Ann Arbor, MI — December 6, 2006 — "If my dentist had not diagnosed my cancer, I would likely be dead by now." That powerful comment is in a new video on a Web site as part of a comprehensive continuing dental education course dealing with oral cancer screening and prevention that is now offered online by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

In the 10-minute video that introduces the online course, David Damiani, a 32-year-old attorney from Alexandria, Virginia, tells his emotional story to the Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project. Launched in 2005, the Project is a citywide campaign designed to increase awareness and lower the oral cancer death rate in that city. It is led by Dr. Amid Ismail, a professor in the School of Dentistry's Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics.

Damiani, who played Division One soccer in college and was in good health, said he was puzzled when he noticed a lesion on his tongue in September 1999. But it wasn't diagnosed as oral cancer until five months later.

Ismail, who has received awards from the University of Michigan and the International Association for Dental Research for his work in public health, behavioral science, and epidemiology, said oral cancer is a significant problem in Detroit.

A Prevalent Problem

He said that according to statistics from the Michigan Department of Community Health, the oral cancer rate among African American males in Michigan was 24.3 per 100,000, one of the highest among American males. In Detroit, which has nine percent of the state's population, the rate was 13.1 percent of all new oral cancer cases.

Ismail noted that from 2000 to 2002, Detroit residents had the lowest percentage of cases detected at an early cancerous stage, 28.3 percent, in Michigan. In addition, he said, the five-year survival rate for African Americans in Michigan was 34.9 percent compared with an overall state average of 54.6 percent.

"Our best hope for decreasing the rate of oral cancer is to get Detroiters, and others, to see their dentist or physician for a screening," Ismail said. "If caught early, oral cancer has a 90 percent cure rate." He said that in Wayne County, the Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project is engaged in an education program to bring attention to the problem. That effort includes educating members of the community about oral cancer, radio advertisements and billboards that advertise the message "Get Checked Before It's Too Late," a screening clinic, a biopsy clinic, and a toll-free telephone number to call for more information (1-877-7-CHECKED).

The online course offered by the U-M School of Dentistry helps dentists and other oral health care professionals identify what oral cancer looks like, identifies sites in the mouth where those cancers are likely to develop, provides information about oral cancer screenings and brush biopsies, and counsels patients on ways to prevent oral cancer.

Although there is a modest $15 fee for oral health care professionals to take the online course and receive a continuing education certificate from the School of Dentistry, there is no cost to view the entire program, including the 10-minute video. The online continuing education program has five modules and a self-test at the end of each section. Participants can take the self-test as many times as necessary until they correctly answer 80 percent of the questions. It takes approximately four hours to view the entire program.

"Video for Everyone"

"I would strongly encourage individuals who are not oral health care professionals, to spend time watching the video online and listening to the patient's remarks," Ismail said. "This video is for everyone. His story is not uncommon and could provide a significant amount of useful information to patients that could save lives." One needs a high-speed connection to the Internet to watch and hear Damiani's story.

To access the video, visit www.detroitoralcancer.org. On the homepage, click "Continuing Dental and Medical Education Online Course." When the next page appears, click the link that reads, "Start the Course." A welcome message then appears. At the top of the message is a tab that reads "Introduction." The video will begin following a short introduction by Dr. Darnell Kaigler from the School of Dentistry who provides an overview of oral cancer. He also moderates other sections of the course.

The video is just a part of a comprehensive effort by the Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project to increase awareness and decrease deaths due to oral cancer.

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation's leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.

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