Even a test that finds HPV16, like the current Oraldna test in the US, is not going to be helpful. While it indeed finds this particular strain of HPV in a person's month on a given day, it finds episomal HPV dna. This is not virus dna that has become involved in the cells dna, even though it is indeed in the cytoplasm, or even in the nucleus. That actual expression of the two onco-proteins that interfere with the cells dna, has to take place for this to be more than a transient infection. It has to happen for cancer to get started. We all have tangent HPV oral infections, which our body's immune system clears up over time, the CDC says virtually everyone who has sex gets this, so what is the value of knowing that on any given day you have one of these transient infections? None.

OCF along with Dr. Gilliosn and Lingen developed the HPV test that looks for the presence of E6 and E7 expression which is the definitive marker for something going to the dark side from HPV. None of these other tests do that. That test is not practical expense-wise to use it as any kind of screening tool, rather it was designed to determine without ambiguity, the actual cause of a cancer before dialing back radiation treatments etc. which some clinical trials are starting to do. Dial back treatments on a tobacco origin oropharyngeal cancer, and you may not have resulting cure. So bottom line before you deviate from the established standard of care treatments, you had better be sure that you have without a doubt an HPV cancer.