Oral Cancer
Are You At Risk?

In the US, one person dies from oral cancer every hour of every day, averaging about 8000 deaths a year. The reality is that most oral cancers are found as latter stage cancers, after they have either metastasized or invaded deeply into local structures. It is estimated that 38,000 people will develop oral cancer this year and of that number, 50% will not survive 5 years. 25% of these patients are now under the age of 40 and are not part of what we previously considered “high risk categories” (tobacco use, alcohol use, older population) Early detection is KEY!!!

Of the 38,000 diagnosed with oral cancer every year, only one half of those people will be alive in 5 years, mostly because so many of them are diagnosed too late. Oral cancers have a high rate of metastasis, meaning that they will migrate to other areas of the body, usually the lymph nodes, lungs and liver. They also aggressively invade their local original site, requiring surgical treatment of the primary tumor, which can leave the patient horribly disfigured. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the first line of treatment, followed by rehabilitation involving dentists, nutritionists, osteopathic, plastic and oral surgeons and physical therapists.

Oral cancer usually first starts as a small, innocuous-looking white or red spot that cannot be brushed or rubbed off. During its early stages it is usually not painful, which is why it often goes unnoticed. As it starts to mature, the margins of the lesion may become irregular, the lesion may change in color and it may increase in size. Nowadays, early detection of any suspicious lesion can be followed up non-surgically, using a product called the VELscope. The VELscope allows Dr. Alfe to see damaged cells BELOW the skin surface. Using the VELscope’s fluorescent lighting, Dr. Alfe can see tissue changes much earlier than with any other diagnostic aid. VELscope can identify an abnormality, but a definitive diagnosis can only be made by biopsy. The reason that oral cancer has such a poor survival rate is that it is normally diagnosed when it has progressed and metastasized. Oral cancer is often detected at a very advanced stage where treatment is not as effective. The other challenge in treatment is that it often involves radical surgery to remove the cancer and/or affected lymph nodes and many patients opt not to go through with this disfiguring surgery. Early detection saves lives! Call us at 773-348-2704 or email us at MichaelChicagoSmileSpa@gmail.comto schedule your VELscope oral cancer screening. Many dental insurance companies are covering most, if not all, of the charge. Go to www.velscope.com for more information.

The most common form of oral cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which accounts for 90% of all oral cancers diagnosed. When diagnosed and treated early in the disease process, patients can expect an 80-90% cure rate.

Causative factors for squamous cell carcinoma include, but are not limited to:

excessive alcohol consumption
tobacco use in any form (piper, cigars, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco)
betel nut chewing
exposure to certain strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

You may have seen commercials now for Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against certain strains of HPV. Two of these strains in particular, Strain 16 and 18, have been linked to increased risk for both cervical and oral cancer. Go to http://www.rdoc.org.uk/hpv.html for more information on this research. There is now an oral swab test available that will tell Dr. Alfe if the patient has been exposed to HPV, and if so, which strain of HPV has been detected. If a patient tests positive, Dr. Alfe recommends the patient have the VELscope test 3-4 times per year to check for any early changes. You can go to http://www.oraldna.com/Patients/Patients.aspx for more information on this test as well as the PerioPath tests that Dr. Alfe can perform to see if you are at risk for periodontal disease.

Combining alcohol and tobacco use increases a person's risk factor by 15 times. Diets high in fruits and vegetables reduce a person's risk of developing cancer. This type of diet is high in anti-oxidants which include vitamins C and E and beta-carotene. In fact, studies have shown that adhering to this type of diet while undergoing cancer treatment can even assist the body in fighting the disease by helping to repair defective DNA.

Oral cancer kills more people than prostate and ovarian cancer combined. This doesn't have to be the case. With proper screening on a regular basis, oral cancers can often be diagnosed and treated at an early stage, greatly increasing the patient's chance of recovery. There is no one better trained or qualified to be conducting regular oral cancer screenings than your own dentist.

Dr. Alfe, her team, and Gilda's Club are striving to raise the public's awareness of this disease, its process and its detection. If your dentist or dental hygienist is not performing an oral cancer and head and neck screening at each of your dental visits, you should be asking, "Why not?" A two-minute screening could save your life!

Here are some websites that have more information about this subject: