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Oral Cancer Screen
East Coast Consortium Sees Increased Awareness

By Karen Fox

Newark, N.J.—The Oral Cancer Consortium of New Jersey and New York held its fourth annual free oral cancer screening Nov. 7, 2002, bringing the total number of patients screened in the past four years to well over 4,000.

At the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School and the University Dental Center in Somerdale, N.J., 225 participants received comprehensive oral cancer exams, said Dr. Arnold H. Rosenheck, associate professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery and assistant dean for Hospital Affairs and Institutional Development.

“Dentists are telling us that they are becoming more aware of the early stage lesions and are using the brush biopsy more often,” said Dr. Rosenheck, commenting on the impact of the screenings. “In addition, we’re finding that patients are becoming more aware that dentists are on the front line of diagnosing oral cancer.”

The Oral Cancer Consortium includes the dental schools at UMDNJ, New York University, Columbia University, the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the University of Pittsburgh, the New Jersey Dental Association, the Second District Dental Society (New York) and many hospitals and health systems in the Northeast.

Founded in 1999 to combat the stagnant mortality rates for oral cancer, the consortium seeks to “elevate the consciousness of both physicians and dentists to examine thoroughly for oral cancer, and for the public to request an oral cancer screening at least once a year,” said Dr. Rosenheck.

In addition to screenings, the consortium gathers data on risk factors and refers patients to smoking cessation programs. “We feel that we will reduce this mortality rate in the next couple of years by having more dentists examining patients’ mouths, finding the early innocuous lesions and performing brush biopsies,” he added.

Document Address: http://www.ada.org/prof/pubs/daily/0301/0128canc.html

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