The Problem

The Rising Crisis

Over the past decade, oral cavity cancer rates have skyrocketed across the United States as a result of increased human papillomavirus (HPV) exposure. While oral cancer is quite treatable when caught early, nearly 70% of cases are diagnosed in the later stages, largely because malignant oral mucosa lesions are often misdiagnosed as visually similar benign conditions like canker sores and fibromas.

The Diagnostic Gap

In fact, a recent study published in MDPI’s Healthcare journal showed that 54% of oral cancer cases were misdiagnosed by dental practitioners and senior students, exemplifying the scale of diagnostic errors in the field of oral oncology.

Healthcare Disparities

This diagnostic gap is only exacerbated by inequitable access to advanced healthcare technologies in underprivileged communities, with over 30% of people living in these areas reported to have limited access to proper dental care. Even in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which are dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of low-income populations, cancer screening rates are substantially lower than the national average.

Unfortunately, this combination of diagnostic uncertainty and healthcare disparities leads to over 170,000 deaths annually across the world, raising debates over whether existing diagnostic solutions are adequate to address the silent threat that oral cavity cancers pose.

Inadequate Existing Solutions

Most oral cancer imaging devices utilize fluorescence spectroscopy to illuminate abnormal tissue, but these methods cannot differentiate between benign and malignant lesions. Therefore, final diagnoses ultimately depend on unreliable visual examinations or expensive biopsy procedures that are often not feasibly accessible for people living in impoverished areas.

Moreover, these fluorescence-based devices can cost over $2,000 per unit, further alienating clinics that serve low-income communities from utilizing affordable diagnostic tools.

Our Response

OralVision aims to ameliorate these issues by offering a highly accurate, deep-learning-based imaging tool that is over 3 times cheaper than alternatives, ultimately contributing to decreased oral cavity cancer rates.