Academic Dental Centers, Hospitals, and Dental Societies Offer Free Testing on Same Day
On April 20, 2006, New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) is offering free oral cancer screenings at 345 East 24th Street, corner of 1st Avenue, NYC, from 10AM - 7PM. No appointment is necessary. For further information, the public may call 212.998.9889.
- WHAT: Free oral cancer screenings
- WHERE: NYUCD, 345 East 24th Street, corner of 1st Avenue, NYC
- WHEN: 10AM - 7PM No appointment is necessary
Patients will receive a comprehensive oral cancer examination administered by a dental professional. If, in the examination, a suspicious looking red or white spot is found, the dental professional may administer a new, painless brush biopsy test to determine if there are any potentially pre-cancerous or cancerous cells present or suggest another appropriate treatment option. When the disease is detected early, the survival rate is 80 percent compared with 17 percent when found in the later stages.
NYUCD’s screenings are part of a coordinated public health effort sponsored by the Oral Cancer Consortium. Consisting of 29 metropolitan-area health care institutions and professional societies with more than 40 sites in the NY/NJ area, the Consortium is dedicated to educating local residents about the signs and risk factors associated with oral cancer, a disease that affects more than 30,000 Americans each year, claiming more than 7,000 lives (one person per hour) and is more prevalent than cervical cancer or skin cancer. Unlike other, more familiar cancers, the mortality rate for oral cancer has not improved in decades, killing approximately one half of patients diagnosed with this form of cancer. Smokers and those who consume large amounts of alcohol are at the highest risk for developing oral cancer, although many oral cancer sufferers have no obvious risk factors.