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← Return to HPV P16 positive cancer
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Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Mar 26, 2023 | Replies (107)
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Hello,
I was diagnosed with Stage 4 oral cancer in 2009. I did the standard treatment of 7 weeks of chemo cocktails and radiation. They told me I was HPV positive, the MD said the good thing about being HPV positive was the success rate was better than being non-positive. I’m not sure if I was HPV 16, I believe so, but would need to check my paperwork. I had seen multiple ENTs for more than 2 years without a diagnosis. I had a chronic scratchy throat that I could not seem to clear. I had been scoped so many times I lost count. Then one day I woke up with a golf ball size lump on the side of my neck. The MD’s all agreed that was not good.
Replies to "Hello, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 oral cancer in 2009. I did the standard treatment..."
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Hello,
I mirrored your experience. I had been complaining about my throat 2 years prior to being diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer. I had been scoped many times as well with no definitive answers. What caused me to not continue to see the ENT, was that he reassured my during one of my scopes that it wasn't cancer. I would like to share with everyone, to continue to request scopes and be vigilant, even when you are comforted by good news. I too had a sore throat and was coughing up blood for months. Yet, I was given a clean bill of health. It's a mystery to me how both of us, and many others are missed. Hopefully, there can be further learning so we don't go un-diagnosed.