Amazing. A midnight email from my RO

[quote]Remember back earlier last year you asked for us to test your tumor for HPV status. Our pathologists at that time did a study using one technique (immunohistochemistry staining), and it was negative. We now use a more sensitive testing technique (called PCR). We reran your tumor using this technique, and it was positive for HPV subtype 16. I thought you would be interested.
Hope you and your wife had a good holiday season.
All the best,[/quote]

This is great news as the studies increase showing far better survival rates for HPV positive oral cancers. It even is on the OCF main board
[quote] Dr. Gillison wrote;

We found that HPV-positive HNSCC [head and neck squamous cell carcinomas] had significantly improved disease-specific survival when compared with patients with HPV-negative tumors, even after adjustment for age, lymph node status and heavy alcohol consumption.[/quote]

Plus it lets me put the perennial "Why me?" and "What caused this?" questions to rest instead of suffering total bewilderment on how following all the exhortations on exercise, nutrition, meditation, etc. could have failed me so badly. I had thought it was statistically improbable for me not to have gotten HPV since I was single until I was 36 and had given up celibacy after leaving the seminary in a time of "Free love" and "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with". I do not resent my Karma anymore as I can't regret all the love I was given.
Need to update my signature line.
Charm