OKEMOS, Mich. – [March 2, 2009] – Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America (Renaissance America) is giving its members another reason to smile by adding the Oral CDx BrushTest® (BrushTest) to its core collection of covered services with Renaissance Dental group plans. The BrushTest is a simple and painless adjunctive diagnostic test that helps detect pre-cancer or early oral cancer.

“Oral cancer is one of the deadliest cancers because it is usually detected too late,” said Jed Jacobson, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H., senior vice president and chief science officer at Renaissance. “The BrushTest was a breakthrough in the fight against oral cancer, allowing dentists to detect pre-cancerous cells or very early oral cancer, when treatment saves lives.”

Renaissance has chosen to offer coverage of the BrushTest because it is one of the only tests that is an FDA-approved scientifically proven procedure that detects pre-cancer and early oral cancer. Its accuracy was confirmed in published clinical studies at 35 leading dental schools. In addition, it has been approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) as a safe and effective tool for the early detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cells.

How it works

Dentists may see red or white spots in the mouths of about 10 percent of patients. Although most of these spots are harmless, some are not. If a dentist determines the tissue needs to be tested, a BrushTest can be performed in the dental office. The dentist uses a small brush to gather cells from the lip, tongue or oral mucosa (the mouth’s mucus membrane) and sends the sample to CDx Laboratories for computer-assisted analysis. Results are faxed back to the dentist within three days. Renaissance Dental’s coverage includes the dental office procedure as well as the laboratory test.

“Oral cancer is not only one of the most common cancers, it is also one of the most expensive to treat,” said Tonya Draughon, director of national marketing and business development at Renaissance. “We hope this new benefit not only saves lives but reduces overall healthcare costs for our members.”

To date, dentists have already performed more than 250,000 BrushTest procedures, resulting in the detection of 10,000 cases of abnormal tissue and early oral cancer.  Theoretically, these detections have saved more than $500 million in medical costs.  If the disease is detected in its earliest stages, the five-year survival rate increases dramatically from a dismal 57 percent to 81 percent.

Facts about oral cancer

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer and is one of the most expensive cancers to treat with the average cost for treating an advanced case estimated at $200,000. It accounts for 34,000 newly diagnosed cancers each year and 8,000 deaths in America alone. Less than half of all oral cancer patients fully recover, and those who do often experience facial disfigurement or other life-altering complications. The five-year survival rate has stagnated at only 57 percent for the last 40 years.

Previously, oral cancer was found primarily in men, adults over 40, African Americans, smokers and heavy alcohol drinkers. Now, more women, young adults and those who don’t heavily smoke or drink are being affected. A 2007 study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed the human papillomavirus (HPV) is strongly associated with oral cancer among subjects with or without the tobacco and alcohol risk factors.

For more information on Renaissance Dental, groups are encouraged to contact their broker, agent, or Renaissance account executive at (800) 963-4596, or visit http://www.RenaissanceDental.com/.

About Renaissance
Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America (Renaissance America), the nationwide insurance company of Renaissance Health Service Corporation (RHSC), offers Renaissance Dental group and individual dental benefits, including the new Renaissance Dental Extend for Retirees, an individually-billed product now available nationwide through employers and other organizations. RHSC is a not-for-profit organization comprised of companies that focus on affordable health care benefits, employee benefit and claim management services, and access cards to reduce health care costs for groups and individuals. The Renaissance family of companies dates back to 1957 and today has offices in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, New York, Florida, New Mexico and Kentucky. Collectively, Renaissance provides coverage for more than 6.6 million people, and paid out more than $2.1 billion for dental care in 2008.
http://www.RenaissanceFamily.com/ or http://www.RenaissanceDental.com/.