Alcohol consumption and tonsil cancer?

friend of Bill said:

alcohol
I don't know if alcohol contributed to my cancer diagnosed two years ago. I know this: I drank my way into AA 23 years ago and still attend. If anyone ever wants to e-share, send me a private message. It would help me. Ironclad promise: no preaching, no recruiting, no nothing like that. Ever.

Vince

Hey, Friend of Bill
While I'm not an alcoholic, my dear departed mother-in-law was. She also was a Friend of Bill for something like 30 years -- 30 years that she wouldn't have had were it not for AA. And, she helped a whole lot of people like her along the way.
As you well know, AA works.

--Jim in Delaware

Irishgypsie said:

HPV+, Gardasil, and Drinking.
Hello, I am new to this so I am taking in as much information as I can plus trying to make immediate tx decisions.

1. I 1st want to say how much I appreciate the friendliness everyone is on this blog; I've found the information to be very supportive.

2. I understand that that drinking and smoking may increase the risk for HPV+ cancer; but I don't smoke and yes I do drink mainly on the weekends; unless I took a vacation to to Cancun and then it was week long thing! But I'm sorry you just don't get cancer at age 38 from social drinking; even if it's occasional weekend binge drinking! I think a lot is going to develop over the next 5-10 about viruses and the effects they have on the body and causing cancer!! In addition I also agree that stress has a lot to do with it. Most people do pass the virus through there system and fight. My understanding as a nurse is that HPV can lie dormant much like the herpes virus. So maybe if a person is under a lot of stress and has HPV they can have frequent outbreaks which can cause the cells to change over time? Who knows! All I know is I have cancer and it sucks!! I have alot of military/college bodies who have had pretty much the same lifestyle as me several different girlfriends; drank moderately, never smoked, exercised, ate healthy, etc and there not getting this so I guess it's random BAD luck!

3. The vaccine wasn't developed to prevent genital warts!!! It was developed to prevent cervical cancer which is caused by HPV 16-18. So yes it would make a lot of sense to give it too boys!!

Drinking
Hopefully you already made treatment decisions. I used to drink socially but after being diagnoses with SCC I will likely never drink again. I also used Listerine (26.7% alcohol) twice a day for 30 years. I am only just 1 week out of radiation and still have one chemo dose to go. I will miss drinking but living through this nightmare will make anyone quit.
The doctors don’t honestly know the cause regardless of if you smoked or drank or any of that crap. Personally I used smokeless tobacco on and off for 15 - 20 years which I am sure didn’t help but I know a few friends who have the exact same cancer and never used alcohol or tobacco ever in their life. I am not 38 but I am only 49 and don’t quite understand it all. I referred myself to Stanford University for treatment where I brought them my original biopsies. They tested them and they were positive for HPV.