As with any type of cancer, oral cancer can sometimes be found through regular screening when it’s still in the early stages and before it starts to cause a person any noticeable symptoms. Both dentists and doctors may play a role in oral cancer screening in Ann Arbor MI.
Greater Potential for Cure
Regularly getting screened for oral cancer may make it so that this cancer is caught early on before it’s spread to other areas of the body. This makes it easier to potentially treat and cure cancer. The later the stage cancer is at before it’s discovered, the less likely it can be successfully treated. In the case of oral cancer, by the time significant symptoms occur, it’s often spread to other parts of the body, making it much more difficult to cure. Only about 64 percent of people diagnosed with this type of cancer usually survive for 5 or more years after being diagnosed.
Simple Screening
During Oral Cancer Screening in Ann Arbor MI, the dentist or doctor will look in the mouth to see if there are any abnormal patches of white or red cells, as these could indicate oral cancer. Then these abnormal tissues may be viewed using a special blue dye or using a special type of light which can make it clearer whether cells are likely to be cancer or not. In some cases, small amounts of potentially abnormal tissue are removed for further testing.
Potential Symptoms
Should a person notice certain symptoms, it may be a good idea to get screened for this type of cancer. These include having irritated spots or sores that don’t disappear on their own; white or red spots in the mouth or throat; lumps or thick spots; pain or numbness in the lips or mouth and difficulties with normal mouth functioning, such as trouble speaking, chewing or swallowing.
Potential Risks
The main risks from oral cancer screening are that there may be a false-positive or false-negative result. This means that a person may either be given further treatment unnecessarily or not be given needed treatment as soon as possible. Getting a second opinion can limit this risk, however.
Contact us for more information or to schedule your screening.
