lichen planus – Oral Cancer News

Focus on: Oral Pathology

Source: www.dentistrytoday.com Author: Ashley Clark, DDS Ashley Clark, DDS, discusses the specialized field of oral pathology—from what an oral pathologist does, to how to become one, and when to refer your patients to one. Q: First, what is an oral pathologist? A: An oral pathologist is a job description that is difficult to define, but we all have one thing in common: We are trained in microscopy to diagnose oral, skin, and jaw lesions. That is the most essential part of the profession that binds us all. We are also trained in clinical oral pathology—how to identify and manage oral diseases. Usually, oral pathologists work in academic institutions. This means we must do a combination of teaching, service, and research. After a decade in academia, I have chosen a transition to private practice, which is a bit rare for our profession. I spend my mornings driving around the city picking up biopsy specimens, then sign-in for cases that I receive from across the country. I also serve on a tumor board with my colleagues specializing in otolaryngology, radiology, speech therapy, prosthodontics, etc. Finally, I will provide about 70 continuing education courses/lectures this year (ranging from one to 16 hours long), which is more than normal. However, teaching is my favorite thing to do, so I tend to keep my schedule packed. Q: When should someone refer to an oral pathologist? A: If you are lucky enough to have an oral pathologist (or an oral medicine specialist) in your area, the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2023-08-03T06:02:27-07:00August, 2023|Oral Cancer News|

Detecting suspicious lesions: what do I say next?

Source: dentistry.co.uk Author: Philip Lewis Dental team members are amazing. They put patients at their ease and provide treatment for their dental issues. They improve smiles, boost self-confidence and they save lives. Yes, you read that right. There aren’t many opportunities for dental team members to be lifesavers. Detecting mouth cancer at an early stage is one of them. It’s an initiative for the whole dental team. Both clinical and non-clinical team members have a vital part to play. From a receptionist noticing changes in a patient’s voice, a practice manager spotting a swelling they haven’t seen before to a clinician picking up on a soft-tissue abnormality, we all get the chance to be pivotal in protecting a patient’s wellbeing. Risk factors We know there are risk factors we should be aware of: the use of tobacco in any form, regular use of alcohol, especially spirits, social deprivation with its associated problems of nutrition and vitamin deficiency. It is understood that increasing age is a factor and that men are more likely than women to get the disease. We appreciate the significant effects of infection that certain strains of HPV have had recently but realise how important it is to examine all adults. Many sufferers have no identifiable risk factors. During the clinical examination, we’ll be looking for anything unusual, including: Red, white or mixed patches Ulcers that don’t heal within a maximum of three weeks Swellings Changes to normal appearance or texture and lumps in the face or neck [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2021-11-19T07:02:03-07:00November, 2021|Oral Cancer News|

Jay Aston, singer: ‘I have a leg scar and one on my neck, but it’s a small price to pay for life’

Source: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk Author: Gabrielle Fagan Jay Aston says she no longer stresses about "silly little things". After being diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2018, the former Bucks Fizz star was left wondering whether she would ever sing again - or even survive. The experience rocked her world. But Aston, part of the original band that stormed to victory in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and went on to sell millions of records, is still performing with Mike Nolan and Cheryl Baker in The Fizz, a new version of the group. Before lockdown hit, they'd been busy touring and promoting their latest album, Smoke And Mirrors. The enforced break has given her time to reflect on the "incredibly tough" two-year journey, which "made me re-evaluate my life", says Aston. "Surviving an experience like that makes you realise the simple things and pleasures you took for granted. "We all get so upset about minor things and miss the fact that whatever's happening, if you're here it is a good day." Aston (59) who's among a host of celebrities taking part in The Smiling Sessions - online sing-alongs to entertain care homes residents and isolated elderly people, - recalls the moment doctors revealed she had cancer. "The whole thing was such a shock and completely devastating. Also I had no idea what effect the surgery would have on my voice," she recalls. "I'm from a show-business family and singing and dancing is in my DNA and part of my identity, and to have [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2020-07-13T05:33:29-07:00July, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Management strategies for oral potentially malignant disorders

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Joel M. Laudenbach, DMD Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) include oral leukoplakia (OL), oral erythroplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, oral lichen planus, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, and actinic keratosis. Once an OPMD has been clinically diagnosed, execution of management strategy is critical. When formulating the strategy, healthcare providers should consider histopathology, lesion characteristics (ie, surface texture, unifocal, multifocal), lesion location in the mouth (ie, tongue, floor of mouth), patient risk factor assessment, and a detailed medical/cancer history. In this newly published article, Nadeau and Kerr[1] detail various parameters surrounding evaluation and management of OPMDs. The authors make it clear that OPMDs are challenging, each with their own nuances regarding risk for malignant transformation. For example, when OL is unifocal, nonhomogeneous, nodular, or verrucous, there is a much higher chance of the OL becoming dysplastic (12.63-fold) or demonstrating a focus of carcinoma (8.9-fold) when compared with homogeneous types of OLs.[1] Provider knowledge of these variables is critical when counseling patients about their diagnosis and management options and when selecting interventions along with follow-up care. Although progression to malignancy is difficult to predict with OPMDs, clinicians can account for multiple risk factors such as smoking/alcohol status, high-risk location in the oral cavity, and size of lesion (>200 mm2) to help formulate a tailored management plan for each patient. Consultation with an oral pathologist to discuss the histologic appearance in the context of specific patient history and lesion characteristics can provide additional perspective and/or recommendations. Modifiable oral cavity cancer risks related to [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2018-03-16T07:46:35-07:00March, 2018|Oral Cancer News|

Oral epithelial dysplasia: What does it really mean?

