ViziLite
During a recent visit to the dentist, I was offered an oral cancer screening using a product called ViziLite Plus (Zila Pharmaceuticals). Given a $65 price tag that is not covered by insurance, I accepted the marketing literature but politely declined the screening until I had a chance to do my own research. Apparently, everyone above the age of 18 is at an "increased risk" for oral cancer. I was then asked to sign a waiver (part of the Zila exam materials), which in my opinion, reeks of scare tactics.
As far as the details go, it seems you rinse with a dilute acetic acid solution, after which the dentist sticks a special light in your mouth to better see lesions that may be an indicator of oral cancer. According to the web site, unit price on the exam kit runs from $20-30. There are some interesting references to be found online:
Vizilite denied ADA seal of Approval [2005/11/10]
Kinda long, but very interesting:
listserv discussion of ViziLite [Bulletin Board of Oral Pathology, Nov 2005]
Short and to the point:
Efficacy of the ViziLite System in the Identification of Oral Lesions [abstract from Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, March 2007]
[Edit 2009/04/24: This entry was posted originally a year and a half ago and continues to receive feedback, which thrills me to no end. I am adding a link to a fairly recent article that discusses the subject more thoroughly. Please note that I have no affiliation with the web site, and the author of the article is not a dentist but a retired psychiatrist and consumer advocate.]
ViziLite Screening: Does It Make Sense? [Quackwatch, September 2008]
Revolutionary
Working your whole life wondering where the day went
The subway stays packed like a multi-cultural slave ship.
-Immortal Technique
It's interesting to reflect on how much things have changed over the last year. My taste for music alone has shifted dramatically from pop to hip-hop to punk. The NFL season has barely started, and my usual excitement for fantasy football is already waning. Most significantly, the so-called mid-life crisis is in full swing. It's time for another experiment, something radical. I've been talking about it forever, and it's time to get the ball rolling.
Speaking of experiments, I have overinflated the tires on the hyb this week to 37 psi to see what kind of fuel economy gains I can achieve. Current tank is running at 59-60 mpg for the first 100 miles under normal driving conditions.
