Oral Cancer Research: Updates from AGD and Around the Globe

2025 AGD Foundation Update

By Michael Kaner, DMD, JD, MAGD, president, AGD Foundation

2024 was a year of continued change, growth and rapid forward movement for the AGD Foundation. We worked to expand awareness of oral and oropharyngeal cancers and improve access to education and screening. Our accomplishments included:

• Development of the AGD Foundation Oral Cancer Toolkit, a free comprehensive resource for patients and providers on our website.

• Consistent distribution of a monthly e-newsletter, the “AGDF eBulletin.”

• Consistent postings on all of our social media channels, including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

• Expanding awareness of our grant program and funding five grants for 2025 totaling $20,941.

AGD Foundation 2025 Grant Recipients

Colorado AGD, Aurora, Colorado

Dash for Detection: Oral Cancer Awareness 5K

University of Minnesota Mobile Health Initiative, Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota Mobile Health Initiative

Omni Family Health, Bakersfield, California

Omni Family Health’s Oral Cancer Prevention Program

Oregon AGD, Tigard, Oregon

Oral Cancer Screenings at Oregon AGD IV Sedation Clinic

University of South Dakota Foundation, Vermillion, South Dakota

University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene

2025 Strategic Goals

In 2024, the AGD Foundation board convened to define its strategic goals for 2025 and beyond, including:

• Create a sound financial infrastructure through effective fundraising efforts.

• Expand the reach of the Foundation through social media and other communications.

• Engage larger and more diverse populations.

• Continue to develop the Foundation as the trusted charitable arm of AGD.

Our work to educate dentists and the general public about the importance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination continues to be at the forefront of our efforts. Our oral cancer screening programs at the AGD scientific session and other venues remain a centerpiece of our efforts. We are in the planning stages of the oral cancer screening program that will be held at AGD2025 in Montréal this July. If you are interested in volunteering for this program, we encourage you to contact us directly at admin@agdfoundation.com.

We are revamping and updating our annual silent auction. Many of you visited our booth at AGD2024 in Minneapolis. You suggested some items and brands you’d like to see available in future silent auctions — and we listened. In 2025, we are working hard to include new items that appeal to our growing and increasingly diverse constituency. And we are bringing back some old favorites, too. We hope you will visit our booth at AGD2025 and come ready to bid! We will once again be using the online silent auction app, so you can bid from anywhere.

Our educational print materials and public service announcements with compelling testimony from oral cancer survivors will be offered at AGD2025 and the House of Delegates annual meeting. If you are interested in receiving materials to distribute in your practice, please contact admin@agdfoundation.com.

The Latest in Oral Cancer Research

The battle against oral cancer is long and gradual. While major breakthroughs may be years away, scientists around the world are still making progress learning about the disease and the best treatments to recommend. Below is the latest research from around the world.

UNITED STATES

Certain Oral Bacteria Linked to Increased Risk of Head & Neck Cancer

Researchers at NYU Langone Health have connected certain bacteria linked to gum disease with an elevated risk of head and neck cancers. Researchers identified higher levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum, a type of bacteria often found in periodontal disease, in cancer patients. This finding suggests that the bacteria may contribute to cancer development by driving inflammation and altering immune system responses. The research offers new insights into how oral health might influence cancer risk, potentially paving the way for novel approaches to prevention or treatment by targeting these oral bacteria to help reduce the risk of cancer.

Source: “Bacteria Involved in Gum Disease Linked to Increased Risk of Head & Neck Cancer.” NYU Langhone Health NewsHub, 26 Sept. 2024, nyulangone.org/news/bacteria-involved-gum-disease-linked-increased-risk-head-neck-cancer.

Tea and Coffee May Cut Cancer Risk

A new study published in the journal Cancer suggests that drinking tea and coffee may reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancer. According to the team, people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day “had 17% lower odds of having head and neck cancer overall, 30% lower odds of having cancer of the oral cavity, and 22% lower odds of having throat cancer.” The study even found that decaffeinated coffee had some beneficial effects.

Source: “Scientists and Doctors Say Tea and Coffee Could Cut Cancer Risk.” MSN, 2 Jan. 2025, msn.com/en-ca/health/other/scientists-and-doctors-say-tea-and-coffee-could-cut-cancer-risk/ar-AA1wRHOf.

Oral Cancer Drug Gets FDA Priority Review

Merck’s oral cancer drug, Welireg, has received priority review from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of advanced, unresectable or metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, rare tumors that form in and around the adrenal glands. The priority review status accelerates the FDA’s evaluation process, potentially leading to a faster approval and availability for patients. If approved, Welireg could become the only available therapy for pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Source: “Merck’s Welireg Oral Cancer Drug Gets FDA Priority Review.” Investing.com, 27 Jan. 2025, investing.com/news/stock-market-news/mercks-welireg-oral-cancer-drug-gets-fda-priority-review-93CH-3831791.

AUSTRALIA

How Oral Cancer Cells May Block the Body’s Immune Response

Macquarie University researchers have discovered new information about how oral cancer cells may block the body’s immune response. Researchers found that cancer cells in the mouth release certain molecules that disrupt immune cell activity, particularly by preventing T-cells from effectively targeting and destroying tumor cells. These molecules impair the immune system’s ability to recognize and respond to cancer, allowing the tumor to grow. Understanding this mechanism offers new insights into how oral cancer evades the immune system and could lead to the development of treatments aimed at enhancing immune responses to fight the disease more effectively.

Source: “Researchers Discover How Oral Cancer Cells May Block the Body’s Immune Response.” News Medical, 18 Sept. 2024, news-medical.net/news/20240918/Researchers-discover-how-oral-cancer-cells-may-block-the-bodys-immune-response.aspx.

CHINA

New Treatment with Iron Nanoparticles and Nitric Oxide Gas Shows Promise in Destroying Oral Cancer Cells

A recent study from the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China, explores the potential of combining of nitric oxide gas therapy and iron nanoparticles. Researchers developed microscopic iron particles designed to interact with hydrogen peroxide, a substance present in tumor cells. These iron particles are equipped with molecules that release nitric oxide gas when activated by laser, initiating a controlled cell death process to treat cancer.

“This treatment is highly specific to cancer cells, reducing damage to healthy tissues and minimizing side effects, which makes it both more efficient and better tolerated by the body,” said Yuting Xie, one of the study’s authors.

Source: “Iron and Gas Therapy for Oral Cancer.” Asia Research News, 24 Jan. 2025, asiaresearchnews.com/content/iron-and-gas-therapy-oral-cancer.

Nanosystem Offers Improved Tongue Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

A study from Jilin University, China, has unveiled the Au-HN-1 nanosystem, an approach that could transform the diagnosis and treatment of tongue squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive cancer that is notoriously difficult to treat. The Au-HN-1 links gold nanodots with the HN-1 peptide, achieving highly selective targeting of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells, significantly improving the accumulation of photosensitizers at tumor sites. In mouse models, the system reduced tumor volumes without causing systemic toxicity.

Source: “New Nanosystem Offers Hope for Improved Diagnosis and Treatment of Tongue Cancer.” News Medical, 27 Jan. 2025, news-medical.net/news/20250127/New-nanosystem-offers-hope-for-improved-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-tongue-cancer.aspx.