Suzanne,

Not all sites are able to perform HPV tests. When Dan was newly diagnosed, there was a poster here by the name of GailMac who provided a link to a form at Johns Hopkins that had all of the requirements for an HPV test.

I brought the form to Dan's doctors to request that the HPV test be done. Our doctors sent a tissue sample to Johns Hopkins and handled all of the paperwork. Our insurance did not cover the cost...hopefully that has changed in the past couple of years.

Up until I brought the form in, Dan's doc's kind of brushed me off regarding the testing.

I've been told that they keep tissue samples for quite some time. So, if you really want to know for sure, you could call Johns Hopkins:

http://headneckcancer.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/index.cfm/cID/1607

The link above is to the oral cancer contacts at Johns Hopkins. I no longer have the link to the form. I'm sure you could get it if you called.

M-

Margaret
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C/G: Husband, 48 (at time of dx)
Dx 5/18/07 SCC, BOT, lymph node involvement. T1N2BM0. (Stage 4a, G2/3)
Tx 6/18 - 8/3/07, IMRT x 33 Cisplatin x3 (stopped after 1st dose due to hearing issues). Weekly Erbitux started 6/27/07 completed 8/6/07.