BUFFALO, N.Y., July 26, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Team outlines
strategies to improve treatment of oral and thyroid cancers at
American Head & Neck Society meeting
- Team presents 17 studies at International Conference on Head
and Neck Cancer
- Deep look at tumor microenvironment suggests new ways to treat
oral cancers
- 3 Roswell Park presentations focus on thyroid cancer detection
and diagnosis
As the international community of experts in head-and-neck
cancers gathered virtually last week to share new ideas and
treatment strategies at the just-ended American Head & Neck
Society (AHNS) 10th International Conference on Head and Neck
Cancer, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center teams are
presented new research on both the basic science supporting new
treatments as well as opportunities to improve the early and
accurate diagnosis of thyroid cancer and other head/neck
malignancies.
Among the 17 presentations of new research led by Roswell Park's
head/neck cancer experts, representing several disciplines and
expertise in both clinical and laboratory research, are three
studies that may lead to development of new and more effective
drugs and treatments for oral-cavity cancers and another trio of
studies focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid
cancers.
"This is an exciting time for all of us who are working to
improve the care and outcomes of patients with cancers of the head
and neck, because we're able to take advantage not only of
improvements in diagnostics and traditional therapies but the
incredibly detailed understanding we now have of processes at the
molecular level," says Wesley Hicks
Jr., MD, FACS, Chair of Head & Neck/Plastic &
Reconstructive Surgery at Roswell Park. "Our latest work presented
at AHNS identifies several opportunities to apply next-generation
insights, and we're proud to help shape these conversations and
advance the care of cancer patients everywhere."
To support their studies in oral cancer, the team applied two
distinct approaches to advance the understanding of activity in the
microenvironment of oral-cavity tumors:
- The team used immunohistochemical analyses to (1) characterize
a type of regulatory T cell that supports tumor growth and impedes
immunotherapy and (2) analyze tumor expression of the NY-ESO-1
antigen in oral cavity dysplasia and carcinoma, showing that
presence of this protein increased during tumor development.
(Abstract P020 and Abstract P038)
- For another study, the team examined the role that exosomes —
small vesicles secreted by tumor cells — play in interfering with
chemotherapy and immunotherapies, demonstrating that they increase
in abundance as cancer progresses. (Abstract P031)
In three separate projects addressing thyroid cancer incidence,
detection and diagnosis, Roswell Park researchers report
that:
- Core needle biopsy, the diagnostic tool used most frequently in
Roswell Park's head/neck cancer practice, correctly diagnosed
thyroid cancer and identified an especially aggressive subtype,
tall cell variant (TCV) papillary thyroid carcinoma, more
frequently than an alternative diagnostic approach, fine needle
aspiration (FNAC). (Abstract P203)
- TCV papillary thyroid carcinoma has been diagnosed more
frequently among patients seen at Roswell Park, compared to
national incidence rates, and this aggressive subtype requires
close post-treatment surveillance. (Abstract P172)
- Lectins, naturally occurring proteins present in many
plant-based foods, represent a promising biomarker candidate that
may be able to help distinguish different subtypes of thyroid
cancer to support the most appropriate and personalized treatment
strategies for each individual patient. (Abstract P136)
"We're seeing increasing numbers of aggressive thyroid cancers
in our practice at Roswell Park," says Vishal Gupta, MD, Assistant Professor of
Oncology and Otolaryngology in the Department of Head &
Neck/Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Roswell Park. "Through
this trio of studies, we're working to quickly identify,
characterize and address this apparent trend to help guide
treatment and follow-up for patients with especially aggressive or
hard-to-diagnose thyroid tumors."
Many Roswell Park physicians, staff and fellows contributed to
this work, including head-and-neck surgeons Dr. Hicks, Dr. Gupta,
Jon Michael Chan, MD, Michael R. Markiewicz, DDS, MPH, MD,
Ryan McSpadden, MD, Kimberley Wooten, MD, Moni Abraham Kuriakose, MD, and research
scientists William Magner, PhD, and
S. Lynn Sigurdson, PhD.
An online version of this is available on our website.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united
by the drive to eliminate cancer's grip on humanity by unlocking
its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the
healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is
the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer
center in Upstate New York. Learn more at
http://www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL
(1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.
Media Contact
Annie Deck-Miller, Roswell Park
Comprehensive Cancer Center, 716-845-8593,
ann.deck-miller@roswellpark.org
SOURCE Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
