Oral Cancer Screening

"I don't have cancer." Really?

Most people are surprised to learn that one American dies every hour from oral cancer; a death rate that has remained virtually unchanged for more than 40 years. In fact, recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that while the incidence and death rates for cancers overall has decreased, the incidence of oral cancer has increased by 5.5% and the death rate has increased by 1.5% Oral cancer is far too often discovered in late stage development, the primary reason for the consistently high death rate. Oral cancer treatment often results in disfiguring effects on patients, and can seriously compromise their quality of life. Early detection and diagnosis can make a tremendous difference in life expectancy; oral cancer is 90% curable when found in its early stages. Unfortunately, 70% of oral cancers are diagnosed in the late stages, III and IV, leading to a five-year survival rate of 57%.

THE DEADLY STATISTICS

Every hour of every day, one American dies of oral cancer. 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, Hodgkin's disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney, or ovary. More than 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.

Importance of Early Detection

Early detection is the key to reducing the devastating impact of oral cancer on victims and their families. Annual oral cancer screening of patients at increased risk for oral cancer, patients age 18 and older, and tobacco users of any age, is the only way to achieve the early detection of oral cancer necessary to reduce the death rate of oral cancer – a death rate that has remained unchanged for more than 40 years! To help in the fight against oral cancer, we recently use a new technology called ViziLite and using it together  with our conventional head and neck examination improves our ability to identify, evaluate and monitor suspicious areas at their earliest stages. This is important because abnormal cells in the mouth can progress to a pre-cancerous state with little warning, but early detection can minimize or eliminate the potentially disfiguring effects of oral cancer and possibly even save your life. ViziLite is a painless, non-invasive test that can be compared to similar screening tools used for other cancers, such as the mammogram for breast cancer, the PSA test for prostate cancer and a Pap smear for cervical cancer. ViziLite also is the only FDA-cleared technology device for the identification and monitoring of oral abnormalities that could lead to oral cancer