Question about HPV link to cancer

Hi lyn 

HPV comes in many types. The ones that are important for oral cancer are HPV 16 and 18 

They are the cause of the cancer

They are important because HPV driven cancer is very susceptible to radiation and cure rates high, recurrences rare. That’s it in a nutshell. 

I’ll add 

HPV infection is fairly ubiquitous in people and most of us shake off the virus in a couple of years. If it isn’t removed by the body it has a long latency period ( the period from infection to disease) typically around 10/12 years I think but as long  as 30 plus has been quoted. The virus transforms normal cells into cancer cells. 
More info 

HPV cancers have a protein called P16 which can be picked up by a special stain when the tumour is biopsied. That’s what the histopathologist does in diagnosing the cancer. Some hospitals actually look for HPV dna but that’s more expensive and P16 is usually sufficient. 
Most P16 is found in tumours of the oropharynx. I don’t know if it’s actually looked for routinely in oral tumours but I might be wrong. 
Any oncologists here? 
Another thing. Cisplatin which is the chemo drug of choice is like a radio sensitiser in that it improves the efficacy of the radiotherapy by around 5% so anybody who has to miss chemo for one reason or another really shouldn’t worry. It’s the RT that does the job. 

Wow Dani has explained very well, I knew very little of that. Personally I was never given, and never asked for or was interested in, my HPV status, the same as I didn't want to hear staging details. Ignorance was bliss for me, all I wanted to know was what my likely outcome would be and they said "complete cure" which was enough for me. Not saying for a minute that it's wrong to want detail, some do and so it's right for them, I didn't.

Hi Mike. I always loved stuff like this and was very interested in cancer therapy in dogs and cats when I was working,though we never had a hundredth of the resources available to us. I never imagined I’d be lying under a linear accelerator myself one day. Such is life, eh? 

Thanks for the info Dani that is really helpful. I had a lot of misinformation about HPV prior to your explanation.

Yes Mike I understand what you mean about not needing too much info just wanting to get on with things. I didn’t want too much detail either. I just put my trust in my wonderful medical team and they didn’t let me down.

Best wishes

Lyn

Same as me Mike, as you say some people like to know especially nowadays with the internet , i just went with the flow .

                                        Chris 

Thanks for the info Dani. Much appreciated.

I was actually told without even asking, but it was presented to me as a positive thing so I’ve no complaints,

I have to say that my team have been absolutely brilliant throughout. I have a surgeon who makes me feel that I’m her only patient in the world, and a team who have been good humoured, attentive and encouraging throughout, but also very honest. 

Ten days away from my 12 week check up  

Hi Mark

You sound like you have a great team. Mine have been equally great but I had the advantage of going through all this BC (before Covid)

!2 weeks is a great milestone

PET/CT to look forward to.

XX

Having had my first diagnosis BC (like it!) and my second during it I have to say my team and my trearment were equally brilliant both times, if anything they were more attentive last year because they all knew I'd just lost my wife. I love them all to bits.

I have nothing but praise for my consultant and his team ,as you say they treat you like their only patient, all the best, take care.

                                                                                    Chris x