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FA-Lexicon: Examination
Why you should do it
Why oral self-examination (OSE)?
Wondering why you should do a regular oral self-examination?
HERE and HERE we have already explained important basics about the increased risk of oral cancers in FA.
Do you already make regular doctor’s appointments for preventive check-ups? Excellent!
Do you want to do more than that? Very good!
Start here!
The oral self-examination is a great place to start.
Take a few minutes to watch the video and learn why OSE can become a game changer.
First of all:
The oral self-examination (OSE) should NOT replace the regular check-up by a physician. It is still important for a medical professional to monitor you on a regular basis.
OSEs not only give your doctor extra supporting information, they allow you to have more control in dealing with your increased risk of cancer.
Use early visibility to your advantage
Regular oral self-examination helps
- With the earliest possible detection of changes in your oral mucosa and tongue
- With the documentation of changes over time
- You to see the doctor early or within a short-enough time frame if something in your mouth strikes you as „strange“
What is it all about?
The OSE is about seeing AND documenting the smallest changes as early as possible (on a mouth map and with a photo). The earlier you see a change and can document the development, the earlier the doctor can characterize it using the “Add-on screening for FA patients” by using the brush biopsy. (See info here)
Important rule!
The following applies to you:
If a change or a spot you found has not disappeared after 2-3 weeks or if it continues to change, to „develop“ (e.g. larger or bloody or painful), then you should have this clarified by a doctor as soon as possible.
The goal of early detection
Unfortunately, it often happens that changes are discovered too late. In these cases, either the check-ups didn’t take place regularly enough, or the doctor overlooked something… And that’s where you come in!
Go for regular check-ups and keep track of what’s happening in your mouth by doing regular oral self-examinations.
# Quality of life
The earlier a tumor is discovered, the less therapy is required. The use of radiation for people with FA, while possible, can be difficult. Classic chemotherapy for oral cancer is even more problematic in FA (it is not comparable to the chemo received during BMT).
Therefore, surgery is the best way that we currently know for treating cancer in FA. And the smaller the visible spot, the smaller the necessary intervention.
This app is the perfect tool
for oral self-examination! For all the reasons noted previously, we have created this app. It reminds you to check your mouth regularly. It helps you to document everything and even compare observations over time. It also makes it easy for you to share this information with others (e.g. your doctor).
Search for „Fanconi“ or „FAexam“ in your App Store and you can download it without any cost.
Science
Here you can find the scientific ressources of the App FAexam.
Intro Video
Learn here how to provide your health journey.
All Info
Here you can find all icare-infos on one spot.