I have just finished my last set of Rads on December 5th and am well on my way to a full recovery (hats off to Dr Goodwin and Dr Samuels at Sylvester - University of Miami). They are super guys and having the latest rad equipment (Varian Rapid Arc IGRT) makes a huge difference in minimizing the side effects. For those that will be making a decision of where to go for treatment, having the lastest rad kit would be a very big factor in my decision making process.

With my cancer and subsequent recovery, many things worked in my favor including the fact that the cancer was HPV+

A question that I have been asking all my Doctors is, what is the effect of mild alcohol consumption on the chance of my cancer reoccurring? When I say mild, let's say 1-2 glasses of wine/beer a couple times per week.

Some say that 1-2 per day is no problem while a few young interns had said "If it was me, I would never touch alcohol again" Being young (50 years old) with a 3 year old daughter I plan on being around for a long time so I will do what I have to do (not that never having a glass of wine or pint of ale is a big sacrifice).

However if there is no harm, I would like to enjoy a glass of wine with family/friends and/or an ale with my team/friends at a game. I do realize the days of 2-3 super dry martinis, no olives double twist with business associates or a couple shots of tequila with friends is behind me.

I would appreciate any comments (including posts of any studies) of the effects of alcohol consumption on the increased chance of reoccurrence on HPV+ cancers.

In the interim, I hope that all of you and your families have a wonderful holiday.

Regards - Steve