From unskilled worker to full professor: The eventful life and career of the Jewish pathologist Herman Medak (1914-1991).

The Jewish pathologist Herman Medak (1914-1991) went down in medical history as a pioneer in the early detection of oral carcinomas. As a longtime full professor of oral pathology at the University of Illinois, he influenced several generations of students and young researchers. His many experimental studies attracted special attention, as did his "Atlas of Oral Cytology" (1970). Largely unknown, however, is the fact that the Viennese-born scientist had to flee from the Nazi regime immediately before his medical state examination and thus arrived in the United States without a qualifying professional degree. This article attempts to fill the existing research gaps and to reconstruct Medak's life and work. It sheds light on Medak's years of study in Vienna, his forced emigration from Austria, his restart in the U.S. and his path to becoming a full professor of oral pathology. It also addresses the question of why Medak remained in Chicago until the end of his life and how the University of Vienna later dealt with its expelled students. The analysis is based on a large number of documents from archives in Austria and the U.S., but also on transcripts and other material from the private collection of the Medak family. These documents were supplemented and compared with the relevant secondary literature. It can be shown that Medak had to overcome considerable setbacks not only in Vienna, but also in the U.S., before he got on the road to professional success. Five factors ultimately proved to be career-enhancing: the Nimbus of the "Vienna School", Medak's unconditional striving for education, his deliberate specialization in oral pathology, his early international contacts and his willingness to adapt and acculturate. Like most other displaced scholars, Medak was widely ignored in postwar Austria. Today, the University of Vienna maintains an online memorial book that also provides information about Medak - albeit still rudimentary.

Oral Cancer Treatment Through the Ages: Part 2.

PURPOSE: Understanding how oral cancer treatment evolved can pave the way for future management. The literature holds an expansive collection of historical findings regarding oral cancer, yet the authors were unable to find a comprehensive review of oral cancer treatment throughout the ages. MATERIALS: A thorough literature review was carried out using multiple scientific databases and languages, as well as examination of historical archives. Articles were included for their relevance and their findings were assimilated. RESULTS: Part two of this article considers the development of specific surgical concepts relating to head and neck cancer over the previous two centuries, including neck dissection and reconstruction, as well as exploration of non-surgical cancer therapies. CONCLUSION: This paper demonstrates historical landmarks made in oral cancer treatment and the prominent figures who pioneered them, confirming that head and neck cancer surgeons of today have valuable lessons to learn from their previous counterparts.

Oral Cancer Treatment Through the Ages: Part 1.

PURPOSE: Understanding how oral cancer treatment evolved can pave the way for future management. The literature holds an expansive collection of historical findings regarding oral cancer, yet the authors were unable to find a comprehensive review of oral cancer treatment throughout the ages. METHODS: A thorough literature review was carried out using multiple scientific databases and languages, as well as examination of historical archives. Articles were included for their relevance and their findings were assimilated. RESULTS: Part one of this article reveals a rich history of oral cancer treatment commencing in ancient times, with discussion of Egyptian, Greek and Roman practices, and travelling through the age of discovery to arrive at the dawn of scientific medicine in the 19th century. CONCLUSION: Part one demonstrates how fundamental concepts of oral cancer were discovered, and the significant impact medical innovation had on the success of oral cancer treatment.

The disease of Sigmund Freud: oral cancer or cocaine-induced lesion?

PURPOSE: Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychoanalysis, suffered from what was considered to be a malignant tumour spreading from the back of his palate. He underwent numerous surgical interventions and radiation therapy over the course of 16 years. Such a long survival casts a shadow of doubt on the diagnosis of oral cancer that was given to Freud. METHODS: The book "Freud: Living and Dying", in which the personal physician of Freud described in detail his patient's fight with oral cancer, was reviewed. Current and past evidence, as well as epidemiological data, on oral cancer and cocaine-induced midline destructive lesions were also reviewed. RESULTS: Tobacco and cocaine are both responsible for oral lesions and Freud was a dedicated cigar smoker as well as a user and defender of cocaine. Freud's medical records indicate that the main cause of Freud's oral disease was excessive smoking. On the other hand, the diagnosis of oral cancer does not seem to be entirely consistent with the 16-year-long survival of Freud. Freud used cocaine regularly in the 1890s, as reported by his personal physician, and it is possible that he continued taking it beyond that time period without feeling the need to inform his doctor. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that the lesion that progressively and very slowly eroded the splanchnocranial structures of Freud was not a bona-fide cancerous malignancy, but rather, the necrotizing effect of cocaine use that has been previously reported to be responsible for some massive facial destructive lesions.

