Premium
Early diagnosis of oral cancer
Author(s) -
Silverman Sol
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19881015)62:1+<1796::aid-cncr2820621319>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - medicine , cancer , cure rate , cancer detection , exfoliative cytology , biopsy , surgery , dermatology , cytology , pathology
Oral cancer currently strikes about 30,000 Americans each year. Survival rates are approximately 50%. However, early detection followed by appropriate treatment can increase cure rates to about 80%, and greatly improves the quality of life by minimizing extensive, debilitating treatments. An early oral cancer can appear as an innocuous red or white change, an ulcer, or a lump, mimicking many benign lesions. Additionally, when the discomfort is minimal, professional consultation often is delayed, increasing the chance for local spread and regional metastases. Vital staining with toluidine blue and exfoliative cytologic examination can aid early detection by accelerating the biopsy of lesions that cannot be classified adequately or made to disappear.