A Very Important Topic…

Detecting oral cancer

We’ve invested in a very important new technology.

We have always screened regularly for oral cancer, which is on the rise – particularly among young adults who have none of the known lifestyle risk factors like tobacco, alcohol use, diabetes, or HIV – but visual evidence can be elusive. That’s why we have acquired VELscope® , a state-of-the-art, painless, non-invasive screening tool that helps us to see what we can’t see with the unaided eye.

VELscope does not diagnose cancer, but it uses light and natural fluorescence to reveal potential problems when used during your regular exams. It takes only a minute and at the least can provide you with peace of mind. Most importantly, if oral cancer is caught early, the five-year survival rate can be as high as 90%. If not, the rate drops significantly.

The risk factors for oral cancer now include the human papilloma virus (HPV), linked to cervical cancer and now to oral cancer. This may account for the increased incidence of oral cancer among younger adults. In the U.S., it has been estimated that 80% of the population has or is a carrier of the dormant HPV.

We encourage an annual VELscope exam for all patients 18 and over. We will perform this oral cancer screening as part of your routine 12-month exam.