Hi guys,

Can you clear something up for me please? So my cancer is on the left side of my tongue - more towards the front of the tongue and the middle rather than at the base of the tongue. Does this mean that it's not HPV related? Thats what i have concluded from the posts on this website. Am i right? Should i get tested for HPV then or not?

Minh

I was wondering about that, too, Minh. My son's cancer was on the right under side of his tongue. In searching OCF in News, re HPV, I also noted this: "The study looked at patients with nasopharyngeal cancer, a tumor that grows behind the nose and at the top of the throat, above the tonsils. The quote was at this link:
http://oralcancernews.org/wp/rare-head-and-neck-cancer-linked-to-HPV-study-finds/
I'm sure someone else will be able to comment on this.

The large majority of HPV positive SCC cancers begin have these commonalities: white male, primary BOT or tonsils with mets to the nodes. If I remember correctly college educated was also listed so I guess we have to go to college & join a wild fat house to get the good HPV. lol

The reason for the BOT and tonsil location is the type of cell that located in that region is the type of cell that HPV "prefers".

Anterior of the mouth HPV+ oral cancers are pretty rare. They tend to be base of tongue, where it begins to curve down your throat, the tonsils, the tonsillar crypt behind them and the oropharynx itself or the very back of the mouth you see when you look in the mirror. In order to type your cancer to HPV they have to test cells from the biopsy or the surgical removal of tumor tissue itself. Thousands of patients into this we just don't see that many anterior of the mouth HPV + SCC's.

That news story does not relate to either of you as nasopharyngeal cancers are in the back of the oral cavity and above it. The reason that news story was worth putting on the oCF site was that these types of cancers were historically the realm of the Epstein Barr virus not HPV. But now we are seeing some of those turn out to be HPV16 caused. Again an area right above the oropharynx.

I am assuming that you have all read the HPV page listed when you click the word HPV in any posting, or on the OCF web site.

Hi Brian,

Yes i have read all the HPV stuff. Just that english is a second language for me so sometimes i'm not too sure about what i read - get a bit confused with all the information. Thanx again.

Minh

Thanx David, that was what i thought and was trying to get a confirmation on it.

Minh

That does explain things. Thanks, Brian and David.

Hi Minh

Whilst I appreciate that HPV related tumour where yours was is rare, so is being your age and female. Maybe you are one of the rare ones (we already know you are one of the special ones).

For the common good an HPV test may be worthwhile as it may provide data that will give us a more accurate picture of the incidence and prevalence of HPV related cancers, who is at risk, and importantly, balance against how many HPV infections DONT progress to oral cancer. It may also put it on your doctor's radar for other patients. We pushed hard for my Alex to be tested which achieved the unexpected but welcome bonus for the half dozen patients in our "group" who were also tested when Alex came back positive in addition to a "complete response" to treatment.

I have just finished reading an absolutely appalling news report on another thread which reported that in Australia and New Zealand, we have less HPV related cancer than the rest of the world.... Well, duh, if we don't routinely test for it, our incidence is going to be a bit low isn't it? I really hate journalists who make such obviously foolish statements.

Karen

and no obvious/smutty comments speculating on why the incidence of HPV is low in Australia please

OK, I just erased mine.