The Verdict on the Form Letter

I FINALLY talked to my oncologist yesterday, and got some answers about that scary form letter saying that I am HPV positive. He confirmed that it is a high risk strain, but couldn't tell me which strain exactly. He said that when they run the test, they run the sample against a panel of 13 high risk strains, and if any of them come up positive, you have high risk HPV. Since almost 100% of cervical cancer is caused by high risk HPV, I in all likelihood have had HPV for years, and it just lay dormant. Sneaky little virus, that one.

Of course, my main concerns were A. Does this increase my chances of a recurrence? and B. What does this mean for my husband's health? Yes, HPV can and does cause cancer in men - penile, anal, and throat and mouth cancers.


First of all, my oncologist assured me that my Pap results were normal, meaning no changes in the cells. As a quick aside, your body sheds old cells constantly, to make room for new, healthy ones. When the old cells don't shed, they clump together and form tumors, which is where cancer comes from. So the good news is that I am still in remission.

Since I had a radical hysterectomy when I was diagnosed, I no longer have a cervix, which means that cervical cancer isn't really an issue for me anymore. My doctor did say that high risk HPV could cause vaginal, vulva, and anal cancer, but the percentage of those occurring drop pretty dramatically the farther you get from the cervix (distance-wise). The best thing I can do is to take care of my body as much as possible, and of course keep up with my regular exams with my oncologist.

As far as my husband, he plans to talk to his own doctor about warning signs for penile or oral cancer. Since there is no test approved by the CDC to test for HPV in men, we will never really know for sure if he has it. Since HPV is so easily spread (it doesn't even require intercourse, just skin to skin contact), chances are high that he does have it.

I'm not crippled by anxiety now that I've had my questions answered. I have a low level of fear, but the only part of the fear that is new is with regard to my husband's health. I will always have some fear about my cancer recurring; the goal is just to not let it run my life.

I want to say thank you to all who prayed, sent love, and good vibes. Thank you to all who took the time to help talk me down off the ledge while I waited to hear from my doctor. I honestly don't know what I would do without this amazing community of women, all fighting this monster we call Cancer, who still find the time to reach out and say "I'm here for you."

Next Wednesday, December 16, I will celebrate 18 months in remission. When I received that letter, I honestly didn't know if that day would be worth acknowledging. But it is. Cancer came into my life completely unbidden, and I fought hard as hell. And I am still standing. So next Wednesday, we'll do a little something special to mark another milestone that I never thought I'd reach when I was first diagnosed.

xoxo jennie