Identafi® is the leading oral lesion identification and marking system that was developed to help oral healthcare professionals identify and mark abnormal oral lesions suspicious for pathology including precancerous cells and cancer that may be difficult to see during a regular visual exam.
Clinical studies have shown that the use of Identafi® after a conventional visual examination resulted in no false negative outcomes, meaning in this clinical study Identafi® identified every lesion that had precancerous cells or cancer.
Identafi® facilitates a reduction in the number of false positive lesions that would be identified during standard visual examinations – limiting number of biopsies that may be needed.
The Identafi® exam is a painless exam that Dr. Perrott can perform in just a few minutes…
How does Identafi® work?
The Identafi® exam is a painless exam that Dr. Perrott can perform in just a few minutes. Identafi® uses a light source that helps in identification of abnormalities that may have been missed under normal lighting that could be precancerous or even cancer.
When oral cancer is found early, threatment is less ivasive and outcomes far better.
How is the Identafi® exam performed?
The Identafi oral cancer exam is performed as follows:
- First, Dr. Perrott will examine your mouth and look for any abnormalities.
- Next, you will rinse with a solution that will help Dr. Perrott conduct Identafi® exam.
- Then, Dr. Perrott will examine your mouth using Identafi®
- If a suspicious lesion is detected, it will be marked with blue dye, and documented.
When cells mutate from normal to becoming cancerous they go through many changes. One change that occurs within the cell is the replication of nuclear DNA at an accelerated rate. The DNA takes up a greater percentage of the total cell volume.
The ratio between the nucleus and the cytoplasm can increase until the nucleus takes up nearly 100% of the cell volume. With Identafi®, oral healthcare professionals now have a diagnostic aid that helps them identify, evaluate, monitor and mark abnormal oral lesions that may be going through these dysplastic changes. The pre-rinse solution in Identafi® slightly desiccates the cells to make the nuclei more prominent, and, therefore, more visible. The low intensity light from the handheld light source is reflected off of these abnormal cells down to the basement membrane where the nuclei have been rendered more prominent, and appear to “glow” – making abnormal cells easier to see.