From what I understand from listening to oral surgeons and ENTs, it's that alcohol is an irritant, so I suppose if one only irritates occasionally, it might be OK.

However, presuming my cancer came from tobacco or alcohol, I had abstained from them for 35 and 11 years respectively before the cancer came out, so it's apparently a delayed effect. If it was HPV, that was only a 10 year abstinence. Yet, there was only about 2.5 years between my irradiation and a second recurrence in the irradiated zone.

I know more than I understand about this disease.

Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.