Did you know these startling facts about oral cancer?
- In the US, one patient dies of oral cancer every hour
- The death rate from oral cancer is now higher than cancers like cervical, thyroid, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular, laryngeal, or malignant melanoma
- Over 5,000 men and more than 2,000 women die each year of oral cancer primarily due to late diagnosis
- Over 40% of patients diagnosed with oral cancer have a non-contributory history—they don’t smoke or use smokeless tobacco, and they do not drink alcohol in excess
- There is a 500% increase of oral cancer among young people due to the sexual transmission of HPV 16 and 18 (Human Papilloma Virus)
- 62% of the cases of oral cancer diagnosed are Stage III or Stage IV with a poor prognosis
With all these troubling statistics, is there any good news? The answer is yes. With early detection, there can be an 80% to 90% survival rate. Dentists can have access to technology such as the Identafi® Oral Cancer Screening System that makes early detection possible. The device’s violet wavelength is the best excitation wavelength to discriminate between neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissue areas.
Even with oral cancer increasing at the rate of 11% each year, more physicians still diagnose oral cancer than dentists. With Identafi, dentists can become the frontline of defense against oral cancer and help save lives. Within the first six months of implementing the Identafi, Dr. L. Don Wilson diagnosed two cases of squamous cell cancer and two pre-cancerous lesions. He believes that if it’s helped save one life, then it’s well-worth the investment.
To read more about the Identafi® Oral Cancer Screening System, read the Sidekick Magazine article, What You Don’t See Will Hurt You… and Your Patients.
