oral cancer screening – Page 2

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|

Oral cancer screenings a must, say malpractice attorneys

Source: Dr.Bicuspid.com By: Donna Domino March 10, 2011 -- The patient was insistent: All she wanted was to get her teeth whitened for an upcoming high school reunion. She came in for the $99 Internet special the dentist had run and mentioned a sore on her tongue, but she said it was recent, attributing it to a tongue-biting habit. The dentist did the procedure but advised the patient that she needed a follow-up oral exam. The patient eventually went to an oral surgeon who diagnosed the young mother with terminal tongue cancer. She sued the dentist who did the teeth whitening for malpractice, for missing her oral cancer. That case, Tale of the Tainted Tongue, was dramatized at the recent Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting in a session highlighting the growing number of malpractice suits over missed oral cancer screenings. Anne Oldenburg, an attorney with Alholm, Monahan, Klauke, Hay & Oldenburg, which specializes in dental malpractice cases, participated in the mock trial. Ten years ago she didn't have many such cases, she told DrBicuspid.com. But that scenario has changed dramatically in recent years, she said, noting that she is currently involved in three dental malpractice cases. The mock trial was similar to a previous lawsuit she handled, in which a young man in his 40s died. "It was oral cancer that was clearly missed," Oldenburg recalled. The family settled for $750,000 because the children didn't want to go through the litigation process, but many death cases can reach $1 million [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-03-14T11:58:49-07:00March, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Expand the search for oral cancer

Dentistry's responsibilities remain vital in stopping cancer deaths By: Donna Grzegorek, RDH Source: RDH magazine As dental professionals, we have a remarkable opportunity to affect the health and well-being of each patient we treat. This responsibility manifests itself in patients' expectations, which is to inform them of disease at the earliest possible moment. This is the fifth consecutive year in which there has been an increase in the rate of occurrence of oral cancers; yet, for several decades the mortality rates for this insidious disease remained virtually unchanged. OCF As dental professionals and health-care providers, we have an obligation to be vigilant in our commitment to early detection, raising awareness, and the management of the cancer for which we as a profession are held accountable. Approximately 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. This menacing disease will cause 8,000 deaths, killing approximately one person per hour, 24 hours a day. Of these 37,000 newly-diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will survive five years. The mortality rate for oral cancer is higher than that of other cancers we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, and endocrine system cancers such as thyroid or skin cancer (malignant melanoma). If you expand the definition of oral cancers to include cancer of the larynx, for which the risk factors are indistinguishable, the number of diagnosed cases grows to approximately 50,000 individuals and 13,500 deaths per year in the United States [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-02-18T10:06:03-07:00February, 2011|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

VELscope used to screen Olympic athletes for oral cancer

Source: www.dentaleconomics.com Author: staff LED Dental has announced that the VELscope oral cancer screening system is being used to conduct oral cancer screenings for up to 800 athletes at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. The International Olympic Committee mandated that 20% of athletes--up from 10% four years ago--receive a comprehensive examination to include a screening for oral cancer. The device selected to conduct the screenings is the VELscope system, which was developed in British Columbia by LED Dental in collaboration with the British Columbia Cancer Agency. The VELscope has been used to conduct an estimated 3 million screenings in the past year. During the Vancouver Games, a team of 72 dentists and volunteer assistants is anticipated to have approximately 800 athletes sit in their dental chairs not only for oral cancer screenings, but for everything from routine dental care to trauma surgery. Dr. Jack Taunton, co-chief medical officer of the Games, said athletes are so nomadic they tend to defer dental care. So Dr. Taunton is hoping many of them take advantage of the care they can get while in Vancouver and Whistler. "Year-round, the alpine athletes follow winter around the world to train, and they are at higher risk of lip and mouth cancers because of the altitude and sun exposure," he said. "The skin on the lips is thin and poorly protected. The damage is cumulative and you have to consider they are exposed to these intense ultraviolet rays for up to 30 years, [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-02-18T22:31:31-07:00February, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Oral health suffers in down economy

