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A New Diagnostic Tool for Oral Cancer By Brian
J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICOI Early detection capabilities recently have been enhanced by a new computer-assisted oral cancer screening tool. A nationwide study of 945 patients ranging in ages from 18 to 83 was conducted by dentists at 35 U.S. academic dental sites. Brush biopsy specimens were obtained from oral lesions as part of the extensive research, testing the accuracy of computer-assisted diagnostic equipment. The brush biopsy caused little or no bleeding and no anesthetic was required. The computer-assisted image analysis was used to identify suspicious cells in the samples. The computer analysis properly identified every case of pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions as confirmed by lab tests from their traditional tissue evaluations. Additionally, it also correctly identified some lesions that were benign in appearance, but were actually found to be pre-cancerous or cancerous. Had it not been for this new diagnostic equipment, they would have escaped detection and not received any additional testing. "Early evaluation of oral pre-cancerous lesions can have a dramatic impact on oral cancer mortality rates," says Dr. James J. Sciubba, DMD, PhD, professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at State University of New York at Stony Brook, who also serves as a spokesperson for the study. Early-stage oral cancers are not easily detectable by visual inspection and may be overlooked. The oral cancer scanner provides a new evaluation tool that can lead to a significant reduction in cancer deaths. An estimated 8,100 people will die from oral cancer this year. This new tool has shown remarkable merit as a reliable device in accurate diagnosis of oral cancer and a weapon in the fight against cancer. |