Source: www.rdhmag.com Author: Nancy W. Burkhart, RDH, EdD Patients are sometimes followed for periods of time for what is called dysplasia, leukoplakia, keratotic lesions, and previous frank carcinoma. With any degree of tissue change, the person should be followed closely and an etiology always needs to be determined. Sometimes, removal of a frictional component is suggested; at other times, the lesion may have a more ominous appearance that will alert the clinician that cancer might be high on the differential list. Obviously, in highly suspicious lesions, a biopsy would occur immediately. Patients will sometimes tell the clinician that they were previously biopsied and the report will note "evidence of dysplasia." Sometimes a diagnosis is made of dysplasia, but the lesion becomes carcinoma over time, even after the initial removal of the lesion. The reverse may be true as well, where the body responds physically and the tissue regains a state of health. Why does one individual develop carcinoma while another person may develop a mild epithelial dysplasia? Perhaps the body is able to stop progression or reverse the state of progression. These are questions that researchers continue to evaluate and study. Frictional keratosis, though, is not in the same category as dysplasia. When the frictional component is removed, the lesion will subside. An example of a common lesion that has a frictional component is cheek chewing or morsicatio buccarum. However, chronic frictional or chemical assault on the tissue over time can also cause dysplastic changes. The body has [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-08-18T18:12:31-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer: How discovery devices assist screenings

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Nick Efthimiadis, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, LED Dental Inc. As the intense media attention surrounding Michael Douglas’s illness clearly demonstrated, oral cancer is increasingly in the news these days. With the unfortunate growth in the number of relatively young people contracting the disease due to exposure to the sexually-transmitted human papilla virus — specifically, the HPV-16 strain — oral cancer will only become a bigger concern for both patients and dental practices over time. In fact, the Oral Cancer Foundation recently announced that HPV-16 has now replaced tobacco as the leading cause of this disease. Sadly, one North American dies every hour of every day from oral cancer, and many of those who survive the disease are forced to deal with lengthy, painful treatment and permanent disfigurement. The main problem is that oral cancer is typically discovered in late stages, when the five-year survival rate is only around 30%. The good news: when discovered early, the survival rate leaps to 80%-to-90%. The key to early discovery is the dental practice. Ideally, each and every practice should be conducting a two-step oral cancer screening on all adult patients as part of their annual or semi-annual hygiene checkup. The first step consists of a conventional “white light” exam comprising visual inspection and palpation. The second step consists of examination with an adjunctive screening device. Fortunately, the two steps should take no more than five minutes combined. For the past several years, the adjunctive device that has [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-04-10T17:42:46-07:00April, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Oral cancer screenings: dental professionals can save lives

Source: www.dentistryiq.com Author: Michelle Kratt I am sure that you have heard of HPV (human papillomavirus)? Did you know that some types of HPV can cause oral cancer? Recent studies in the United States indicate that HPV is now the leading cause of head and neck cancers at 64%, even rising above smoking, tobacco chewing, and drinking alcohol. Oral cancer accounts for 2% to 4% of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. The number of oral cancer cases is steadily rising, and today it is showing up in younger patients. More than 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause more than 8,000 deaths, killing roughly one person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 37,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in five years. The death rate for these types of cancer is so high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but because it is caught too late in its development, with 70% found in Stage III or IV. Aside from the usual risk factors — tobacco and alcohol, ultraviolet light, poor nutrition, immune system suppression, lichen planus, and history of cancer — the addition of HPV as a risk factor for oral cancer has made it extremely difficult to easily define high-risk individuals (25% of mouth cancers and 35% of throat cancers are caused by HPV). Another risk factor, although controversial, is ill-fitting dentures. It has been suggested that long-term [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-03-21T12:28:36-07:00March, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

‘A second opinion saved our lives’ say the patients who refused to accept their GP’s diagnosis

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk Author: Marianne Power We all trust our GPs to give the correct diagnosis. But doctors CAN get it wrong - with potentially disastrous consequences. These patients prove you should never be too embarrassed to ask for a second opinion. We all want to believe what doctors tell us, especially when they're assuring us that nothing is wrong. But sometimes there remains that niggling doubt - something tells you all is not right. 'Trusting your instinct is important. Doctors do make mistakes and sometimes you know your body better than anyone else,' says Dr Graham Archard, vice chairman of the Royal College of GPs. 'I can remember a patient who was convinced he had bowel cancer, but all the tests came back clear. He wanted a second opinion so we referred him to another consultant for more tests, which showed that he did have cancer. 'I don't know if the cancer developed between the first and second appointment or if the first consultant missed it, but the patient's instincts were right. As a GP I don't take it personally if someone asks for a second opinion. If any doctor does take offence, they are too full of themselves, and it's time to stop practising. 'If you are concerned, first talk to your GP, and allow them to explain how they came to their diagnosis. Sometimes this alone can make you feel better. 'If it doesn't, ask to see another GP in the practice or to be referred to a [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-28T08:28:49-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|