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My interview with Dr. Michaell Huber served as a review of the current status and of the latest in the area of adjunctive diagnostic techniques for diagnosing and discovering oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Dr. Huber is Professor and specialist in oral medicine in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at UT Health San Antonio Dental School. He authored an article in the Dental Clinics of North America titled: Adjunctive Diagnostic Techniques to diagnose Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer. I hope you find the information valuable and enjoy the conversation. Please share your thoughts, questions, and suggestions with us at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca Until next time! Chiraz Guessaier |
Highlights
Although the overall 5-year survival rates for oropharyngeal cancer have gradually improved from 52.8% to 66.2% over the last 4 decades, the oral health care provider’s success in identifying oropharyngeal cancers at an early stage remains a challenge. The purpose of this article is to discuss the current standard for identifying oropharyngeal cancers and the current status of novel adjunctive approaches being marketed to the dental profession.
- The most important prognostic factor in predicting the outcome of oral and oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is the stage at diagnosis.
- The accomplishment of the conventional oral examination consists of a disciplined visual and tactile assessment of accessible head and neck structures.
- Any suspicious or equivocal lesion should be referred for further assessment or undergo biopsy; innocuous lesions should be reevaluated within 4 weeks and referred for further assessment.
- Evidence supporting the use of adjunctive devices to improve the general practitioner’s ability to screen for and identify OPCs and oral pre-malignant lesions remains low.
Full Interview (6.49″)