Frank,

As far as I know the FDA hasn't approved the Gardasil HPV shots for males yet and when they do they will most likely be prescribed for a much younger subset of our population like 12 to 24 as the vaccine is designed to work best prior to HPV exposure. Johns Hopkins was/is trying to develop a vaccine for males that will boost our immune systems response post exposure but I assume that's years away as well even if it is successful. Others have tried similar vaccines in the past with no success. If there is another vaccine out there for HPV I'm not aware of it.

I tested positive for HPV 16 which is the number of one of over 100 HPV strains identified to date. So far only 4 have been linked to cancer, 8, 11, 16 and 18. Number 16 is the most common strain associated with SCC in the oral cavity. As the scientific community spends more time and gains more knowledge about HPV they may find more strains and more links to cancer but that's just my opinion.

Your wife is correct that you should focus your attention on the Tx and recovery that lies ahead but like you I wanted to know as much as I could/can about the cancer that would kill me.

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.