You bet! Whenever we see a suspicious lesion in the mouth, a biopsy helps determine if the cells are a cancer or are pre-cancerous. This is important because cancers of the mouth and throat constitute 3% of all cancer diagnosed annually. Here's an alarming fact that should cause every individual who has a suspicious lesion to seek treatment: survival rates have not changed significantly from this disease despite four decades of advances made in surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Half of all people who have oral cancer will die from it.

However, early detection of oral cancer can improve cure rates. The trouble is that early malignancies often look the same as benign lesions. By the time pre-cancerous lesions progress to the point where they look "suspicious," valuable time has been lost to treat these lesions. Now a simple, non-invasive test is available that offers a more precise way to study "early" lesions that might be cancerous. It's known as OralCDx.

OralCDx utilizes a sterile brush biopsy technique. Employing it much the same way PAP smears are taken, the oral brush biopsy is rotated five-to-ten times against the surface of the lesion. The material collected on the brush is transferred to a glass slide and flooded with a fixative to avoid air-drying. Once the slide itself is dry, it is sent for a computer analysis that searches for abnormal cells. The computer is able to distinguish between normal and atypical cells, as well as those that are cancerous. A pathologist then reviews the slides to confirm a diagnosis.

Please let us know about any suspicious lesions or sores in your mouth, and ask us about this test.

OralCDx brush

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