Football Coach's Mouth Cancer Intercepted by Cleveland Dentist - Oral Cancer Exams Save Lives
April 16 2007 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
April 16 - 22 is Oral Cancer Awareness Week HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ohio,
April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Cleveland-area dentist David Koski may
have saved the life of former Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis.
Dr. Koski found a type of cancer -- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -- in
Davis's mouth. Davis, now the football coach at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, publicly disclosed his health
details last month. "While the type of oral cancer suffered by
Coach Davis is rare, oral cancer itself is not," said Dr. Koski.
"One American dies of oral cancer every hour, and while most cases
are related to the use of tobacco or alcohol, one quarter of all
cases involve people over age 40 with no risk behaviors at all.
This being National Oral Cancer Awareness Week, now is an ideal
time for everyone to ask their dentist for an oral cancer exam."
Dr. Koski recently adopted a new "glow-stick" technology to help
detect both pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions. "In less than five
minutes," he says, "I can conduct a thorough and totally pain-free
exam." Dr. Koski uses the new ViziLite(R) Plus with TBlue630
technology. The patient rinses with a special solution, the doctor
activates the ViziLite glow-stick and the office lights are dimmed.
The doctor then visually examines the mouth. The special light is
absorbed by healthy tissue, but reflected by damaged or unhealthy
tissue, making lesions appear bright white. Dr. Koski then marks
those areas for further study or treatment using the special dye in
TBlue630. Insurance companies are quickly adding ViziLite exams to
their coverage. "With oral cancer, the key is early detection," Dr.
Koski notes. "ViziLite helps me go even further, helping me find
pre-cancerous conditions, long before any symptoms appear or
serious damage is done. Every adult should have an oral cancer exam
every year." Dr. Koski said that the incidence of oral cancer among
women is nearly the same as cervical cancer. "Just as women get a
Pap smear annually, they should get an oral cancer screening
annually." Dr. Koski and his partner, Dr. Diane DePaul, practice at
5564 Wilson Mills Road in Highland Heights, Ohio (phone
440-461-9600). They are recognized as being among the leading
implant dentists in the Cleveland area. Information on ViziLite and
a directory of ViziLite dentists nationwide are available at
http://www.vizilite.com/. DATASOURCE: Dr. David C. Koski CONTACT:
Dr. David C. Koski, +1-440-821-6107
Copyright