HPV

jtl
jtl Member Posts: 456
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
After reading about HPV and how it affects the treatment outcome I went ahead and had my removed lymph node tissue tested. It turns out that I am P16 positive so hopefully my survival chances just went up. I really figured my situation was triggered by years of smoking although I quit 11 years ago.
John

Comments

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #2
    It is interesting
    how all this works, and what little is yet known. I read the other day that even with HPV positivity, 75% of us with this cancer either are or were smokers.

    Best
  • RogerRN43
    RogerRN43 Member Posts: 185
    #3
    p16
    Good to hear John. From what I've read, I think the major HNC subsets of patients can be broken down into:
    HPV non-smoker
    HPV smoker
    long-term smoker/drinker
    long-term smoker/drinker who continues to smoke/drink

    And for whatever scientific reason, HPV HNC responds to treatment the best, and has the best survival regardless of HNC staging.
    Although many will say stats are just that, stats and everyone can have a different outcome and hope.

    I did read somewhere about p16-1,2,3 staining where P16-3 was pretty much a guarantee of HPV infection as the majority of cells, I forgot what percentage showed p16 in the sample tissue.
    All I was told that I was p16 positive too.
    I guess it helps to hang on to whatever works in our favor.

    All the best,
    Roger
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #4
    RogerRN43 said:

    p16
    Good to hear John. From what I've read, I think the major HNC subsets of patients can be broken down into:
    HPV non-smoker
    HPV smoker
    long-term smoker/drinker
    long-term smoker/drinker who continues to smoke/drink

    And for whatever scientific reason, HPV HNC responds to treatment the best, and has the best survival regardless of HNC staging.
    Although many will say stats are just that, stats and everyone can have a different outcome and hope.

    I did read somewhere about p16-1,2,3 staining where P16-3 was pretty much a guarantee of HPV infection as the majority of cells, I forgot what percentage showed p16 in the sample tissue.
    All I was told that I was p16 positive too.
    I guess it helps to hang on to whatever works in our favor.

    All the best,
    Roger

    Roger
    They sent the sample out somewhere, I believe the U of Mich for whatever reason. The report did not rate the staining just that it was most likely HPV+. I think stats are accurate, the question is who is in the survival category because there always is one be it 95% or 30%. As I understand it a person may be HPV+ but if the staining test from the tumor material does not contain a postitive marker for HPV than the cancer was likely the result of something else. Is that your take?
    John
  • RogerRN43
    RogerRN43 Member Posts: 185
    #5
    jtl said:

    Roger
    They sent the sample out somewhere, I believe the U of Mich for whatever reason. The report did not rate the staining just that it was most likely HPV+. I think stats are accurate, the question is who is in the survival category because there always is one be it 95% or 30%. As I understand it a person may be HPV+ but if the staining test from the tumor material does not contain a postitive marker for HPV than the cancer was likely the result of something else. Is that your take?
    John

    SCC causes
    I think there are multiple causes but the two main ones are HPV (usually younger) and tobacco (usually older presentation).
    I believe there is also a cumulative effect, or any combination of causes that can damage DNA and initiate the process, such as the person who is HPV+ and smokes/drinks excessively.

    It only makes sense that whatever attacks our bodies is not good for us, whether it be viral, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.

    That said clean living is no guarantee either as we are born with a level of genetic advantages and disadvantages.

    The fact that you are p16 positive, from research and studies, indicates you should be very responsive to the treatment you had and have very positive outcome.
  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    #6
    RogerRN43 said:

    p16
    Good to hear John. From what I've read, I think the major HNC subsets of patients can be broken down into:
    HPV non-smoker
    HPV smoker
    long-term smoker/drinker
    long-term smoker/drinker who continues to smoke/drink

    And for whatever scientific reason, HPV HNC responds to treatment the best, and has the best survival regardless of HNC staging.
    Although many will say stats are just that, stats and everyone can have a different outcome and hope.

    I did read somewhere about p16-1,2,3 staining where P16-3 was pretty much a guarantee of HPV infection as the majority of cells, I forgot what percentage showed p16 in the sample tissue.
    All I was told that I was p16 positive too.
    I guess it helps to hang on to whatever works in our favor.

    All the best,
    Roger

    And then there's me
    Non-smoker, non-drinker, HPV -

    I figure it was sun damage for me. We didn't have SPF in sunscreens when I was a kid (when dinosaurs roamed the earth!).
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    HPV+
    Non-Smoker....
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #8
    Skiffin16 said:

    HPV+
    Non-Smoker....

    Then there is me. Genetics.
    Then there is me. Genetics. Fanconi Anemia.
  • Bigfuzzydoug
    Bigfuzzydoug Member Posts: 154
    #9
    GARDASIL!!!!
    Too late for us who are HPV 16/18+.

    But for the sake of the children and preventing them from going through what many of us have... Gardasil for BOTH the boys and girls between 10-15 BEFORE they become sexually active. We owe it to them!
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #10
    sweetblood22 said:

    Then there is me. Genetics.
    Then there is me. Genetics. Fanconi Anemia.

    And me
    Just happened to be near a nuclear power plant (still in military then)when it decided to go KABOOM. Of course my C had to wait for almost five years after I retired to show up.

    Chernobyl.

    There was one site where 85% of the teachers came down with one form or another of cancer.

    Never was a smoker
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #11
    Smoking
    Smoking is huge cause of scchn but if you quit it makes a big differnce. People who have never smoked have an incidence of 24.4 per 100,000 and previous smokers are at 36.9 per 100,000. This compares to 147.3 for people who are still smoking.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #12
    jtl said:

    Smoking
    Smoking is huge cause of scchn but if you quit it makes a big differnce. People who have never smoked have an incidence of 24.4 per 100,000 and previous smokers are at 36.9 per 100,000. This compares to 147.3 for people who are still smoking.

    24.4
    Guess, I'm just one of the lucky....I need to play the lottery more..

    JG
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #13
    Skiffin16 said:

    24.4
    Guess, I'm just one of the lucky....I need to play the lottery more..

    JG

    24.4
    I would say you are one of the smart ones since you never smoked.

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