• 11/16/2005
  • Vancouver, B.C., Canada
  • staff
  • Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com)

The B.C. Cancer Agency has developed a new scope to detect oral cancer that will allow dentists to see changes in the mouth not visible to the naked eye.

The instrument, known as a VELscope, was pioneered with the help of a $2.5-million grant from the National Institute of Dental Craniofacial Research.

The blue light of the portable hand-held scope will enable dentists to see cancerous lesions that they could not otherwise detect under white light.

The device was recently showcased in Montreal at an international congress on new technologies, where it was reported that cheek cells could identify lung cancer.

The device was recently showcased in Montreal at an international congress on new technologies, where it was reported that cheek cells could identify lung cancer.

“What we’re trying to do is prevent the development of oral cancer, which is a really deadly disease,” said Dr. Miriam Rosin, senior scientist at the B.C. Cancer Agency.

“If you catch it late the spread is significant and it’s very difficult to control,” Dr. Rosin said.

The scope can be compared to the Pap smear screening for cervical cancer, she said.

Dentists will be able to use the VELscope to determine if patients need more evaluation through scrapings from the mouth.The scope is currently being used in a clinical trial of 400 patients.

Half of those people have already been treated for oral cancer and are being tracked to ensure they don’t develop a second cancer in the mouth, Dr. Rosin said.