Cure rateFirst of all I’m sorry for all the questions but I have a question regarding the cure rate for head and neck they say it’s 90% cure rate but are they saying this type of HPV will not come back?

Hi

Unlikely....but nothing is guaranteed.

Peter

markmac said:

are they saying this type of HPV will not come back?

No. No oncologist will say that but statistically the chance of not reaching the magic five years is only 10%

What do you mean about reaching 45 years 

markmac said:

45 years

Not 45 but 5 years. This is  the way cancer statistics are collated. At five years we are considered cured  and we are discharged from routine review. We do remain on our hospital books and are encouraged to go directly back to them rather than our GP if we are worried about something. 

Sorry. I meant to type 5 years. 

Beesuit said:

We do remain on our hospital books and are encouraged to go directly back to them

 markmac 

I think the correct term is we remain on PIFU Patient Initiated Follow Up. 

Hi wehave a good cure rate 90%  after 5  years. Taken against other cancers it’s odds I was only too happy to take. Reoccurrence s if happen are more likely in the 2 years  after treatment  . But don’t waste time thinking about reoccurrence live for the day. We’ve all been given a 2 nd chance why waste it thinking of the what ifs. Make memories live your life together. 
Hazel x

Thank you. My biggest concern is he was a smoker when diagnosed and has slipped a few times during treatment. 

My advise is forget about that, if he has had a cigarette in the scheme of everything you can’t do anything about it it’s happened  (ps if he has had one I’ve no idea how my mouth couldn’t accept water never mind smoked) Hpv driven cancers respond well to treatment just concentrate on that. You will drive yourself mad keep thinking  that it’s failed. You may be better seeing g p for a mild course of anti depressants or some counselling. Do you have a Maggies  cancer centre near you. 

Hazel xx

No I do not but I have a counselor. My mind is on o receive for sure