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Newsmakers
Because of their expertise and reputations, members of the UB faculty and staff are sought out by reporters who quote them in print, broadcast and online publications around the world. Here is a sampling of recent media coverage in which UB is mentioned prominently.
"I was surprised by the magnitude of the effect. There have to be more population-based studies to support these conclusions."
Frank Scannapieco, professor and chair of the Department of Oral Biology, in an article in The New York Times on UB research that has shown that the bone loss caused by gum disease is associated with an increased risk for tongue cancer and the more the bone loss the greater the risk.
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"Prevention of oral disease is something people should be aware of; it's doable. It could reap a lot of benefits, not just in oral cancer."
Frank Scannepieco, professor and chair of the Department of Oral Biology, in an article distributed by Bloomberg News that reports UB researchers for the first time have demonstrated a link between chronic gum disease and tongue cancer in men, underscoring the importance off treating an often-overlooked condition.
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"We expected to see an association, given the results of earlier studies linking chronic infections and inflammation to cancer risk in other organs, but we didn't expect to see such clear association with a relatively small sample size."
Mine Tezal, professor of periodontics and endodontics, in an article distributed by the Canadian Press that reports that if the risk of losing all your teeth isn't incentive enough, UB researchers have found another preventive reason to brush and floss regularly—tongue cancer. The article appeared in a number of Canadian outlets, including the Toronto Globe and Mail.
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"Periodontitis is a chronic disease that progresses very slowly. Seeing alveolar bone loss on X-rays indicates the infection has existed for decades, making it clear that periodontitis preceded the cancer diagnosis, and not vice-versa."
Mine Tezal, professor of periodontics and endodontics, in an article distributed by Reuters, Reuters Health and Reuters UK that reports that in a small study conducted at UB, the gum disease periodontitis was associated with an elevated risk of developing tongue cancer. The article appeared in outlets that include Scientific American, Yahoo! News and Health Central.
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"After adjusting for the effects of age, smoking status and the number of teeth, each millimeter of [cavity] bone loss was significantly associated with a 5.23-fold increase in the risk of tongue cancer. Other oral variables (the number of dental decays, fillings, crowns and root canal treatments) were not significantly associated with the risk for tongue cancer."
UB researchers are quoted in an article distributed by HealthDay news service on a study that showed that chronic gum disease could boost a man's risk for tongue cancer, whether or not he smokes. The article appeared in a number of newspapers and Web sites, including the Austin American Statesman, Yahoo! News and Atlanta Journal Constitution.
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