Forward Science Blog
F.A.C.T. Oral Health Protocol
As the survival rate of most major cancers has been increasing, unfortunately oral cancer is not part of that group with survival rates at a constant 60% for the past 5 decades. Additionally, Oral Cancer incidence has risen each year in the past 5 years, with most cases being discovered in late stages.
According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, “late stage diagnosis is not occurring because most of these cancers are hard to discover, it is because of a lack of public awareness coupled with the lack of a national program for opportunistic screenings which would yield visualization.”
In an effort to give clinicians the tools they need, Forwards Science Technologies LLC continues to move science forward and introduces the F.A.C.T.™ Oral Heath Protocol, a proactive approach for a complete oral health assessment. F.A.C.T., an acronym for Fluorescence Assessment and Cytology Test, combines the proven technology of fluorescence and the power of liquid cytology so clinicians can get the answers they need.
The protocol begins with the standard of care white-light visual and palpation. Next, the OralID is utilized for the enhanced fluorescence assessment. If a lesion is seen and further information is required, CytID, a next generation liquid based cytology test, is then used to determine the severity of the lesion.
The objective of the clinician during an oral health assessment is to find potential problems and abnormalities, in efforts to address the conditions in the earliest possible stage. As with other oral conditions, this proactive approach is critical in diagnosing oral cancer in its earliest stages. Until recently, we have only used our eyes and palpation for a complete oral assessment. Now with advancing technologies, we have the ability to visualize these abnormalities utilizing OralID fluorescence, and provide additional diagnostic information for the lesions we visualize with a simple and painless cytology test, CytID.
“The F.A.C.T. Oral health protocol puts dentistry in the medical arena, with a proactive approach for a complete oral health assessment utilizing the latest medical technology.” With a background in the medical industry, Robert J. Whitman, CEO, is excited to continue to move science forward in the dental industry, “If we learn from medicine, we will see a simple protocol can change the trends: pap smears for cervical cancer, PSA tests for prostate cancer, mammograms with breast cancer, and now the F.A.C.T. Oral Health Protocol for oral cancer.”
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