Oral Cancer II

Oral Cancer Screening Devices

There are a number of devices available today to screen for oral cancer. Lynn Solomon DDS, MS, in an artilce for Inside Dentistry, reviewed a number of devices in use today. They include, but are not limited to, VELscope, Identafi 3000 ultra, VizLite Plus, Microlux/Dl and Orascoptic DK. The first two rely on a method fluorescense imaging that have a certain wavelength that can reveal a suspicious area. The other three relys on tissue reflectance and was originally developed to detect cervical cancer. These use a rinsing agent and abnormal tissue will reveal an “acetowhite” appearance.

The conclusion reached by Dr Solomon was that while the purchase of these instuments may be a practice builder, systematic reviews have determined that the evidence to support their use is still lacking. The gold standard for oral cancer screening remains health history, intraoral and extra oral examination, and manual palpation. I will continue to follow the development of these products and will not hesitate to incorporate a device into my practice with a proven track record.