can we talk about HPV 16 positive?

Hi Beau,

I also got cancer due to HPV16+.

I understand that the majority of people get the HPV virus at some point - usually when they are younger. The result is one of three things:

1. The body's immune system gets rid of it.

2. The immune system doesn't get rid of it and people have it all their lives with no ill effect.

3. In a few people - like you and I - it causes cells to become cancerous. This is not a fast process - it can take decades to happen.

Smoking and/or alcohol intake increase the chances of (3) happening, although I do neither and have just been unlucky.

With relationships, are you worried about "passing it on" ? (the HPV - you can't pass the cancer on.) The fact is that this can happen.

The good news is that HPV16+ is one of the more treatable cancers and has a high incidence of being cleared. The not-so-good news is that going forward it can re-occur but (according to my consultant) the chances are quite small.

My apologies if some of these answers seem rather blunt, but there isn't any way to sugar-coat the cancer issue.

John

totally agree with you. 

John Bn said:

My apologies if some of these answers seem rather blunt, but there isn't any way to sugar-coat the cancer issue.

John. You are spot on. 
I could add that the latent period ( the time between infection and development of symptoms) can be extremely long, 20 or 30 years but it can be shorter  

Beau Chapeau said:

I'm really trying to get my head around this part of my diagnosis.. 

Nice little paper on the epidemiology of HPV here 

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../

Hi Others have addressed the how’s of HPV all I can add is 80% approx of world population get it dont dwell on the whys and please don’t let it spoil any relationship you’ve got. Were just part if the unlucky population whose bodies didn’t clear the virus and it hung around in our bodies waiting to pounce. The positive side is HPV derived tumours have an excellent response to treatment hold that thought. As for passing it in my hubby and I joke that we might have been passing it on for 40 years like pass the parcel, and the music stopped with me. I did have an abnormal smear back in the early 80s in those times HPV wasn’t checked for that onky started later. 
what I spend a lot of my time doing is telling people get their girls and  now boys vaccinated so any children or grandchildren spread the word around. At the moment NHS england are saying by 2040 cervical cancer is hoped to be eradicated we now need the boys to take up the vaccine as it protects both boys and girls. Against our types of cancers along with anal and penile  Rant over. 
Hazel 

yeah, that's what worries me.. that we've probably been passing between ourselves like ping pong.. 

Hi Loz I take  the attitude we can’t worry over anything)ng we’ve no control,over is my way of handling things. It’s a tiny percentage of us who develop cancer so don’t stress. We have no,idea  if we have been passing it or I got it and my body hung on to it it’s a joke we have between us. My is  touch wood is perfectly fine. There’s no test to see if we are carrying the virus so my advise is to forget about it. Concentrate on what’s to come and getting through treatment and recovery.

Hazel 

Thanks for asking the question Loz, I needed to see those answers too. 

Beau Chapeau said:

yeah, that's what worries me.. that we've probably been passing between ourselves like ping pong.. 

The internet is awash with papers investigating the risk patients with oral cancer pose to their partners or future sexual contacts. 
Most come down on none  and the few that do find a very small increase in risk. 
My oncologist is of the opinion that there is little risk. 
Get your kids/grandkids vaccinated. Everything else is out of your control. 

RadioactiveRaz said:

There’s no test to see if we are carrying the virus

Yes there is

You can detect infection with PCR testing 

There is no screening program as less than 1% of people infected with high risk HPV develop cancer