Dr. Mohammad Kamal and Susan Cotten Partner for Workshop on Oral Cancer Screening
Oral HPV Screening introduced to Registered Dental Hygienists at Nation's largest gathering
On July 19, Dr. Mohammad Kamal, founder and medical director of OmniPathology, teamed up with Susan Cotten, founder and CEO of Oral Cancer Consulting, to present the “Oral Cancer Screening Workshop: It’s More Than Grasping the Tongue.”
They presented the workshop at the nation’s largest event for registered dental hygienists, the 2024 “RDH Under One Roof” conference, held this year in Denver, Colorado.
Cotten, a registered dental hygienist, has developed the Cotten Method—an oral cancer screening system and dental oral cancer office system—which she has taught in workshops throughout the country. In the course of her career, she has performed 60,000 oral cancer screenings.
Kamal, a board-certified pathologist, has created a simple and affordable oropharyngeal [throat area] HPV swab test. “Persistent HPV infection is linked to oral and oropharyngeal cancer development,” he said. “This is an undisputed fact. How are we going to identify those patients that have persistent infections unless we test for HPV?”
“This test is very simple,” he said. “Swab the back of the mouth, put it in the tube, send it to the laboratory, get a result in 24 hours. We use state-of-the art advanced technology to detect HPV and to identify high-risk patients before they present with cancer.”
Limited to 50 dental hygienists, the workshop included both instruction and coached participation, with the attendees practicing both the Cotten Method and the HPV oropharyngeal swab test. “Working hands-on gives them confidence and helps them learn the components of the comprehensive screening,” said Cotten.
Interest in the workshop was intense. People lined up outside the door in hopes of getting into the fully booked session and requested that the workshop be brought back next year. Those who attended were engaged and receptive. “They were very interested in the HPV test,” said Cotten. “We just had great feedback—all very positive.”
This was the first time that Kamal and Cotten have partnered together. “Susan is a pioneer in the way she teaches how to thoroughly screen for oral cancer and how to be methodical in one’s approach,” said Kamal. “And she is one of the champions of the link between HPV and oral cancer.”
Kamal and Cotten are both determined to save lives through their groundbreaking screening techniques. “One of the most gratifying things in any profession is to feel that you are making a difference and you’re also developing an innovative approach,” said Kamal.
The oropharyngeal HPV swab test is one more example of how OmniPathology is living up to its mission: “To be the worldwide leader on cutting-edge GI, GYN and GU pathology lab services known for emphatically serving our customers.”
OmniPathology – Led by Science. Driven by Service.
Dr. Kamal is the founder and CEO of OmniPathology Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. He completed his pathology residency and fellowship training at UCLA.
