Researchers supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, report that their initial success using a customized optical device that allows dentists to visualize in a completely new way whether a patient might have a developing oral cancer . The device is called a Visually Enhanced Lesion Scope (VELScope), and it's a simple, hand-held device that emits a cone of blue light into the mouth that excites various molecules within our cells, causing them to absorb the light energy and re-emit it as visible fluorescence. Remove the light, and the fluorescence of the tissue is no longer visible: Because changes in the natural fluorescence of healthy tissue generally reflect light-scattering biochemical or structural changes indicative of developing tumor cells, the VELScope allows dentists to shine a light onto a suspicious sore in the mouth, look through an attached eyepiece, and watch directly for changes in color. Normal oral tissue emits a pale green fluorescence, while potentially early tumor, or dysplastic, cells appear dark green to black.

Filed under: Oral Cancer Avocados have the ability to find and destroy oral cancer cells according to researchers at Ohio State led by Steven D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. According to D'Ambrosio, the compounds of interest found in avocado target only the precancerous and cancerous cells, and not the normal cells. Researchers are not sure how the compounds in the avocados do this, but they suspect it has something to do with phytonutrients found in the food. Avocados are loaded with all sorts of good things, and here is one more reason to eat them. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Oral Cancer , Research Testing for oral cancer just got much easier -- a new method of testing for the disease will soon be available . The testing method can be done in a medical office and uses lab-on-a-chip microfluidic technology to determine a diagnosis. Furthermore, the test is fully automated and can be completed in a mere 10 minutes. The test was developed at researchers at the University of Texas (Austin) with funding from the NIH. Here's how it works: Cells from the mouth are mixed with fluorescent marker proteins, illuminating any suspicious cells. Pretty ingenious, if you ask me. Now if we could only make other cancer screening as painless and quick ... Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Cancer of the Tongue , a malignant tumor that begins as a small lump, a firm white patch, or an ulcer, is one of the more common and serious types of mouth cancer. If untreated, the tumor may spread throughout the tongue and to the gum. As a tumor grows, it becomes more life threatening by spreading (metastasizing) to lymph nodes in the neck and to the rest of the body. It is one of the more common and serious types of mouth cancer. Although the exact cause is unknown, it most often occurs among pipe, cigar, and cigarette smokers and people who use smokeless tobacco. It also occurs in people who consume large amounts of alcohol. It is rare in people under age 40, particularly women, and is most common in men over age 60.