OralDNA Labs is observing April as Oral Cancer Awareness Month by offering a free white paper on the link between oral human papillomavirus (HPV) and oral cancer.
The paper, entitled "Oral HPV: An overview of the infection and its role in the development of oral cancer," is intended to alert dental professionals about the increasing incidence of oral HPV, a mucosal viral infection which can lead to oral cancer.
Although heavy tobacco and alcohol users have traditionally fit the high-risk profile for oral cancer, an alarming number of new oral cancer cases are being diagnosed each year among persons who do not fit this profile, according to the company.
"Dental clinicians can no longer limit their screening efforts by looking for yesterday's suspects, especially when 50% of all new cases of oral cancer in the U.S. are being attributed to the HPV virus," said OralDNA Labs Medical Director Ronald McGlennen, MD, in a press release.
The whitepaper examines the following topics:
- What is oral HPV?
- How HPV infection leads to oral cancer
- The importance of early detection
- The dental professional's role in overall wellness
- Ways to detect oral HPV
- Salivary diagnostics
- Patient education and communication
It will be available to dental professionals as a free download from the OralDNA Labs' website.
