So, the BOT , tonsils and the oral tongue are made up of different cells and viruses thrive in certain types of environments...I was thinking that the whole tongue was one unit and I couldn't understand why HPV attacked the BOT but not the OT. Now I do. Well, they better find a vaccine or a cure before a new strand mutates that likes all areas of the mouth.

How long has HPV been around? And since there are so many forms of HPV does it mutate?

I suppose not knowing bothers me is because now that I'm starting to feel like I'm healing I have time to ponder the "why?" Not "Why me?" just "Why" if that makes sense. I understand that I got cancer because of two things: (1)My immune system was asleep at the wheel and (2)I have a genetic link in my family history, I'm the forth in my family with H & N cancer with Stofko blood. But it would be nice to know the "What the heck set it off in the first place"....I suppose I could have been fighting OC for years and it finally took grasp of my system. ..This could be the case for a lot of us, we'll never know.

Does anyone think it's ironic that a lot of people who don't fit the profile of OC and don't have HPV related OC are getting OC? I have to assume that anyone with OT OC is not HPV related and there seems to be a lot of us...and this makes me curious. I was thinking that maybe my OC was caused by any one of the many chemicals I encounter at work...But, I was talking to a scientist and he told me probably not...That if my cancer was chemical related it wouldn't have been so isolated in my mouth, that the cancer would have been more widespread.

Last edited by Ray1971; 12-30-2008 05:14 AM.
7-16-08 age 37@Dx, T3N0M0 SCC 4.778cm tumor, left side of oral tongue, non smoker, casual drinker, I am the 4th in my family to have H&N cancer
8-13-08 left neck dissection and 40% of tongue removed, submandibular salivary gland & 14 nodes clean, no chemo, IMRTx35
11-4-08 Recovering & feeling better