Annual Oral Cancer Screenings are Important

When oral cancer is found early, treatment can be successful 82% of the time. Unfortunately, when compared to the survival rate of other cancers, the survival rate of oral cancer has not improved greatly over the last 30 years.

Because early detection is a key to survival, Dr. Gary Halm's practice recommends an annual screening exam called ViziLite® Plus with TBlue. Used in conjunction with a routine head and neck examination performed in his office, Dr. Halm can help find abnormalities that could lead to cancer. This kind of screening can help save lives.

Who is at Risk?
The typical risk factors for oral cancer such as tobacco use and chronic alcohol consumption, may be commonly known, however, a new risk factor called HPV is now changing the face of oral cancer. HPV has long been known to cause cervical cancer in women and recent studies show that it may play a role in more than 25% of oral cancer cases.

The human papilloma virus is a common sexually transmitted virus that is thought to be causing oral cancer in an increasingly younger population. Few people, if any, even know they have it. That is why Dr. Halm recommends an annual ViziLite Plus exam.

How Does ViziLite Plus Work?
The ViziLite Plus exam is a painless exam that takes only a few minutes to perform. ViziLite Plus uses a light source that helps to improve the examiner's ability to identify abnormalities that may have been missed under normal lighting.

After Dr. Halm examines the patient's mouth to look for abnormalities, the patient will rinse with a solution that helps Dr. Halm conduct the ViziLite Plus exam. Then Dr. Halm examines the patient's mouth using ViziLite. If any suspicious lesion is detected, it will be marked with T-Blue, a blue dye, and documented.