With respect to DonB, I still believe that the data is incomplete and preliminary, and your milage may vary. The ASCO meeting presentation by Dr. Posner (a friend) was drawn from 260 some people, that were not sequential patients, and located at one institution. Out of approximate (best guestimate) 16,000 HPV oral cancers last year, no one knows if in 5 years from now the numbers from the one institution experience of 260 people is relevant. We just do not have enough institutions collecting and reporting to have a really secure hold on what the numbers are. In spite of the Gillison Ang paper, Gillison routinely says that there is definitely a survival advantage, but cautions that until the data is repeated at more institutions we won't have an accurate prognostic indicator for several years to come. Too many institutions are not even separating HPV+ patients in their numbers

Last edited by Brian Hill; 09-23-2010 06:24 PM.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.