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While a biopsy is the
definitive way to determine if any lesion is pre malignant, malignant or
benign, a recent advancement has been made in the detection of oral cancers
through the use of a procedure called the brush biopsy. The brush biopsy
allows the testing of any lesion, which is suspicious but lacks any
clinical evidence of malignancy without subjecting the patient to an
invasive biopsy.
Testing with the brush biopsy involves placing a brush
against the suspicious lesion and rotating the brush. The material
collected on the brush is transferred to a glass slide and sent for
laboratory testing. At the laboratory, a computer analyzes the slide and
the computer output is then used by a pathologist in conjunction with a
standard microscopic evaluation of each specimen. A positive result must
still be followed-up with a scalpel biopsy.
The brush biopsy has been found
to have a zero false-negative rate, and, most importantly, has been found
to increase early detection of oral cancers. Back To Patient Services
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