They may not look scary but the facts regarding oral cancers are very scary;
- 34,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year.
- Of these 34,000 newly diagnosed people, 48% will be dead within five years.
- Oral cancer, unlike many other cancers, has not shown a decrease in mortality in the last 30 years.
- 25% of oral cancers occur in people with no known risk factors.
- Oral cancer occurrence is rising in young people, women, and non-smokers - those people traditionally thought of as being protected from oral cancers. This is often caused by HPV, the human papilloma virus, the same virus that causes 95% of cervical cancer.
- Oral cancer is as common as leukemia and it claims more lives than melanoma and cervical cancers.
Several methods are available for detecting and screening for oral cancers. One method used is a "brush biopsy." These have been around for several years. It consists of a little brush that your dentist will use to scrape off some of the mucosal cells. The brush gets sent to an outside laboratory for analysis.
Another method is the Velscope. The Velscope is an early oral cancer detection device that uses a light to visualize abnormal cells. Oral cancers can be seen by the naked eye only when they are quite advanced. This is why the mortality rate of oral cancers is so high. The Velscope is an inexpensive screening tool that can be utilized to see these cellular changes early on.
The Vizlite is another device that uses light to visualize cellular changes. These methods also can detect a change in the cells below the surface of the tissue.
In the event of a positive test, all these methods would be followed up with a biopsy for definitive diagnosis.
The main purpose of these methods is to catch a cancer early on. As with any cancer, early detection is the key. All of these tests are simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive. If you have any concerns or have risk factors in your lifestyle, don't wait! Check it out. Your life could depend on it.
