling of thickening in the cheek
- Persistent sore throat or feeling that something is caught in the throat
- Hoarseness or change in voice
- Numbness of the mouth or tongue
- Pain or bleeding in the mouth
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or moving the jaws or tongue
- Ear and/or jaw pain
- Chronic bad breath
- Changes in speech
- Loosening of teeth or toothache
- Dentures that no longer fit
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite, especially when prolonged; this may happen during the later stages of the cancer.
Stages of Oropharyngeal Cancer
Staging is the process of determining if cancer is present and, if so, how far it has spread. It helps the healthcare team develop the treatment plan. The stages of oropharyngeal cancer span from Stage I (best prognosis) to Stage IV (worst prognosis). The system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer for staging cancer is complex and contains specific information based on the extent of the tumor, its spread to nearby lymph nodes and spread to distant organs, and whether or not the cancer is associated with the HPV virus.
Risk Factors of Oropharyngeal Cancer
A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing cancer. Although risk factors often influence the development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer, while others with no known risk factors do.
Following are the risk factors of oral nd oropharyngeal cancer, the risk of developing cancer is greatly increased by two factors:
- Tobacco use: Using tobacco, smoking, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and snuff, is the single largest risk factor for head and neck cancer. Eighty-five percent (85%) of head and neck cancer is linked to tobacco use. Pipe smoking in particular has been linked to cancer in the part of the lips that touch the pipe stem. Chewing tobacco or snuff is associated with a fifty percent increase in the risk of developing cancer in the cheeks, gums, and inner surface of the lips, where the tobacco has the most contact. Secondhand smoke may also increase a person’s risk of head and neck cancer.
- Alcohol: Frequent and heavy consumption of alcohol increases the risk of head and neck cancer. Using alcohol and tobacco together increases the cancer risk even more.
Other factors that can raise a person’s risk of developing oral and oropharyngeal cancer include:
- Prolonged sun exposure: Excessive and unprotected exposure to the sun is linked with cancer in the lip area. To reduce your risk of lip cancer, decrease your exposure to sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV): Research shows that infection with the HPV virus is a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer. In recent years, HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer in the tonsils and the base of the tongue has become more common. Sexual activity, including oral sex, with someone who has HPV is the most common way someone gets HPV. There are different types of HPV, called strains. Research links some HPV strains more strongly with certain types of cancers. There are vaccines available to protect you from HPV.To reduce the risk of HPV infection, limit the number of sexual partners. Having many partners increases the risk of HPV infection. Using a condom does not fully protect you from HPV during sex. It is also likely that receiving an HPV vaccination before exposure to HPV can reduce the risk of oropharynx cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend HPV vaccination for all preteen boys and girls.
- Gender: Men are more likely to develop oral and oropharyngeal cancer than women.
- Fair skin: Light colored skin is linked to a higher risk of lip cancer.
- Age: People older than 45 years have an increased risk for oral cancer, although this type of cancer can develop in people of any age.
- Poor oral hygiene: People with poor oral hygiene or dental care may have an increased risk of oral cavity cancer. Poor dental health or ongoing irritation from poorly fitting dentures, especially in people who use alcohol and tobacco products, may contribute to an increased risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Regular examinations by a dentist or dental hygienist can help detect oral cavity cancer and some oropharyngeal cancers at an early stage.
- Poor diet/nutrition: A diet low in fruits and vegetables and a vitamin A deficiency may increase the risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Chewing betel nuts, a nut containing a mild stimulant that is popular in Asia, also raises a person’s risk of developing oral and oropharyngeal cancer.
- Weakened immune system: People with a weakened immune system may have a higher risk of developing oral and oropharyngeal cancer.
- Marijuana use: Recent studies have suggested that people who have used marijuana may be at higher-than-average risk for head and neck cancer.
Diagnosis of Oropharyngeal Cancer
First, your doctor will take your medical history, and ask about your smoking history (or if you use any other tobacco products), review current and past illnesses and medications and ask about your symptoms. Next, the doctor will examine your mouth, throat and neck, using a mirror and lights and/or a fiberoptic scope to look for abnormal areas in your mouth and throat and will feel your neck for masses. If any abnormal tissue is found, a biopsy will be taken to check for cancer cells and the presence of HPV infection. Imaging tests of your throat area, such as a PET, CT scan or MRI tests may be performed . These tests provide greater detail of your throat and any masses found.
Treatment of Oropharyngeal Cancer
The stage of cancer, where the oropharyngeal cancer is located, patients age and general health determines the treatment plan. The goal is to treat cancer cells while retaining the patients ability to speak and swallow as normally as possible. Treatment can involve one method or combination of methods that may include surgery (usually transoral robotic-assisted surgery), radiation therapy , chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy and immunotherapy. Surgery and/or radiation therapy are usually tried first for early stage cancer that are small and haven’t spread.
Chemotherapy for Oropharyngeal cancer is used in several ways:
- Combined with radiation therapy in place of surgery.
- Usually combined with radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that remain after surgery.
- Alone or combined with radiation therapy to shrink larger cancers before surgery.
- Alone or combined with radiation therapy to treat larger cancers and cancers that have spread that can’t be treated with surgery.
Targeted drug therapies are man-made versions of a protein in your immune system called a monoclonal antibody. These drugs slow or stop cancer by blocking a protein the cancer cells need to divide, grow and spread. Cetuximab (Erbitux) is a commonly used target drug used to treat oropharyngeal cancer. It’s used alone, in combination with radiation therapy or with other traditional chemotherapy drugs.
Immunotherapy are drugs used to help your body’s own immune system find and destroy cancer cells. Cancer is smart and cancer cells want to be blend in with other cells and not be recognized and attacked by the body’s immune system. Immunotherapies turn off or on certain proteins in your body’s own immune system so it can recognize cancer cells and boost the body’s attack response against them. Immunotherapy is used as a first-treatment option, for cancer that has returned or cancer that has spread. Immunotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer includes pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) A final option for treating oropharyngeal cancer, when no other options are available, is to enroll in a clinical trial. To be enrolled in a clinical trial, strict entry criteria must be met. Medications in clinical trials are in various stages of development toward FDA approval, some drugs may be proven safe and effective, other drugs will not.
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