Historical Evolution of the Polymorphous Adenocarcinoma.

The 2017 World Health Organization Classification of Head and Neck Tumors introduced for the first time the diagnostic terminology "cribriform variant of polymorphous adenocarcinoma". This nomenclature attempts to reconciliate the ongoing taxonomical controversy related to cribriform adenocarcinoma of tongue. In order to better understand this classification conundrum, it is imperative for pathologist to comprehend the historical evolution of polymorphous adenocarcinoma formerly known as polymorphous "low grade" adenocarcinoma. This review highlights our understanding of these tumors since their origins.

Origins in the USA in the 1980s of the warning that smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes: a historical, documents-based assessment with implications for comparative warnings on less harmful tobacco/nicotine products.

BACKGROUND: Before the 1980s in the USA, smokeless tobacco carried no health warnings, was not judged to cause disease, and was a declining practice. In 1986, the federal government passed legislation requiring rotating warnings on "mouth cancer," "gum disease and tooth loss," and "This product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes." This paper explores the history of the establishment of these warnings with emphasis on the 'not a safe alternative' warning and the bases for claiming that smokeless was 'not safe' (absolute harm) versus 'not safer than cigarettes' (relative harm). METHODS: Results of searches of Truth Tobacco Industry Document archives and transcripts of legislative hearings were analyzed. Critical assessments were made of the evidence-base. RESULTS: New evidence of oral cancer causation emerged along with a much-publicized case of a teenager dying of oral cancer. Public health concerns also arose over a widespread, successful marketing campaign implying smokeless was a safe alternative to cigarettes. Industry wanted pre-emptive federal warnings, to prevent a diversity of pending state warnings. To avoid an addiction warning, the industry accepted a compromise 'not a safe alternative' warning, which had not been initially proposed and which the cigarette industry may have sought in order to constrain the smokeless tobacco industry. The evidence presented supported smokeless only as 'not safe' and not 'as harmful as cigarette smoking.' CONCLUSIONS: The comparative warning was a compromise to prevent an addiction warning and consistent with the preferences of cigarette companies. Prior surveys indicated that the public generally did not view smokeless tobacco as harmless, but they did generally report smokeless as less harmful than cigarettes despite expert interpretations to the contrary. As would not have been appreciated by public health supporters at the outset, subsequent research has shown that the 'not a safe alternative' message is misinterpreted by consumers to indicate that smokeless is 'not safer' than cigarettes-which was not established and has been disconfirmed by subsequent assessments of that question. Though many countries have banned smokeless tobacco (but not cigarettes), where smokeless is legally available accurate information on the nature of harms and differential harms needs to be developed.

Oral cavity cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2010.

PURPOSE: To analyze the incidence and mortality of oral cavity cancer in the cancer registration areas of China in 2010. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Until June 1, 2013, 219 population-based cancer registries submitted the data of 2010 to the National Central Cancer Registry of China covering about 207,229,403 population, and 120 cancer registries were selected after the quality evaluation for this analysis. Oral cavity cancer cases were selected from the database according to the International Classification of Diseases-10 coded as "C00-C10, C11-C12." We calculated the crude incidence and mortality rates of oral cavity cancer by sex, age, and location (urban/rural). The China population in 2000 and Segi's population were used as standardized populations for the calculation of age standardized rates. RESULTS: In 2010, it was estimated that there were 34,319 new cases diagnosed as oral cavity cancer in China, including 23,096 males and 11,223 females. The crude incidence rate of oral cavity cancer was 2.61/100,000 in 2010, accounting for 1.11% of overall new cancer cases, ranked the 20th in all cancer sites. The age standardized by China population (ASRcn) and by world population (ASRwld) were 2.06/100,000 and 2.02/100,000, respectively. Cumulative rate (0-74 years old) and truncated age standardized rate (35-64 years old) were 0.23% and 3.82/100 000, respectively. In 2010, it was estimated that there were 14,652 cases died in oral cavity cancer in China, including 10,363 males and 4289 females. The crude mortality rate of oral cavity cancer was 1.11/100,000 in 2010, accounting for 0.75% of overall cancer deaths, ranked the 20th in all cancer sites. The ASRcn and ASRwld were 0.86/100,000 and 0.85/100,000, respectively. Cumulative rate and truncated age standardized rates were 0.10% and 1.30/100,000, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both the incidence and mortality of oral cavity cancer in China were still low in 2010. Primary prevention such as smoking control, reducing alcohol consumption, changing the habit of chewing betel nut, and chemical prevention should be enhanced in the general population.

