Hi,

Thanks for the frank responses.

I tend to agree with the getting hit by a chevy analogy. From my wife's PAP tests, I know she has been exposed to HPV. I can make the assumption I have been exposed/"infected" also. If I want to feel a little better about my condition, I can tell myself that HPV is the culprit (seed), and a compromised immune system brought on by a very very very high stress personal situation functioned as the soil, water, and fertilizer, and two years later...blammo...scca sprouts in my tonsil, striking like a thief in the night, out of nowhere. A very simple cause and effect--skip all of the other extraneous details, because the end result will not alter where I stand today.

Having said all of that, however, it still would be nice to know. I'll bring this up during my next visit in November.

I have absolutely no room to feel bad for myself. I heard news today the an ex-coworker of mine has ALS...he is a husband and father. We all need to be very thankful that we are able to function enough to type on this board and receive treatment for oral cancer--many others are much less fortunate.

Regards,

Oscar


Stage IVa SCCA, rt tonsil, (1) level II node (3.2 cm). No ECS. Neck dissection, 30 IMRT. Spared chemo because no ECS.