VELscope: It Could Save Your Life
Did you know that oral cancer steals the life of one American every hour? You don’t hear much about oral cancer, but 34,000 patients were diagnosed with it in just 2007. Only half of patients diagnosed with oral cancer will survive longer than five years. As it is often detected in the later stages, oral cancer’s mortality rate is higher than that of cervical cancer, brain, liver, kidney, or ovarian cancer. Treatment for oral cancer often causes disfiguration and lessens a person’s quality of life.
Thanks to an amazing new technology, VELscope, dentists and hygienists can quickly and painlessly screen for oral cancer effectively. VELscope is a fluorescence-based identification system that detects tissue abnormalities and is used in combination with traditional visual exams.
All adults should have an annual VELscope exam because a quarter of oral cancer victims are non-smokers, don’t drink, and have no lifestyle factors to heighten their oral cancer risk. Men over 40 and women between the ages of 20 and 40 are the most prone to the disease, yet are usually unaware of their susceptibility to oral cancer. Patients with lifestyle risks, including any tobacco use, daily alcohol consumption, viral infections, autoimmune deficiencies like HIV, and diabetes may need more frequent evaluations.
The screening involves use of a special light to illuminate abnormal cells so that they appear distinctly different from the surrounding normal tissue.
While the statistics on oral cancer are discouraging, when the disease is found and treated in the early stages it has an 80 to 90-percent cure rate. This is why it is so important to be screened regularly to ensure your health. Ask Dr. Roberts or Dr. Cumberbatch about whether you could benefit from a VELscope oral cancer screening today!
ViziLite Detection
Oral cancer screening is key. Early detection with ViziLite Plus makes it simple. Oral cancer is one of the most curable diseases when it’s caught early. That’s why for your health; your dentist recommends we perform an annual ViziLite® Plus exam, in combination with a conventional visual examination. ViziLite Plus uses technology that has been proven successful in identifying precancerous and cancerous abnormalities. It is quick and painless. ViziLite Plus helps your doctor identify oral lesions at their earliest stage of development. When premalignant lesions or early stage oral cancer is found, treatment is simpler, less invasive and more than 90% successful. ViziLite Plus is a simple technology that assists dental professionals in the early detection of oral abnormalities including premalignant lesions and oral cancer. Quite simply, early detection can save lives. When oral cancer is found early, treatment is 90% successful. The ViziLite Plus exam improves the examiner’s ability to identify, evaluate and monitor abnormal areas that are difficult to see under conventional lighting.
News you can’t ignore:
One American dies every hour from oral cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates a 5.5% increase in new cases of oral cancer and a 1.5% increase in deaths associated with oral cancer: And if you think you aren’t at risk for oral cancer, think again: 25% of oral cancers occur in people who don’t smoke and have no other lifestyle risk factors.
“A few minutes once a year, is worth it for a healthier life.”
To optimize identification of all abnormalities, ViziLite Plus must be used in conjunction with a careful visual examination using direct incandescent light. 2007 Zila Pharmaceuticals, Inc ZZILA-31-2006
