Michael Douglas says oral sex caused his throat cancer

[NoodleyAppendage]

47. I am a 2 year survivor of tonsillar cancer (stage 4) from HPV-16

Two years ago I started having jaw problems and then trismus (lockjaw), which was mistakenly diagnosed as TMJ until I went to an ENT doc for a second-opinion. I had a 4 cm tumor growing in my left tonsil, which was irritating the jaw muscles and causing the lockjaw. The tumor was biopsied after it was surgically removed and was positive for HPV-16. The ENT said it was probably laying dormant for ~10-15 years. After the biopsy, I underwent 6 weeks of combined chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment almost killed me and I lost ~50-60 pounds for the same reason as Michael Douglas (i.e., liquid only diet). When you radiate the mouth, the taste buds are the first to die. When you loose all sense of taste, everything tastes like spit/snot. Not very conducive to ones appetite, indeed.

I am now 2 years out from my treatment with no recurrence (so far). My odds are good, but I sure wish that the HPV vaccine was available to me as a young teen. I could have been spared all of this.

I now tell all my friends with kids to have them vaccinated. I am proof positive that HPV can and does cause cancer in males.

-- I would counter, though, that having more cunnilingus does NOT cure HPV oral cancer. It does, however, serve to help strengthen the tongue muscles after radiation therapy. Maybe that was Michael Douglas' intent in his message above?