VELscope

As part of our ongoing commitment to provide the highest standard of care for our patients, we are proud to introduce VELscope, a revolutionary screening device that provides our patients an adjunctive mucosal examination for the early detection of abnormal tissue and oral cancer.

Here are the Facts:

• Oral cancer is the 6th leading cancer in America
• Oral cancer has a higher rate of mortality than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, brain, liver, testicular, kidney, ovarian or skin cancer
• Detecting oral cancers in the very early stages is crucial
• Only 50% of patients diagnosed with oral cancer survive longer than five years after diagnosis.
• With early detection, the five year survival rate soars to 83%
• Until VELscope, techniques for oral cancer have been somewhat limited
• 70% of the lesions found during our visual and palpation exam are detected in Stage II and IV cancer
• One half of those patients (58%) will survive less than five years
• Recent data indicates that 25% of new oral cancer patients do not fit the profile of high risk
• The greatest increase of new oral cancer patients is under the age of 40 (60% increase in tongue cancer in the past three decades)
• 27% of oral cancers are found in young women ages 18-35 with no risk factors
• There are approximately 9,700 new cases of cervical cancer each year
• There are approximately 31,000 cases of oral cancer every year
• The estimated number of deaths due to oral cancer is more than twice that of cervical cancer
• Women routinely have a pap smear performed every year for the prevention of cervical cancer
• Less than a cost of a flu shot

Because of these risks to your health, our practice invested in a state-of-the-art VELscope system. As part of our conventional oral cancer examination, it can literally help us discover potentially dangerous tissue that we might otherwise miss. Of course, the odds are that we will not find anything that concerns us. But if we do, the VELscope device will increase our odds of finding it early rather than late.

An oral cancer examination using VELscope screening takes very little time, involves no pain or inconvenience, and is very affordable. Let’s plan to make this part of your next hygiene appointment, or call us to schedule an oral cancer screening today.

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