ORAL CANCER PREVENTION

Although little appreciated, oral cancer is a frighteningly deadly disease with a mortality rate which has not dropped in the past few years. In North America alone it causes one death every hour. Even if it does not take a fatal course, it dramatically reduces the quality of life.

In the past men beyond age 40 years, who are heavy tobacco and alcohol users, were thought to carry the highest risk of developing oral cancer. This is no longer so: While 15% of those affected used to be females in the past, the rate of female involvement has meanwhile risen to some 33%. Researchers currently believe that 2 strains of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV) are the causal agents of oral cancer. This means that virtually everyone can fall victim to it.

Therefore, everyone beyond the age of 18 years should undergo preventive studies once a year. For heavy alcohol and tobacco users the intervals should be reduced to once every 6 months.

Studies showed that oral cancer is usually detected too late (in the late stages in 66% of cases). 5-year survival rates are about 50% in stage 3 to 4 disease. Even if the outcome is not fatal, those affected are physically handicapped for the rest of their lives, particularly if the condition is diagnosed late.
When diagnosed early, about 80% of the patients are likely to survive oral cancer, early meaning at a time at which tissue alterations are not yet seen by the naked eye.

Early detection is ensured by tissue fluorescence, a diagnostic tool for looking into the oral mucosa.

When tissues are exposed to white light, the light is reflected and helps the human eye to distinguish colors and surface textures. Some of the light is absorbed by the tissues and causes cell components to fluoresce. Their fluorescence is, however, masked by the reflected white light and cannot be perceived by the human eye, unless the white light is suppressed by filters.
If cells undergo changes with resultant tissue alterations, their capacity to fluoresce also changes.
This is the principle underlying the function of VELscope, a revolutionary technology for the prevention of oral cancer.
The patent-protected VELscope technology was developed in collaboration with the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Canada and was approved by the FDA and by Health Canada in 2007.

In Stuttgart Thomas Schröder has been the first dentist to use this new technique.