What is Oral Cancer Screening?
Generally speaking, screening is a process through which doctors look for cancer before there are any symptoms of the disease. The purpose of screening is to find cancers earlier, when they are more effectively treated. Indeed, by the time symptoms of cancer appear, there is a good chance that the cancer has already started to spread. Through screening, doctors can gain valuable information about which people are more likely to be diagnosed with particular kinds of cancer. We can study the activities and environments of different people and try to determine which activities and environments are associated with different cancers. Patients should be careful to remember that if a doctor is screening for cancer, this does not mean you have it nor does it mean s/he believes you have cancer. Screening occurs when there are no obvious symptoms of cancer.