Velscope - Oral Cancer Screening

The prevalence of oral cancer has increased in the last three decades. Early detection of the disease helps to deal with it effectively and prevent it from spreading. In this regard, a unique tool called the “Velscope” is providing support to the dental community in their efforts for early oral cancer detection.

The velscope is an oral cancer screening device that serves as an effective and convenient mucosal examination system to help detect any abnormality in the tissue. The device works on the principle of fluorescence. When the tissue is exposed to fluorescence directly, any change in the fluorescence can indicate the presence of an abnormality.

The velscope hand-held unit releases a blue light directly into the patient’s oral cavity. This causes excitation of the tissue to its basement membrane, resulting in fluorescence. This enables the dentist to identify and observe any differences in the fluorescence responses. Based on these responses, an inference can be drawn about any abnormality or malignancy existing in the tissue.

The key advantage of the velscope is that it is a completely non-invasive system of oral cancer screening, and the blue light that is emitted from the unit is completely safe for patients. The device acts as a support system for the dentist, who can use it in combination with the conventional methods of oral cancer screening.

If the pre-cancerous lesions get detected well in time, it can help save a life. It is not easy to identify these lesions so early with traditional methods. According to some estimates, nearly two-thirds of all oral cancer cases are detected in the later stages. That compromises the chances of the patient’s survival to a great extent.

This is where the velscope can play a key role because it can screen the potentially malignant tissue well before it becomes obvious to the dentist’s eye. That fact makes it an important life-saving device that can help decrease the occurrence of oral cancer.