HPV16 infection
One strain of HPV, HPV16, is strongly associated with cancer at the base of the tongue and the back of the throat. Roughly 70% of oropharyngeal cancer is believed to be linked to it.
Fastest-growing subtypeThis year, nearly 54,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer, and nearly 11,000 will die. Most of it is found late. It does not have to be.
Two minutes, no cost. Or skip ahead and find a practice near you that screens with VELscope.
Oral and oropharyngeal cancers form in the mouth, lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, hard palate, tonsils, and throat. Once a lesion spreads, treatment options narrow and the chance of full recovery drops sharply. Stage at discovery is the whole ballgame.
A thorough oral cancer screening has two parts. The second is what the VELscope was built for: seeing what the naked eye alone can miss.
Your clinician checks your head, neck, and mouth with their eyes and their hands. You usually remember this one, because they gently pull your tongue forward to see the base of it. It screens for all kinds of disease, oral cancer and precancer among them.
The VELscope emits specific wavelengths of blue light to stimulate the tissue's natural fluorescence. Healthy tissue glows; tissue that has changed tends to lose that fluorescence and reads as dark, which is what makes it stand out. Research has shown it can help find abnormal tissue that might have gone unnoticed by the naked eye. It adds about two minutes to a routine exam.
Tobacco is still one of the strongest risk factors. But the fastest-growing subtype has nothing to do with it.
One strain of HPV, HPV16, is strongly associated with cancer at the base of the tongue and the back of the throat. Roughly 70% of oropharyngeal cancer is believed to be linked to it.
Fastest-growing subtypeBoth regular smoking and oral tobacco products, including snuff and chewing tobacco, are implicated in oral and oropharyngeal cancers.
Strongest known factorOral cavity cancer, mostly tobacco related, is seen more often in people over 50. HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer is more common in people under 50.
Cuts both waysStatistically, males are at higher risk for oral and oropharyngeal cancer than females.
Higher risk in menChewing betel quid, a mixture of betel nut and other ingredients, or gutka, which adds tobacco, is a recognized risk factor. Seen more commonly in Southeast Asia and certain other regions.
RegionalSun-related lip cancer was once one of the most common oral cancers. Incidence has fallen sharply in recent years, generally credited to the use of SPF lip balm.
PreventableIf your dentist or hygienist finds something unusual that needs a closer look, it does not mean you have oral cancer. Plenty of ordinary conditions cause changes in the lining of your mouth, and most have nothing to do with cancer.
Everything on this page in a form you can print, hand to someone, or bring to your next appointment.
Download the brochure (PDF)The Oral Health Check walks you through your risk factors and a short knowledge quiz, then gives you a personal reading and something concrete to raise at your next dental visit.
This check is for education and awareness only. It is not a medical diagnosis. Always talk with your dental professional about your oral health.
Important: The VELscope is intended to be used by appropriately trained healthcare professionals during routine oral examinations of adult patients at least 18 years old, to aid in the visualization and photo documentation of oral mucosal tissues. It is not a diagnostic test and does not diagnose cancer. Survival and incidence figures on this page are drawn from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute SEER program.