About Oral Cancer
One American dies every hour of every day from oral cancer. Recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that while the incidence and death rates for all cancers has decreased:
- the incidence of oral cancer has increased by 5.5% and the death rate has increased by 1.5%.
- the mortality rate associated with oral cancer has not improved significantly in the last 40 years.
- the death rate in the United States for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, laryngeal, Hodgkin's disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney, thyroid or ovary.
- over 30,000 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. In five years only 57% will still be alive.
- 27% of oral cancer victims do not use tobacco or alcohol and have no other lifestyle risk factors. A strain of human papilloma virus (HPV) is suspected as the cause.
Even successful oral cancer treatment can be disfiguring because often portions of the tongue, lips, cheeks and/or bone must be removed. This affects the quality of life by causing the inability to chew, speak, or even swallow. Many survivors become recluses because large sections of their lower face have been cut away.
The reason for these ghastly statistics is that while oral cancer is 90% curable when discovered early, 70% of oral cancers are usually not discovered until the late stages. Early detection and treatment can make a tremendous difference in life expectancy and quality of life.
This is why we are excited to announce that we have added a new FDA approved device as an aid to help discover any potential oral cancers early.
VELscope technology as part of a comprehensive oral screening
This new technology is a special light that is passed over oral tissue. Normal, healthy tissue and cancerous or pre-cancerous tissue appear different under this light. Also, an area that appears small on the surface could be revealed to be much larger underneath. A spot can be detected before it is visible to the naked eye.
The purpose of using the Velscope is to identify tissue changes at their earliest stage; once abnormal tissue has been identified it is up to your dental professional to determine what the appropriate next steps are.
No apparent lesion |
Normal fluorescence pattern |
Visible leukoplakia |
Irregular, dark area visible under fluorescence visualization. Biopsy-confirmed severe dysplasia |
No apparent lesion |
Irregular, dark area visible under fluorescence visualization. Biopsy-confirmed Carcinoma in Situ (CIS) |
We have made this a part of our already extensive comprehensive exam. It takes only a few minutes and you feel nothing. In the first months we have used this method we discovered 3 cases of oral cancer. This screening is so important that all of the staff have had this done.
For more information about Velscope technology, click here .