[Freud in Carinthia. A historical search]. / Freud in Kärnten--Eine Recherché.

This paper sheds some new light on four visits of Freud to Carinthia between 1898 and 1923. New information from contemporary sources is added to already known facts (patient visit in 1898; encounters with Alban Berg in 1900 and 1907).

Determinación de la cicloxigenasa-2en carcinoma escamocelular de lengua bien diferenciado, moderadamente diferenciado y poco diferenciado / Determination of cyclooxigenase-2 in well-differentiated, moderately differ entiated and P oorly differ entiated squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue

Propósito: Determinar y comparar la expresión de la cicloxigenasa-2 (COX-2) en el carcinomaescamocelular de lengua (CECL) según el grado de diferenciación, con la finalidadde explorar si este puede ser un marcador molecular útil en el diagnóstico y pronóstico delcáncer de la cavidad oral. Métodos: Se utilizaron 45 especímenes con CECL, 15 de ellos biendiferenciados, 12 moderadamente diferenciados, 18 mal diferenciados, un control positivode carcinoma de colon y un control negativo de mucosa oral sana. La identificación de laCOX-2 se obtuvo por medio de inmunohistoquímica. Resultados: La muestra de mucosalingual sana expresó la COX-2 en bajo nivel; el 60 % de las quince muestras de carcinomaescamocelular diferenciado mostraron un bajo nivel de expresión, el 41,3 % de 12 muestrasde carcinoma moderadamente diferenciado mostraron una alta expresión, y el 74 % de 18muestras de carcinoma no diferenciado mostraron una alta expresión de la enzima. Conclusión:La expresión de la COX-2 aumenta si el carcinoma es indiferenciado, lo cual sugiereque esta enzima podría desempeñar un papel importante en el desarrollo histopatológicodel CECL, tanto en las etapas iniciales como en las tardías...

Aim: Determine and compare the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in squamouscell carcinoma of the tongue (SCCT) in three degrees of differentiation, in order to verify ifthis may be a molecular marker useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of oral cavity cancer.Methods: The sample consisted of 45 specimens with SCCT (15 well-differentiated, 12 moderatelydifferentiated, 18 poorly differentiated), a positive control (colon carcinoma) and anegative control (healthy oral mucosa). The identification of COX-2 was obtained throughimmunohistochemistry. Results: Samples of healthy lingual mucosa showed a low expressionof COX-2, 60 % of the 15 samples of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma showeda low expression of COX-2, 41.3 % of 12 samples of moderately differentiated carcinomashowed high expression, and 74 % of the 18 non-differentiated carcinoma samples showeda high expression of the enzyme. Conclusion: The expression of COX-2 increases in lessdifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma, which suggests that identification of COX-2 in thehistologic development of squamous carcinoma of the tongue might be important in thedifferentiation of both, the early and late stag es...

Lorenz Heister and oral disease with the original text from his papers.

Lorenz Heister (1683-1758) was the major academic surgeon of the eighteenth century. He served as an army surgeon in a number of campaigns and eventually became the professor of anatomy and surgery at Altdorf University. In 1739, he published a comprehensive book on surgery that became the standard text on the subject. It was widely reprinted and translated into many languages. The English version was the first systematic treatise on surgery to appear in that language. The book has many chapters devoted to diseases of the mouth and their treatment.

[The history of tooth dyeing].

While tooth dyeing is a disappearing custom, the pharmaceutical benefits of paan in India are now being studied for other reasons. The oral carcinogenicity of betel nuts, the traditional ingredient in paan, however, has been causing paan users to replace betel with canari or lime. As a consequence of this trend, the pharmaceutical interest of paan is no longer in betel, but in the health-promoting properties of Uncaria gambir. This article has been prepared as an interim record of the progress of the author's research into this field, and was presented in the December 2006 meeting of the [symbol see text].

Tobacco or oral health: past progress, impending challenge.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW: A number of significant events and research findings during the past 15 years have led to the dental profession's growing involvement in tobacco-use intervention activities. The author presents an overview of events and people responsible for the progress in furthering the cause of dentistry's activism in tobacco-use prevention and control. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentistry has led the health professions in establishing a protocol for the prevention of tobacco use, a health behavior that causes or contributes to various oral diseases and adverse conditions. Dentists practicing in the 21st century cannot ignore patients' tobacco use. Treatment prognoses for periodontal therapy, wound healing, dental implants, cosmetic treatments and cancer therapy all are compromised by patients' tobacco use. Dentists must know what to do and say to prevent patients' tobacco use and aid patients in its cessation.