Welcome Warren, this a very caring and knowledgeable group that you can pass questions to, vent to when you feel like it, or gain inspiration from when you need it. There are many survivors and patients with very similar diagnosis to yours, and they will be a great resource for anticipating what is ahead on your path as you move from patent to survivor.

So, the next big step will be deciding who your treatment team will be, and what those treatments will be. Others here will guide you through building your signature block, but you have already stated that this is a very early find, which is great thing for you. I assume that determination of the N0M0 part of your staging was determined from a scan which showed that your cervical nodes in your neck were clear and there is nothing else going on in your body. Locally confined disease is much easier to deal with.

As to the HPV status of things, while it will not at this time change your treatments, it will likely be HPV16 positive, as you have the classic presentation for it. The good news is that HPV status give you a distinct survival advantage over non HPV oral cancers. VA has some great comprehensive cancer centers with super national reputations, and that is also in your favor.

Please take a moment and go to the main OCF website and to the staging page, so that you understand it well. Also remember that we have all kinds of patients here, and no two are exactly alike in how they respond to treatments, or how they emotionally deal with things. While some very dire things are discussed on the boards I caution you not to read others situations into your own. You are a unique biological entity.

Knowledge is power, and chance favors the prepared mind. Start reading on the OCF main site so you can make good informed decisions, supported by information from those here that have actually walked the path before you. No one gets through this alone, and in addition to your team in VA, and your family, not too far into the future you will begin to feel that this is your cyber family and part of your team as well.

Let's hope your journey is quickly made, with the fewest number of complications, and you have a rapid return to a normal healthy life.


Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.