One time oral cancer was thought to be an old man’s disease, usually someone who smoked and probably drank heavily as well. Today, oral cancer victims are getting younger, even though many don’t smoke, chew tobacco drink or have diabetes or HIV. Because of this, Dr. Joseph Gaudio is using new technology for the early detection of oral cancer.
Chester, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/20/2014 -- The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), states that close to 43,250 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal (throat) cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly one person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 42,000 diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in five years. This is a number that has not significantly improved in decades. With statistics like these, Dr. Gaudio calls for action, “I want all of my patients to come in and have the OralCDx test done as soon as possible. The earlier we catch the bad cells, the better chance we have of saving lives.”
Recently, a painless way of testing suspicious spots inside the mouth was developed that utilizes a little brush that collects a sample for a computer-aided microscope examination. The test, called OralCDx, used by Dr. Joseph Gaudio has been shown to be more effective than traditional visual inspection. OralCDx has assisted in helping prevent thousands of instances of oral cancer by means of locating harmful cells years before they may cause any harm.
Oral cancer appears as red, white, or white and red patches. Dr. Gaudio says, “Whenever these patches are able to be seen by the naked eye, this ordinarily indicates the cancer is in a late phase. OralCDx permits me to detect possible oral cancer in its early stage, when oral cancer remains quite treatable.”
Another obstacle to early discovery is the advent of the HPV 16 virus, contributing more to the incidence rate of oral cancers. Now we're seeing that the younger generation is being affected because of the HPV 16 virus. “And so what it does, is it affects the mucous of the mouth, affecting change to the cells that become cancer," states Dr. Gaudio.
About Dr. Gaudio
Dr. Gaudio is a current member in good standing of the American Dental Association, the New Jersey Dental Association and Tri-County Dental Association. Dr. Gaudio recommends the OralCDx screening be done annually on all adults.
Call 908-879-4001 to schedule your oral cancer screening test today.