09 Nov Oral Cancer Screening Could Save Your Life
The Oral Cancer Foundation has designated April as Oral Cancer Awareness Month, and at Desiree T. Palmer, DMD, PA and Associates we want to do our part to inform our friends in Durham, NC, about this disease. Oral cancer kills almost 10,000 people every year. While a serious disease, early detection can lead to treatment that could save your life.
Oral cancer is particularly deadly among those in whom it develops. Of the nearly 50,000 people who will develop it this year, only just over half will still be alive five years from now. Oral cancer is so dangerous not because it is hard to detect and properly diagnose, but because it is often discovered very late in its development. In fact, it is often only detected once it has metastasized to another location, like the lymph nodes. It can grow and spread without knowledge of the patient for a long time, often producing no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can be overlooked by patients as stubborn canker sores or other maladies.
The best defense against oral cancer is to be regularly screened. That is why at Desiree T. Palmer, DMD, PA and Associates, we offer a screening with your regular cleaning. Traditional screenings involve a naked-eye oral examination and tactile inspection, but this method can leave premalignant abnormalities undiscovered. So we use Identafi® oral cancer screening technology to give the best examination possible. It uses a safe, powerful light to detect abnormal tissues a traditional screening might miss.
If you want to learn more about oral cancer or wish to get involved with Oral Cancer Awareness Month, visit the OCF’s website at www.oralcancer.com. Please call our office at 919-471-9106 with questions about your whole mouth health and to schedule your screening today.
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