This week's blog brought to you by: Jo-Anne Jones, RDH
As I took my seat amidst my family, the chapel began to fill up very quickly. There was a faint playing of favourite songs accompanied by a slide show of treasured family times playing across a large screen. The balcony began to fill and eventually there were more chairs being brought into this setting that had witnessed much happier times. This was the day of the funeral for my cousin, Bonnie, who lost her life to HPV (Human papillomavirus) -related oropharyngeal cancer. This was not supposed to happen.
Several things have changed in the oral and oropharyngeal cancer world; the fastest growing profile of oral, and in particular oropharyngeal cancer, is caused by the Human papillomavirus. How common is the virus? The CDC states that almost every sexually adult will have one or more infections in their lifetime and most will be totally unaware. This has fueled a dramatic increase in HPV-related cancers in the head and neck. This has also prompted a strong ‘call to action’ from the Chief Dental Officer of Canada to the oral healthcare professional community to raise awareness, educate and promote evidence-based preventive and diagnostic interventions.
We are not powerless in our efforts! The CDC also states that 92% of future HPV-attributable cancers can be prevented by the HPV vaccine. Can you imagine a world where we have made this significant an inroad on a cancer that is spiraling out of control? In April of this year in Canada, the indication for the HPV vaccine has been expanded to include prevention of head and neck cancers. We need to educate each, and every patient seated in our treatment room of this ability to prevent one of the deadliest cancers in the body. Here's the disconnect...the vast majority of the public perceive the HPV vaccine primarily as a preventive measure to combat cervical cancer. And in fact, the public is partly correct. Due to screening and the vaccine, Canada enjoys one of the lowest cervical cancer rates in the world. However, did you know that HPV-related head and neck cancers have surpassed the rate of cervical cancers over a decade ago and is 4.5X more common in men than women?
For the first time, I have combined my most sought-after lecture of oral/oropharyngeal cancer survivor stories with a hands-on, ‘direct to clinical practice’ educational experience. I’m excited to offer this! I have always been a fan of rdhu both as an educator and as a colleague. The unique signature of rdhu in providing a hands-on experience, was the perfect choice to host this program. This is a memorable day...one you will never forget. The graphic images of the journey of oral/oropharyngeal cancer survivors and the families who have graciously shared the stories of loved ones they have lost to this disease, will make an indelible imprint on your mind. I seriously can never present these stories without feeling overcome by emotion. It is deeply humbling to be entrusted with sharing a time in someone’s life where they lived their darkest days and wondered if they would be able to pull through.
The historic etiologic pathways of smoking and alcohol consumption are represented in stories, however most stories I will be sharing were younger, vibrant people in the prime of their lives that were stricken with a life-altering cancer. This has caught both the medical and dental communities’ totally off guard. Being alive is a risk factor!
So, what will our day together look like if you choose to join me on Friday, November 25th? The morning will focus on visual stories of oral/oropharyngeal cancer patients. Each story will be linked with a different aspect of either the extraoral or intraoral examination with a strong clinical ‘takeaway’. This is where knowledge translation happens! The afternoon together will focus on best practices for earliest discovery. You will be introduced to all the adjunctive screening devices including the market leader, VELscope Vx as well as Identafi, Oral ID and BioScreen. We will also explore the unmistakable benefit of using magnification and illumination.
As your colleague, I truly understand the demands of clinical practice and the time constraints we are under. The extraoral/intraoral examination needs to be streamlined being both efficient and effective to reasonably incorporate into our appointment times. We will explore all aspects of the head and neck examination including oral cancer screening in the comfortable, collegial environment of rdhu.
Do you recall how to document an oral finding? We don’t find abnormalities every day and it is challenging to remember all the descriptive terminology and the components of recording an abnormal finding. Many tips will be shared to accomplish this, and breakout sessions will elevate confidence in this aspect of recordkeeping. Clinical resources will be provided to you to guide you each step of the way so you will never struggle again with documentation and/or referral management pathways. A number of client educational resources will be provided to assist you in elevating awareness.
We can make a difference! With earlier discovery through improved examination techniques, we can impact treatment outcome, survival rates, and quality of life. If you have ever made an oral/oropharyngeal cancer discovery on a client, you know full well that it is a gratification that cannot be compared to anything else we do in our clinical day. People are indebted to you for the rest of their life. Because you cared enough to assess effectively, sought education to keep you up to date and never missed an opportunity to screen, you found something that otherwise may have continued to go unnoticed.
So many of us take for granted that we will see our children graduate from high school, go on that first date, get dressed for their first prom, get that first coveted kiss from a grandchild...others will not have that joy. Our profession is strategically positioned to paly an integral role in earlier discovery of both oral and oropharyngeal cancer. I am confident that you will emerge from this day of education and will look harder, will palpate further, and prioritize this simple screening exam impacting many lives through your acquired knowledge.
Will this be the year you save a life?
Join us for this VERY Special Day on Friday, November 25th with Jo-Anne Jones at rdhu! You will be in for a treat!
Click here to learn more and to register! For the First 30 people who Register, Use the PROMO CODE: SAVEALIFE to receive $100 off! Thanks to Orascoptic and VELscope for sponsoring this session!
Thank you Jo-Anne for this moving and important message. We look forward to seeing you at rdhu on Friday, November 25th!
Have a great week ahead! Please take a look below for what is coming up!
Kindest regards,
Kathleen
