Oral Cancer/Biopsy

The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer.

The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

• Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth
• A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily
• A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth
• Chronic sore throat or hoarseness
• Difficulty in chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue
• Pain, tenderness, or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips

These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face, and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology and, curiously, is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

We routinely perform oral cancer screenings for our patients, and in case of any suspious lesions a number of screening methods such as a brush biopsy, incisional biopsy, or excisional biopsy can be performed. We would recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly and remember that your mouth is one of your body's most important warning systems. Do not ignore suspicious lumps or sores, please contact us so we may help.

Brush Biopsy

The OralCDx oral brush biopsy is a reliable non-invasive and simple chair side procedure to determine if an oral lesion is benign or potentially harmful. Pre-cancerous and early stage oral cancerous lesions can be determined. It is essential that these early stage malignancies be checked to improve diagnosis. The painless procedure can be done without local anesthetic.
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The oral biopsy brush is pressed against the lesion and rotated 5-10x or more depending on the thickness of the lesion.  The cellular material collected on the brush is then transferred onto a glass slide. All brush biopsy specimens are sent to OralScan Laboratories for computer image analysis,  assisted identification and display of any abnormal cells. Our office is faxed a report with a pathologist's explanatory results within three days after the specimen is received by the lab.  If a positive report is obtained it will be necessary to obtain a histological section to grade the abnormality once it is identified in order to completely characterize the lesion histologically.

Incisional Biopsy

An incisional biopsy involves removing a small piece of the suspious tissue for sectioning and examination.

Excisional Biopsy

An excisional biopsy is the most involved type of biopsy. It attempts to remove the entire suspicious lump of tissue from the mouth. This is the surest way to establish the diagnosis without winding up with a false negative. Removing the entire lump also provides you some peace of mind.