Base of tongue cancer non hpv

longbranchajn

My husband finally got his official diagnosis today.Advanced base of tongue cancer that is also in lymph nodes which we knew.We were praying it was hpv strain but it's not.dr said he has 50/50 chance with high dose radiation 5 times a week sometimes twice a day and also chemo during radiation.Has not spread to other parts of body.Has anyone dealt with this extreme treatment for non hpv cancer? What should we expect?

DarcyS

Not hpv

My husband's scc of the piriform sinus with 2 lymph nodes affected was not hpv.  I don't think the Dr did the test but said it was not located in a hpv area.  He had very aggressive treatment for stage 4 scc  He first had 6 weeks of chemo with three types plus 1 more as part of a clinical study.  He then had 10 weeks inpatient radiation with concurrent chemotherapy 24/7 with three types of chemo.  He was inpatient for a week then off a week  for a total of 10 weeks.  There is no doubt it was really difficult.  Seven years later and life is good with minimal side effects.  He was very healthy going into to the treatment and tried to maintain his health throughout.  If you haven't already, read the super thread on this site for good tips and what to expect during and after treatment.  You're not alone and are here among friends who will help and support you through this.

MrsBD

Non HPV Cancer Treatment

My non-HPV base of tongue cancer was found almost 5 years ago. It had spread to one lymph node on both sides of my neck and was considered stage 4a. The treatment consisted of 33 radiation sessions and 8 chemo (Cetuximab) treatments, without any surgery or feeding tube. It was tough, and I've had some side effects from the treatments,  but I'm cancer free and enjoying an active life. My oncologist put my odds of survival at 90%, because it was caught before spreading to the rest of my body and because I never smoked. The people on this site are wonderfully supportive and will have great suggestions for just about every issue that you might experience.

 

greentea55

non HPV base tongue cancer

Good to hear from some who are not HPV,  I did smoke , quit 13 years ago not soon enough, just starting my journey which started with a sore throat that i Got antibotics for  and kept getting worse,  Saw an ENT who looks through nose down to back of throat, did a biopsy, rest of journey is yet to come