Bart said "In this game, having an HPV diagnosis is considered to be a good thing because the perception is that HPV associated patients have an easier time going through treatments."

Not to put words in his mouth but us HPV'ers suffer just as much as your non HPV'ers during the radiation/chemo phase of the treatment but there have been studies that proved that HPV+SCC responds better to the conventional treatment than HPV-SCC and therefore has less of a chance of recurrence which is a good thing.

David

Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.