AS SEEN ON THE DR. OZ SHOW

Shining a Spotlight on Oral Cancer

Nationally Syndicated Show Addresses an Under-Informed Public

Vancouver, BC The looming risk of oral cancer was brought to the forefront of the public’s attention on a recently-aired episode of The Dr. Oz Show. The Oral Cancer Foundation estimates that approximately 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. According to estimates from the show, 25% of all oral cancer cases are fatal. Now new research suggests young people including young women need to be aware of the risk factors. The show was emphatic in urging patients to be aggressive when it comes to partnering with their dental professional in screening for potential symptoms. Although one of the most deadly forms of cancer, early detection can help mitigate risk and save lives.

Right now, the general public is under-informed about oral cancer. There are many risk factors that are not on anyone’s radar, and they need to be. Smoking, using smokeless tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, sun exposure and, as was recently discovered, HPV infection from unsafe oral sex can all lead to oral cancer. The show not only informed viewers of these risks, but also stressed the importance of early detection. In the opinion of the show, dental patients must hold their dentists responsible, and insist on having an oral cancer screening, even when it is not readily offered. These screenings have the potential to save lives, itbs as simple as that.

The show highlighted several oral cancer screening techniques including the new VELscope Vx. Found in over 6,000 practices, the VELscope Vx is a handheld device that provides a simple, quick and noninvasive screening procedure. Utilizing tissue fluorescence, VELscope Vx reveals irregular and precancerous mucosal cells within the oral cavity, including lesions that might not be visible to the naked eye. The early identification of these cells can lead to early treatment and the saving of the patient’s life.

Click here to learn more about VELscope Vx.

VELscope: It Could Save Your Life

Each year, more than 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer. Thanks to an amazing new technology, VELscope, dentists and hygienists can quickly and painlessly screen for oral cancer. With an early diagnosis, oral cancer has an 80-percent cure rate. Learn more…

Did you know that oral cancer steals the life of one American every hour? Approximately 37,000 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2010. Only half of patients diagnosed with oral cancer will survive longer than five years. Because it is often detected in the later stages, oral cancer's mortality rate is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, brain, liver, kidney, or ovarian cancer. Treatment for oral cancer often causes disfiguration and lessens the patient’s quality of life.

Thanks to an amazing new technology, VELscope, dentists and hygienists can quickly and painlessly screen for oral cancer. VELscope is a fluorescence-based identification system that detects tissue abnormalities and is used in combination with traditional visual exams.

All adults should have an annual VELscope exam because a quarter of oral cancer victims are non-smokers, don't drink, and have no lifestyle factors to heighten their oral cancer risk. Men over 40 and women between the ages of 20 and 40 are the most prone to the disease. Patients with lifestyle risks, including any tobacco use, daily alcohol consumption, viral infections, autoimmune deficiencies like HIV, and diabetes, may need more frequent evaluations.

The screening involves use of a special light to illuminate abnormal cells so that they appear distinctly different from the surrounding normal tissue.

While the statistics on oral cancer are, when found and treated in the early stages the condition has an 80 to 90-percent cure rate. Ask your dentist about whether you could benefit from a VELscope oral cancer screening.