Amazing. A midnight email from my RO

[quote]Remember back earlier last year you asked for us to test your tumor for HPV status. Our pathologists at that time did a study using one technique (immunohistochemistry staining), and it was negative. We now use a more sensitive testing technique (called PCR). We reran your tumor using this technique, and it was positive for HPV subtype 16. I thought you would be interested.
Hope you and your wife had a good holiday season.
All the best,[/quote]

This is great news as the studies increase showing far better survival rates for HPV positive oral cancers. It even is on the OCF main board
[quote] Dr. Gillison wrote;

We found that HPV-positive HNSCC [head and neck squamous cell carcinomas] had significantly improved disease-specific survival when compared with patients with HPV-negative tumors, even after adjustment for age, lymph node status and heavy alcohol consumption.[/quote]

Plus it lets me put the perennial "Why me?" and "What caused this?" questions to rest instead of suffering total bewilderment on how following all the exhortations on exercise, nutrition, meditation, etc. could have failed me so badly. I had thought it was statistically improbable for me not to have gotten HPV since I was single until I was 36 and had given up celibacy after leaving the seminary in a time of "Free love" and "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with". I do not resent my Karma anymore as I can't regret all the love I was given.
Need to update my signature line.
Charm

Charm,

I think they call this closure. You can put that nagging question to bed.

Kelly

Charm,

Where did it come back?

Charm,

I think this is the only forum on earth where people are going to be relieved and happy for you for having and STD. Here's to free love!

I think it's been labeled an STD to quickly unless you include French kissing in the STD arena.

I do David, I do

Kelly, Eric & David

Yes, it is a big relief. Finally I can answer the ubiquitous two part question: How did you get that, did you smoke? which 99% of the people ask me. Nope, just a martyr for the sexual revolution. As for French kissing, the YouTube video on the OCF main board about HPV does indeed explictly take Eric's position. OCF -HPV Although I'm pretty confident that was not my mode of transmission as a college graduate of the class of '69.
For OCF readers who have not checked this HPV video out, it's midway thru the OCF writing and my wife was quite impressed that the spokeswoman is young and female so that the message gets across that this is no longer your father's oral cancer. It's only 5 minutes long and worth viewing.
As the snow and cold envelop the midwest and East coast, the sunny warm backdrop of the marina and boats of the video are enticing.
Finally, the cancer came back in the same place as the first tumor - left base of tongue nestled next to the hyboid bone. So far I have not heard or read of any HPV positive oral cancer patient having cancer the third time. For once, I do not want to be the exception and trailblazer.
Charm

I was hoping with as many women that I have made love to that mine would be HPV. I am so glad for you Charm and I am sitting smiling with you. Good luck my man and spokesman of true words.

FYI the spokeswoman is Megan, the OCF Communications Manager.

I'm very happy for you Charm about having some good news and at least some closure for "the questions".

EZJim & Jerry

Thank you both. I know rationally that it doesn't matter in the end how or why I got the cancer but there is a very real emotional satisfaction on closure. Oddly, in that way I had envied the former smokers here on the board. They "knew". And now I "know". For me it makes it so much easier to accept this and keep moving on. If it wasn't for OCF, I would not have had a clue about the HPV connection (okay readers, if you didn't follow the other link, click on the purple HPV and scroll down to watch Megan)
Charm