New Procedure Detects Oral Cancer

The next trip to your dentist could save your life. That's because many local dentists have a new screening test that can detect oral cancer in its early stages. The test is called ViziLite.

The patient rinses with a special mouthwash for one minute to dehydrate potential cancer cells. The doctor then uses a special light to inspect the entire mouth.

Any suspicious tissue will glow in the dark.

Dr. Phil Golden has already done close to 200 of the screenings and sent at least four patients to have biopsies.

He said the test is extremely accurate.

"They have a negative predictive value of 99.1 percent, which means there's less than 1 percent chance of this screening missing oral cancer," Golden told WXII 12's Margaret Johnson.

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 34,000 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed this year. It said about 7,500 of those patients will die.

Golden said the new screening could help reduce those numbers. He recommends it for anyone over 18.

source : news.yahoo.com