TUCSON, AZ--(PRWEB)--DrBicuspid.com, the fastest-growing online dental news site, announced today the exclusive sponsorship of its new Oral Cancer & Diagnostics online community by OralDNA Labs, a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Inc., and the leaders in advancing patient wellness through salivary diagnostics. Updated daily, the Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Community will focus on the latest news, research, and products designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer.
Visitors can reach the Oral Cancer & Diagnostics Community directly at oralcancer.drbicuspid.com or through a link on the DrBicuspid.com home page.
Approximately 37,000 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with oral cancer in 2010, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. The devastating effects of this disease made national headlines this past year when the actor Michael Douglas revealed that he has stage IV oropharyngeal cancer.
When found at an early stage, oral cancers have an 80% to 90% survival rate (Oral Cancer Foundation). But most are found much later, leading to a mortality rate of 45% at five years from diagnosis (Oral Cancer Foundation). The problem, experts say, is lack of awareness of the disease and the need for new kinds of screening and diagnostic tools that can catch it earlier and enable more effective treatments.
"While progress is being made in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of oral cancer and the associated risks of certain lifestyle choices, there remains a need to better educate the dental community on the role they can play in screening patients for this disease and about the tools and techniques being developed to enhance both diagnosis and treatment," said Ashok Shah, general manager of DrBicuspid.com. "We're extremely proud to partner with OralDNA Labs to provide an online resource to help the oral health professional stay abreast of the changes in education, research, and product development in the field of oral cancer diagnostics and treatment."
In early 2010, OralDNA Labs launched its OraRisk HPV (human papillomavirus) test, a noninvasive screening tool that provides dental clinicians with the ability to establish risk for HPV-related cancers of the oral, head, and neck regions and determine appropriate referral and monitoring conditions. It is estimated that 50% of all diagnosed cases of oral cancer in the U.S. are attributed to the oral HPV virus (Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2007, Vol. 25, pp. 299s).
According to OralDNA Labs' Medical Director Ronald McGlennen, MD, "the availability of the OraRisk HPV test marks an important and timely advance in oral diagnostics because the at-risk profile for oral cancer is rapidly changing and dental professionals must quickly adapt to this change. Our decision to partner with DrBicuspid to provide the dental industry with an information portal for oral cancer diagnosis and treatment fits well with our charter: to save lives through early detection."
About DrBicuspid.com
DrBicuspid.com is a division of IMV, Ltd. IMV Publishing operates websites targeted at vertical markets within the healthcare industry. DrBicuspid.com offers original feature articles, daily news, and educational information designed for today's dental professional and dental team members. The company's AuntMinnie.com site is the premier online information, transaction, and education site for the medical imaging industry.
Contact:
Kathy Kincade
Editor in Chief
DrBicuspid.com
415-908-3855
[email protected]
About OralDNA Labs Inc. (www.OralDNA.com)
OralDNA Labs Inc., a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), is a leader in advancing wellness in dentistry through salivary diagnostics. The company's goal is to help the dental profession achieve better clinical outcomes by providing reliable, definitive, and cost-effective clinical tests that drive the detection and prognosis of disease at an earlier, more treatable stage. Innovative salivary diagnostic tests from OralDNA Labs are fundamental elements of a patient's wellness plan.
OralDNA currently offers three DNA-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for periodontal disease and oral HPV:
MyPerioPath identifies the type and concentration of specific perio-pathogenic bacteria that are known to cause periodontal disease and helps support clinicians with better risk assessment and personalized treatment options for more predictable patient outcomes.
MyPerioID PST identifies individual genetic susceptibility to periodontal disease and enables clinicians to establish which patients are at increased risk for more severe periodontal infections due to an exaggerated immune response.
OraRisk HPV is a noninvasive, easy-to-use screening tool to identify the type(s) of oral HPV, a mucosal viral infection that could potentially lead to oral cancer, and in turn, enables the clinician to establish increased risk for oral cancer and determine appropriate referral and monitoring conditions.
About Quest Diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics is the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services that patients and clinicians need to make better healthcare decisions. The company offers the broadest access to diagnostic testing services through its network of laboratories and patient service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical and scientific staff. Quest Diagnostics is a pioneer in developing innovative new diagnostic tests and advanced health care information technology solutions that help improve patient care. Additional company information is available at www.QuestDiagnostics.com.
Copyright © 2011 DrBicuspid.com
