Russian American Dental Association and New York City College of Technology First Annual Free Oral Cancer Screening, Open to the Public
The Russian American Dental Association will hold a free oral cancer screening on November 18, 2008 to benefit the community and make them aware on the issue of oral cancer. The event is free and open to the public.
Brooklyn, NY, October 22, 2008 --(PR.com)-- The Russian American Dental Association (RADA), a nonprofit society of dental professionals, in conjunction with the New York City College of Technology (City Tech) will hold its First Annual Oral Cancer Screening on Tuesday, November 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the College’s campus at 300 Jay Street (at Tillary), in Downtown Brooklyn. The event is free and open to the public.
Patients will receive a free 15-minute oral cancer screening exam. Those suspected of having oral cancer and a known disparity in access to healthcare services will be referred for a biopsy -- which will be paid in full by RADA. Oral pathologists, dentists, oral surgeons, ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons, dental hygienists and dental hygiene students will be present during the screening to assist patients.
The event will be headed by Dr. Gwen Brown, DDS, a City Tech Dental Hygiene professor and an oral pathologist who is director of RADA’s Oral Cancer and Smoking Cessation Program. “The day has been designed to create an awareness of the importance of oral cancer screening for early detection, says Dr. Brown. “Recent studies have proven that periodic examination and new, painless testing methods can help detect oral cancer -- a disease that kills more Americans than either melanoma or cervical cancer.”
RADA’s First Annual Free Oral Cancer Screening is part of a larger campaign recently launched by RADA. It includes lectures and seminars on oral cancer and early detection for dental and medical professionals, oral cancer screenings, self-check tips for patients, smoking cessation education, fundraising and contests held for children emphasizing smoking’s harmful effects. “Oral cancer research has always been my greatest dedication,” states RADA’s President Dr. Rada Sumareva, DDS. “I strongly believe that it is crucial that the importance of oral cancer screening be communicated to the general public and medical professionals.”
Unfortunately, less than 20% of oral health providers perform oral cancer screening, according to American Cancer Society statistics; most dentists do not perform oral cancer screening routinely, unless requested by their patients. And most patients -- because of a lack of knowledge about the disease -- fail to inquire about oral cancer exams. However, early detection of oral cancer greatly improves the success of treatment outcome and increases life expectancy. A trial pilot program implemented last year by RADA and City Tech confirmed the need for an annual oral screening. Several patients were discovered to have suspicious lesions and were promptly referred for further diagnoses and/or treatments.
The importance of early detection cannot be overstated. Approximately 35,310 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed in the US this year alone, and an estimated 7,590 people will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society data. Oral cancer is defined as cancer of the mouth and pharynx. Individuals who both smoke and drink are 15 times more likely to develop oral cancer than those who don’t. Of those newly-diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in five years. The death rate associated with oral cancer is so high because lesions are typically discovered at a late stage. Early diagnosis is associated with better prognosis and decreased treatment-related disfigurement.
Russian American Dental Association (RADA), www.russiandentists.org, is a national nonprofit organization with 501c (3) charity status. RADA is devoted to humanitarian and community work, as well as assisting dental professionals in their career goals, and providing education and research in the dental field. RADA sponsors and organizes charity events, holds medical professional conferences, offers Continuing Education courses and advises practitioners and organizations on the medical profession.
The Department of Dental Hygiene at New York City College of Technology, www.citytech.cuny.edu, features a highly-qualified faculty of dentists and dental hygienists with extensive knowledge and skills in dentistry. The program offers courses in oral anatomy, microbiology, dental pharmacology and nutrition. It also offers specialized courses in dental radiology, periodontics, and dental materials, and incorporates community health and clinical training. Students participate in the hands-on treatment of patients with various dental conditions in the school’s 50-chair dental hygiene care clinic.
###
For more information please contact:
Irina Shmeleva, via3pr,
212.842.5361, is@via3pr.com NYC College of
Michele Forsten
Technology
718.260.5979, mforsten@citytech.cuny.edu
Patients will receive a free 15-minute oral cancer screening exam. Those suspected of having oral cancer and a known disparity in access to healthcare services will be referred for a biopsy -- which will be paid in full by RADA. Oral pathologists, dentists, oral surgeons, ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeons, dental hygienists and dental hygiene students will be present during the screening to assist patients.
The event will be headed by Dr. Gwen Brown, DDS, a City Tech Dental Hygiene professor and an oral pathologist who is director of RADA’s Oral Cancer and Smoking Cessation Program. “The day has been designed to create an awareness of the importance of oral cancer screening for early detection, says Dr. Brown. “Recent studies have proven that periodic examination and new, painless testing methods can help detect oral cancer -- a disease that kills more Americans than either melanoma or cervical cancer.”
RADA’s First Annual Free Oral Cancer Screening is part of a larger campaign recently launched by RADA. It includes lectures and seminars on oral cancer and early detection for dental and medical professionals, oral cancer screenings, self-check tips for patients, smoking cessation education, fundraising and contests held for children emphasizing smoking’s harmful effects. “Oral cancer research has always been my greatest dedication,” states RADA’s President Dr. Rada Sumareva, DDS. “I strongly believe that it is crucial that the importance of oral cancer screening be communicated to the general public and medical professionals.”
Unfortunately, less than 20% of oral health providers perform oral cancer screening, according to American Cancer Society statistics; most dentists do not perform oral cancer screening routinely, unless requested by their patients. And most patients -- because of a lack of knowledge about the disease -- fail to inquire about oral cancer exams. However, early detection of oral cancer greatly improves the success of treatment outcome and increases life expectancy. A trial pilot program implemented last year by RADA and City Tech confirmed the need for an annual oral screening. Several patients were discovered to have suspicious lesions and were promptly referred for further diagnoses and/or treatments.
The importance of early detection cannot be overstated. Approximately 35,310 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed in the US this year alone, and an estimated 7,590 people will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society data. Oral cancer is defined as cancer of the mouth and pharynx. Individuals who both smoke and drink are 15 times more likely to develop oral cancer than those who don’t. Of those newly-diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in five years. The death rate associated with oral cancer is so high because lesions are typically discovered at a late stage. Early diagnosis is associated with better prognosis and decreased treatment-related disfigurement.
Russian American Dental Association (RADA), www.russiandentists.org, is a national nonprofit organization with 501c (3) charity status. RADA is devoted to humanitarian and community work, as well as assisting dental professionals in their career goals, and providing education and research in the dental field. RADA sponsors and organizes charity events, holds medical professional conferences, offers Continuing Education courses and advises practitioners and organizations on the medical profession.
The Department of Dental Hygiene at New York City College of Technology, www.citytech.cuny.edu, features a highly-qualified faculty of dentists and dental hygienists with extensive knowledge and skills in dentistry. The program offers courses in oral anatomy, microbiology, dental pharmacology and nutrition. It also offers specialized courses in dental radiology, periodontics, and dental materials, and incorporates community health and clinical training. Students participate in the hands-on treatment of patients with various dental conditions in the school’s 50-chair dental hygiene care clinic.
###
For more information please contact:
Irina Shmeleva, via3pr,
212.842.5361, is@via3pr.com NYC College of
Michele Forsten
Technology
718.260.5979, mforsten@citytech.cuny.edu
Contact
Irina Shmeleva
212.842.5361
212.842.5361
Contact
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