Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screening is an examination performed by Dr. Irina to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth. The goal of oral cancer screening is to identify mouth cancer early, when there is a greater chance for a cure.

The goal of oral cancer screening is to detect mouth cancer or precancerous lesions that may lead to mouth cancer at an early stage — when cancer or lesions are easiest to remove and most likely to be cured.

People with a high risk of oral cancer may be more likely to benefit from oral cancer screening, though studies haven’t clearly proved that. Factors that can increase the risk of oral cancer include:

• Tobacco use of any kind, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, among others
• Heavy alcohol use
• Previous oral cancer diagnosis
• History of significant sun exposure, which increases the risk of lip cancer

Ask your Dr. Irina whether oral cancer screening is appropriate for you. Also ask about ways you can reduce your risk of oral cancer, such as quitting smoking and not drinking alcohol.

Oral exams for oral cancer screening have some limitations, such as:

• Oral cancer screening could lead to additional tests. Many people have sores in their mouths, with the great majority being noncancerous. An oral exam can’t determine which sores are cancerous and which are not.

If Dr. Irina finds an unusual sore, you may go through further testing to determine its cause. The only way to definitively determine whether you have oral cancer is to remove some abnormal cells and test them for cancer by a procedure called a biopsy.

• Oral cancer screening can’t detect all mouth cancers. It can be difficult to detect areas of abnormal cells just by looking at your mouth, so it’s possible that a small cancer or precancerous lesion could go undetected.
• Oral cancer screening hasn’t been proved to save lives. There’s no evidence that routine oral examinations to look for signs of oral cancer can reduce the number of deaths caused by oral cancer. However, screening for oral cancer may help find cancers early — when cure is more likely.

How you prepare

Oral cancer screening doesn’t require any special preparation. Oral cancer screening is typically performed during a routine dental appointment.

What you can expect

During an oral cancer screening exam, Dr. Irina looks over the inside of your mouth to check for red or white patches or mouth sores. Using gloved hands, she also feels the tissues in your mouth to check for lumps or other abnormalities.

Results

If Dr. Irina discovers any signs of mouth cancer or precancerous lesions, she may recommend:

• A follow-up visit in a few weeks to see if the abnormal area is still present and note whether it has grown or changed over time.

• A biopsy procedure to remove a sample of cells for laboratory testing to determine whether cancer cells are present.