I was told by my oncologist that I absolutely could never drink alcohol again, even though my tumor was caused by HPV.( I was only a social drinker, by the way) Were any of you told the same thing? If so, do you drink anyway? Were any of you told that it is okay to drink? I am curious because everyone I know who has had cancer is very surprised that I was told that; they say they've never heard of that. I haven't had a drink since February, so I guess I can live without it. I am just curious as to what you were all told. Teresa

Teresa --

This topic comes up every so often, most recently here (thread from May 2007 with many responses).

-- Leslie

Teresa, I was told by my ENT here that wine or beer once in a while is OK--and I don't know if my tumor was HPV caused or not though it's in an area where that would be unlikely. I was only ever a pretty light social drinker and a former smoker who had quit for 9 years when diagnosed.

Up until just last week I didn't drink anything because a friend's husband, who was treated at SKCC, was told he should never drink again, although he was only a social drinker too. I figured if people are getting different advice, take the safe route and not drink. And I've ahd such swallowing problmes and my mouth is so sensitive that it wasn't much of an issue. Last week, I tried a little of a dark beer my husband had and it was pretty good (before cancer I loved having a Guiness once in a while) and next time we went out, we split a dark beer. I had about 1/3 of it, he had 2/3. I've also tried a sip or two of wine not too long ago and found that it stings my mouth a little AND just doesn't taste quite the same, so I'm not too tempted by that and I know anything stronger than wine or beer would burn my mouth.

So at this point, beer is really the only temptation and I may allow myself a little bit every now and then because honestly I don't think the data is too clear on whether small amounts of alcohol really are a risk factor.

Nelie

Teresa,

My docs told me drinking in moderation was still Ok. I used to enjoy a beer or 2 but now I don't really seem to care as much so I maybe drink 1 beer a week.

I also have never been told (either yes or no) that alcohol helps the HPV virus turn our cells into cancer like thay say it does with tobacco.

There are no studies related to HPV and alcohol. Even with tobacco, HPV has an additive effect, not a synergistic effect in the disease development process. That means that it does NOT help the tobacco carcinogenic process. It adds another burden, but which does not amplify or augment the process started by tobacco.

girlcat - I find your oncologist's extreme directive to be just that, extreme and unsupported by evidence of harm when moderation is exercised. I can tell you though that because of my extreme xerostomia, drinking wine or beer etc. with friends leaves me with a following day of extremely dehydrated oral tissues and throat which is quite uncomfortable.

Teresa,

I will celebrate 2 years next month. At my last check-up 2 months ago, my Doc said that 1-2 beer or wine/wk was ok. I was HPV-, didn't smoke, and was only a social drinker.

Rob

Rob,

You say you were HPV negative and you didn't smoke and you had a tonsil primary with nodal involvement? I'm surprised. Did I miss something?

David,

Why are you surprised? There are several people on this board who never smoked and either are not HPV+ or probably weren't based on the location of their tumor (oral tongue instead of tonsils). HPV+ cancers certainly represent a subgroup of oral cancers that can't be explained by smoking but it seems obvious to me they don't explain all of them.

We have an unusual kind of cancer in that the causes can be identified for a large percent of folks who get it but it doesn't surprise me at all that there's also cases which must be caused by factors not yet identified. That's true for almost every other kind of cancer too.

Nelie

Nelie,

Must be, but in my world I like all things to fall in their proper boxes and make some logical sense. Guess that's why I'm not a cellular researcher.

None of my docs said anything about drinking in the future one way or the other. It wouldn't really matter to me anyway since it tastes horrible to me. Beer still tastes like it is full of sugar as does wine. Never was much of a hard liquor drinker anyway and haven't even tasted it since Tx completed.

Just as long as they don't tell me to give up my coffee. I gave up the smoking and coffee is my last vice.

Bill D.