Question about HPV & Tongue Cancer Connection

Bunnymom
Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
edited February 2015 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Can someone please clarify this for me....

Perhaps, ignorantly, I thought that being HPV positive meant this could potentially have gynecological implications. However, since the virus is systemic, can being HPV positive also have manifestation in oral cancers?

I've read on the board that HPV oral cancers generally have a better prognosis. Can anyone elaborate on this? I believe Don has research on this?

Thanks!

 

 

Comments

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 617 Member
    #2
    I think you are a lot like

    I think you are a lot like me! I want to learn as much as I can and try to figure out how I got this disease. You will find a lot of answers on several good sites. (oralcancerfoundation.org, cdc.gov, cancer.org) The current HPV vaccines offer protection against the two strains that are most likely to cause cancers of the cervix and oral cavity. There are other strains, though. HPV rates have skyrocketed in the last ten years. That is why we need to tell young people that oral sex is not free of risks. (I was a high school teacher and taught this subject.) 

    HPV positive oral cancer responds very favorably to chemoradiation. I can't find the site, but I read it has a 95% success rate compared to 70% for non-HPV. There are other factors involved including risky behaviors like smoking and heavy drinking or poor nutrition. My cancer is  HPV negative, but my doctors feel my chances of a cure are better than 90%. 

    If you decide to Google information, go to reputable sites and be sure to look for current information. Much has changed in just the last few years. 

  • Bunnymom
    Bunnymom Member Posts: 212 Member
    #3
    MrsBD said:

    I think you are a lot like

    I think you are a lot like me! I want to learn as much as I can and try to figure out how I got this disease. You will find a lot of answers on several good sites. (oralcancerfoundation.org, cdc.gov, cancer.org) The current HPV vaccines offer protection against the two strains that are most likely to cause cancers of the cervix and oral cavity. There are other strains, though. HPV rates have skyrocketed in the last ten years. That is why we need to tell young people that oral sex is not free of risks. (I was a high school teacher and taught this subject.) 

    HPV positive oral cancer responds very favorably to chemoradiation. I can't find the site, but I read it has a 95% success rate compared to 70% for non-HPV. There are other factors involved including risky behaviors like smoking and heavy drinking or poor nutrition. My cancer is  HPV negative, but my doctors feel my chances of a cure are better than 90%. 

    If you decide to Google information, go to reputable sites and be sure to look for current information. Much has changed in just the last few years. 

    Mrs. BD
    Thanks. Great

    Mrs. BD

    Thanks. Great advice....wouldn't expect less from a teacher :-) I've had my daughter vaccinated but I do understand that the vacine does not cover all strains as there are many. The infection rate for HPV is astonishingly high. I'm so happy to know that HPV positive oral cancers respond well and am also glad you are doing well. My doctor told me that I have a very high rate for success in treating this. We communicated about the tongue pain. I've posted separately about this issue. 

    Thanks!!

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #4
    HPV+ responds better to Tx

    I have read in several medical reports that HPV+ responds much better to chemo/radiation treatment and the sucess rate goes way up to about 95%. The lowest Nunber I read was still about 92% sucess rate for Oral Cancers.

    I was HPV-, but they cut it all out. So I never had chemo or Radaition.

    Bill

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,773 Member
    #5
    something good about cancer - HPV +

    Hi,

    Nobody wants cancer but if you get oral cancer you surely want the HPV screen to come back positive as prognosis is far better woith this type of cancer. There are hundreds of different viruses but the primary one related to oral cancer is HPV 16.

    It's great to hear you have vaccinated your daughter. Please share this with her friends parents as well. If just one gets the vaccine that otherwise would not have, you have done a worthy deed!

    The best place to find medically vetted information about oral cancer is OCF. This organization is extremely well run and has a advisory board composed of medical practicioners that specialize in oral cancer and each and every article posted is vetted by the board. The user forum posts are only monitored for those that are grossly in error but a lot more variety of opinion is shared there vs the info in the main resource library of the site.

    Don

     

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