That “spot” turned out to be an oral cancer. And early detection saved her life.

Throat Scope is a medical device that families and practitioners can use to make oral examinations part of a monthly routine health check.

Throat Scope incorporates a tongue depressor and light source in the one easy-to-use unit.

The device has recently been endorsed by the United States Oral Cancer Foundation as the number one tool to detect oral cancer in its early stages.

Oral cancer has one of the highest mortality rates if left undiagnosed and untreated. The survival rate of 30 per cent could be vastly improved with early detection.

More common names for the disease include mouth cancer, tongue cancer, tonsil cancer and throat cancer.

Approximately 1250 people in Australia will be diagnosed with oral cancer in 2017. Oral cancer is visible. And that means that early detection can save lives.

Jennifer Holland, CEO and founder of Throat Scope said the company is on a mission to “light up throats around the world and educate people to recognise the signs of oral cancer.”

In July 2017, Throat Scope will introduce Oral Cancer Awareness Week on the east coast of Australia. Pop-up clinics will offer free screenings, manned by specialist volunteers.

“Symptoms can include mouth pain, persistent swelling, unusual bleeding, changes in speech and difficulty swallowing. If it’s red, white or black and has been there for longer than two weeks, you need to get yourself to your GP,” Holland said.

“Throat Scope is being used in homes to investigate sore throats, inspect new teeth in infants and detect mouth sores that might be ominous.”  

Throat Scope provides families and medical practitioners with an easy, fast and accurate device to examine oral cavities. And while that doesn’t sound romantic, it can certainly be life saving.