 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | The odds are much better in both contracting HPV (by age 50 over 70% of females have been exposed to the virus with no current way to test men) and of the virus causing oral cancer (appx 1%) than winning the lottery (1 out of 14 million). If you have multiple sexual partners your chances of being exposed to the virus naturally increases. Chances are probably great that you have already been exposed to the virus, perhaps multiple times and your immune system has clear each exposure. Not known is why sometimes the virus escapes or hides from our immune system. Sorry but there is no way, short of abstention, to prevent future exposures.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
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