How do you clear the HPV16 virus to prevent cancer recurrence?

You don't/ can't.

There is evidence that the HPV vaccine MAY reduce the risk of recurrence of HPV linked cancer

@samclembeau would you be able to provide the test name? I would like to ask my doctor about it.

A year ago I had my first SCC. All others had been BCC.

I was told my dermatologist that most likely the SCC occurred from a HPV infection. I asked my PCP about being tested to see if I had HPV and he said yes but if came back postive could not do anything about it. He went on to explain that almost every one has a form of HPV but immune system almost alwasy keeps it in bay. I have not information on HPV16 specifically just the comments to me about HPV overall.

I had gone through 30 rounds of proton radiation before this sore and disgnoses came up. I did not think about a relation to that (radiation) and my SCC until I ready posts from others that they too had some SCC occur. Another poster had another recurrence of something (can remember what it was) that he too was told his radiation treatments may haver triggered a reduction in his immune system.

This is my personal experience with this and I was aware that radation could reduce your immune system and also fatique increase which would make sense (in my opinion not a medical one) to have things kept in bay by your immune system to come back up again.

Hopefully my immune system is back in full force 2.5 years now after the end of my radiation treatments. I know my minor fatique is gone but took some time for that.

@djbaril I will try to find out.

@djbaril If I am not mistaken it is NavDx® test . I had the test 3 months after radiation, then 6 month, then 1 year and the next should be 1 year from that test.
Here is information on it.:
Test Name(s): NavDx® test (commercial name), or generally referred to as a test for circulating tumor HPV DNA (ctHPVDNA or TTMV-HPV DNA).
Purpose: To monitor the effectiveness of cancer treatment, confirm remission, and detect recurrence early in patients with HPV-driven cancers, such as oropharyngeal (head and neck) and anal cancers.
Method: It is a blood test, making it minimally invasive compared to tissue biopsies.
Clinical Use: Medicare covers serial NavDx testing for surveillance of recurrence in patients with a history of documented HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer.
Regular follow-up for HPV-related cancer after treatment typically involves a combination of physical exams, imaging scans (like PET/CT scans), and these specialized blood tests to ensure any potential recurrence is caught as early as possible.
ASTRO: Blood test confirms HPV-related cancer remission

Also, my understanding of the HPV virus is that most people's immune system hold it at bay, and then after a period of time 1-2 years, they no longer have it at all. A few of us just weren't
lucky enough to clear it. Thus cancer! YAY! us. There are many common strains of the virus but the ones that cause cancer are HPV 16 and HPV 18.
It is my understanding that your immune system should be back in about 3 months after radiation (shorter with proton usually because it doesn't effect as much of the bone marrow ) but may take longer if you had chemo. That is the norm. some people may take several months or years depending.
please note that I am not a doctor so I prefaced this with "It is my understanding"
Hope this helps

Hi @samclembeau,

For additional info. there are over 150 plus strains in the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) family and most of the body’s immune system typically eradicates the virus within two years 90% of the time and most strains of HPV go away permanently without treatment. Unfortunately, where it doesn’t, can cause health problems like cancer sometime down the road. Age is a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer. It’s more common in older adults because it takes years to develop.

Also, 90% of all oral cancers today are now HPV-related and mostly are made up of men. Of all those HPV strains there are a few that cause cancer such as, HPV 16 & 18 are most commonly associated with development of cancer. The HPV 16 strain is strongly associated with throat cancer.

Hope this helps.

@roblem And if you have any other contributing factor. I also have MS and my Mayo oncologist said it was my autoimmune condition (MS) that set the table for the HPV16.

@sandy8043
I do not.

I am a female however I had a persistent high risk hpv for 4 years. My doctor kept saying there is nothing I can do to get rid of it. Finally after years of being gaslit, I took AHCC for about 6 months and it cleared my infection