Jaw Neoplasms

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 54,600 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 24th 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 Hygiene Association (), the Canadian Dental Hygienists 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 fifth 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. The online short video course teaches lay people a simple method to self-screen. 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 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 About Oral Cancer Awareness Month Each April, most of the nation's top dental associations join 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 a partial 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. A calendar there allows dentists to post the dates of their in-office screenings. For more information visit the Oral Cancer Foundation website at . SOURCE Oral Cancer Foundation

Phase 1/2 Trial Now Active at Stanford, Emory, and Thomas Jefferson Universities ATLANTA, GA, Feb. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – GeoVax Labs Inc., (Nasdaq: GOVX), a biotechnology company developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today its clinical trial of Gedeptin® for patients with recurrent head and neck cancers is now actively enrolling patients at three major research centers -- Stanford University, Emory University and Thomas Jefferson University. The Phase 1/2 trial (NCT03754933) is evaluating the safety and efficacy of repeat cycles of Gedeptin therapy in patients with recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with tumor(s) accessible for injection and no curable treatment options. The protocol entails up to five treatment cycles, each consisting of three intra-tumoral injections of Gedeptin over two days followed by infusion of a prodrug, fludarabine phosphate, once a day for three days. A Phase 1 dose-ranging study, evaluating the safety of a single cycle of Gedeptin therapy, found the therapy to be well-tolerated, with evidence of a reduction in tumor size in patients with solid tumors. David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, “The support of the FDA and collaborations with Stanford, Emory and Jefferson enable us to evaluate Gedeptin rapidly in 10 patients, with the potential to subsequently expand the trial to 25 patients. A successful outcome may lead to labeling discussions with the FDA and initiation of further Gedeptin investigations, including in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, for additional cancerous and non-cancerous tumor indications.” The study is being funded in part by the FDA pursuant to its Orphan Products Clinical Trials Grants Program. The FDA has also granted Gedeptin orphan drug status for the intra-tumoral treatment of anatomically accessible oral and pharyngeal cancers, including cancers of the lip, tongue, gum, floor of mouth, salivary gland, and other oral cavities. About GeoVax GeoVax Labs, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies and vaccines for cancers and many of the world’s most threatening infectious diseases. The company’s lead program in oncology is a novel oncolytic solid tumor gene-directed therapy, Gedeptin®, presently in a multicenter Phase 1/2 clinical trial for advanced head and neck cancers. GeoVax’s lead infectious disease candidate is GEO-CM04S1, a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine targeting high-risk immunocompromised patient populations. Currently in two Phase 2 clinical trials, GEO-CM04S1 is being evaluated as a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised patients such as those suffering from hematologic cancers and other patient populations for whom the current authorized COVID-19 vaccines are insufficient. In addition, GEO-CM04S1 is in a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the vaccine as a more robust, durable COVID-19 booster among healthy patients who previously received the mRNA vaccines. GeoVax has a leadership team who has driven significant value creation across multiple life science companies over the past several decades. For more information, visit our website: . Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements regarding GeoVax’s business plans. The words “believe,” “look forward to,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Actual results may differ materially from those included in these statements due to a variety of factors, including whether: GeoVax is able to obtain acceptable results from ongoing or future clinical trials of its investigational products, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines can provoke the desired responses, and those products or vaccines can be used effectively, GeoVax’s viral vector technology adequately amplifies immune responses to cancer antigens, GeoVax can develop and manufacture its immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines with the desired characteristics in a timely manner, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will be safe for human use, GeoVax’s vaccines will effectively prevent targeted infections in humans, GeoVax’s immuno-oncology products and preventative vaccines will receive regulatory approvals necessary to be licensed and marketed, GeoVax raises required capital to complete development, there is development of competitive products that may be more effective or easier to use than GeoVax’s products, GeoVax will be able to enter into favorable manufacturing and distribution agreements, and other factors, over which GeoVax has no control. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 10-K that we have filed and will the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Media Relations Contact: Nancy Turett 914-434-0311 nmturett@geovax.com Investor Relations Contact: Rich Cockrell CG Capital 404-736-3838 govx@cg.capital