New Screening for Oral Cancer
Vizilite Plus Oral Cancer Screening
One person dies every hour from oral cancer in the United States – and the mortality has remained unchanged for the past 40 years. Late detection of oral cancer is the primary cause that both the incidence and mortality rates of oral cancer continue to increase. As with most other cancers, age is the primary risk factor for oral cancer. Though tobacco use is a major predisposing factor, 27% of oral cancer victims have no lifestyle risk factors. According to the American Cancer Society, more women in the United States will be diagnosed with oral caner this year (12,000 cases) than will be diagnosed with cervical cancer (< 10,000), and there are as many cases of oral cancer caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) as there are HPV-related cases of cervical cancer.
In our continuing efforts to provide the most advance technology and highest standard of care for our patients, we our now offering Vizilite Plus exams as an integral part of our annual comprehensive oral cancer screening. The Vizilite Plus exam helps us identify and evaluate suspicious areas of your mouth at their earliest stages. Early detection of pre-cancerous tissue can minimize or eliminate the potentially disfiguring effects of oral cancer and possibility save your life. THIS TEST ALLOWS US TO DETECT ORAL CANCER PRIOR TO NORMAL VISUALIZATION. This screening technology is similar to other screening technologies such as mammogram, Pap smear, PSA, and colonoscopy. These all offer early detection of cancer. The Vizilite Plus exam uses a mouth rinse to tag cells that are going abnormally, cancer cells, and a special light is used to visualize the abnormal cells. This test allows us to visualize cancer cells that are growing underneath your surface tissue that would not normally be visualized. The exam is painless, easy, inexpensive, and gives us the best chance to find any oral abnormalities you may have at the earliest possible stages. Please visit www.vizilite.com for more information.