Dentist in Farnham, Surrey

Preventive Dentistry » Mouth Cancer Screening

ORAL CANCER SCREENING

In 2008 the practice invested in a revolutionary Oral Cancer Screening and Discovery Device for the early detection of abnormal soft tissues.

The 5-minute examination is non-invasive and uses a filtered blue light to emphasize any changes in the mouth that we could not normally see with the naked eye.

The Velscope was developed in North America in 2007 by the British Columbia Centre for Cancer Research and it has received approval by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) http://www.velscope.com/velscope/studies.php

Oral Cancer Facts

• 1,700 people die every year of mouth cancer - In the UK that's 1 death every 5 hours
• 4,300 new cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed annually
• The number of new mouth cancer cases increased by more than17% in the last 4 years
• Mouth cancer is more common in men than in women, but this gap is closing
• Smoking, drinking alcohol and poor diet are major risk factors.
• Smokers and heavy drinkers are 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer
• Mouth cancer is more likely to affect those over 40 years of age, although there are an increasing number of young people that are developing the condition
• Cancer can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, throat, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, sinus, and other sites located in the head and neck area. These "Mouth Cancers" have a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma
• When Oral cancer is discovered in the early stages the survival rate is very high, but when discovered in the late stages (which is normally the case), the survival rate is very low
• HPV - The human papilloma virus, particularly HPV16 and 18, is the virus which causes genital warts and can lead to cervical and oral cancers
• Since oral cancer can affect anyone, without regard to age or gender, it is very important to have regular screenings for this deadly disease.
• Early screening, diagnosis and treatment planning saves lives!

Mouth Cancer Foundation

The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a registered charity that raises awareness of mouth cancers and proviedes information and support to patients, carers and health professionals.

Giving Up Smoking

It's not easy... So that's why this web site is here. Giving up smoking requires preparation, determination, and support. This site is here to help you with each of these. If you're thinking about giving up, have a look-in.

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