Liz, Paulie, et al,

I feel your anger and frustration and I share it with you. I have been posting on this forum for almost 2 1/2 years and every time I read about a missed chance to catch this disease early, I shudder and cringe. I know it's not only the dentists and the hygienists that are missing the diagnoses, it's the general physicians and the ENT's, as well. But, it doesn't matter who misses it, the end result is the same, someone will suffer because of their missing the cancer.

I don't know why this keeps happening. I think part of it is a lack of education. Before I had my scc, we did oral cancer screenings in our office, but I have to admit, they were not nearly as comprehensive as they are now. I'm also sure that we wouldn't have been as motivated to buy a VELscope.

By using my experience and knowledge I hope that I can make a difference. I'm sure that Mike and others like him that have not had oral cancer themselves, but are devoted to promoting early detection, can surely make a difference.

It's a difficult task, but one that we are not about to give up on. It seems that almost every day, I get involved in another way to get my points across, but there is a limit to how many people that I can reach.

I know that my story that I had published in my state dental journal reached over 6,000 dentists in PA and I hope that some, no many of them, have added better screening techniques for their patients as a result of reading my story.

I am trying to push the American Dental Assoc. to use the video interview I did with them almost 2 years ago in some sort of campaign to promote early detection. The word is, possibly in 2008.

In another post in this forum I have mentioned the news piece that hopefully will be done in 2 weeks and will be shown on the local ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. This coming spring I will be doing oral cancer screenings at a regional dental convention.

I'm hoping that with all this and more to come I'm sure, that someday I, we (Mike and others) can make a difference.

Jerry