Source: www.myjournalcourier.com Author: Katie Anderson As layoffs and furlough days continue to eat away at pocket books, local dentists say they’ve noticed a decrease in the area’s appetite for oral health care. Dental health care experts are concerned. “I think a lot of preventative care has become affected by people’s economic situations,” said Randall Lawson, a doctor of dental surgery and owner of College Avenue Dental in Jacksonville. “I have two hygienists that do preventive care, cleanings, et cetera, and they have seemed to become less busy as of late.” He said although the summer time is busier due to children being out of school, his office has seen more cancellations than usual. William Weller, a doctor of dental surgery with an office on West Lafayette Avenue, has seen a similar trend at his practice. “Whenever we have a downturn or anything like this there are several things that happen,” Dr. Weller said. “Probably the most significant is people looking for ways to cut corners — looking to delay or postpone their six-month checkups. It’s kind of unfortunate because yes, they’ll save 100 bucks on a checkup but they’ll pay later.” Dr. Weller said the people he and his fellow dentists treat in the area, for the most part, “are really honest people.” “If they don’t have the money they don’t want to come in and incur a debt,” he explained. “Which is laudable to some degree, but something that we worry about.” They worry for many reasons. One, most [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-06-28T16:49:49-07:00June, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Early oral cancer detection: Why you? Why now?

Source: www.rdhmag.com Author: Jonathan A. Bregman, DDS, FAGD What motivates any of us as dental health-care providers? Specifically, what motivates us to do a complete early oral cancer screening? As I travel around the country discussing the topic of early oral cancer detection, four key motivators stand out. 1. Malpractice risk Are you familiar with these malpractice facts? - Lack of diagnosis or delayed diagnosis of oral cancer is the No. 2 reason for malpractice claims in the U.S. -The average claim is settled for approximately 1 million ? yes 1 million ? dollars - The average age of claimants is early 40s - It is the hardest suit to defend Did that get your attention? I hope so! Why do so many dentists lose these lawsuits, with some dentists literally now unable to purchase malpractice insurance at all? The answer is simple: The lack of a complete and properly recorded early oral cancer screening examination. Maybe this could be your motivator to incorporate an early oral cancer screening system into your office. 2. The right way to practice dentistry In dentistry, as with all professions, the terms "best practice" or "excellence in service/care" are very broad. How dentistry is performed on a daily basis is up to the individual practitioner and his/her dental team. Also, included in the mix is the number of "unique" or "different" procedures performed in the office. Thus, defining excellent care or "the right way to practice dentistry" varies. A complete early oral cancer screening may [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-05-09T09:25:08-07:00May, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Crest, Wal-Mart, Henry Schein, Inc., USC Team up with Oral Cancer Foundation for Free Public Oral Cancer Screening

6/14/2005 Los Angeles, CA U.S. Newswire Volunteer dentists from the USC School of Dentistry will offer free oral cancer screenings to the public on: From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18 At Wal-Mart located at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 4101 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. Over 1500 people are expected to attend. In the first of what the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) anticipates becoming a national outreach opportunity, Crest, Wal- Mart, and Henry Schein Inc. have teamed up with the foundation to raise awareness and the early detection of oral cancer across America. Bernard Parks, Councilmember of District 8, is scheduled to appear for an oral cancer screening. Brian Hill, Founder and Executive Director of OCF stated, "Oral cancer is not widely known to the majority of Americans, however the death rate from this cancer is higher than that of many we routinely hear about, such as cervical, prostate, or skin cancer. When we have the opportunity to get out into public venues, we are able to not only screen people for the disease, but to educate them on the risk factors and signs and symptoms of it. The end result is that people can learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease in its early stages, when it is most curable." Over 30,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with oral cancer annually. Of those, only half them will be alive in five years - that equates to a death rate of one person every hour [...]

Webmaster2008-07-09T21:08:27-07:00June, 2005|OCF In The News|