HPV vaccine may cure BC

jhandley · 09-03-2009, 02:39 AM

Hi all
On the "down under" news tonight there was some info on new research here that indicates that "gardisal" the HPV vaccine may have a role to play in"curing" BC.

Now I know we have looked at research before linking HPV and her 2+ BC.
I was wondering who amongst us has had HPV or cervical precancer due to HPV?

I had laser treatment for cervical precancer quite a few years before BC. I think I was infected with HPV in my mid 20's; dx BC at 41.
Any others?

jackie

Lori R · 09-03-2009, 04:44 AM

I tested positive for HPV in my mid thirties. I had some precancerous polyps removed at approx age 38.

Diagnosed with breast cancer at 49.

Hmmm...I love our informal surveys.

(also, it is a testament to the trust on this site. I was embaressed as I thought having HPV implied that I was promiscuous. Which I wasn't. Now my secret is out)

Laurel · 09-03-2009, 07:29 PM

I only had worts on my finger as a teenager, still got BC....

Ellie F · 09-04-2009, 04:36 AM

I know this sounds crazy but like Laurel I had finger warts repeatedly for the ten years prior to getting bc. Got them originally from my son but could never get rid of them despite every treatment known to man. I have often wondered about a possible connection
Ellie

Lori R · 09-04-2009, 06:41 AM

Wow ...you are all going to know more about me that you EVER wanted to know.

I too had the occasional wart. Not many just 2 or 3 during the course of highschool and college. Had them burned off and they didn't come back.

BarbM · 09-04-2009, 09:19 AM

Hmmmm..had both the warts on fingers and near left knee when I was in high school...then the laser surgery for precancerous cells on my cervix at age 26....wasn't tested back then for HPV as I don't think there was a test in the mid 80's. My recent test came up negative. But, gosh, we seem to have this in common. So, can we get the Guardisil vaccine? My 15 year old has had it, but my 23 year old hasn't (at least I don't think). I have always thought that breast cancer is a virus.....

Yorkiegirl · 09-04-2009, 11:33 AM

HMMM Interesting. I had a wart on my wrist when I was younger, and I had it burned off.
Also when I was 19 (1975) I had pre cancerous cells on my cervix and I had those removed by surgery. This was all over 30 yrs, before I was dx'd with BC.

fullofbeans · 09-04-2009, 04:37 PM

you mean may prevent some form of BC..

unfortunately..

had a plantar verrucae that made it through chemo!!! had it for 5 years despite getting it burned professionally several times..got rid of it about 6 months ago Yihaa (after relentless application of acid sal something for more than 6 times the recomended time, it simply had to go!!!!)

Jackie07 · 09-04-2009, 07:10 PM

I had had warts on my finger tips on and off for quite a while before my BC was first diagnosed. Just attributed it to the lowered immune system because of cancer. My doctor told me to buy the over-the-counter wart remover (liquid gel) and it worked. I did have something on the top of my head (scalp) when I was young. My other 5 older siblings never have had any similar problems. I believe that because I was born premature, I do not have as strong an immune system as my other family members do.

Gene is really the culprit. My Mother has had Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma, and my 2nd Brother - the healthiest one among all the siblings - is recovering well after colon cancer surgery. He's undergoing chemo right now. 3 out of 8 members in just two generation - affecting both the weakest member (me) and the strongest one (2nd Brother) - there's got to be problems in our genes. [Environment factor would not count because 2nd Brother left home for military academy in his teens and Mother grew up 2000 miles from where we grew up.]

jhandley · 09-05-2009, 04:03 AM

You know I had one of those warty things too when I was a kid as well as the other stuff.
jackie (down under)

DanaRT · 09-05-2009, 07:02 AM

Never had a wart--got BC.

I was treated for some kind of cervical virus after my middle daughter was born 20 years ago. I am going to ask my gyno about this. Interesting.

DanaRT · 09-05-2009, 07:07 AM

Barb, Your comment about thinking BC begins as a virus takes me back to when my daughters had mono. One Dr.'s gave my college daughter steriods to help her along. Another Dr. would not give my 14 year old daughter predisone because she said the jury is still out. The mono virus should run its course. There is some studies that may show an increase in cancer with steriods at a young age. Now I wonder if she may have been refering to breast cancer. You would think I would have asked sitting there bald in the midst of breast cancer treatment.

I had mono at age 13. It was allowed to run its course and I got breast cancer.

Love,
Dana

Becky · 09-05-2009, 08:12 AM

There are many theories with alot of data behind them that BC can be viral or bacterial. Some refer to H.pylori (the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers) as well as viruses spread by mice (lots of data there and, although we don't like to think about it, we do live with mice and other vermin). HPV is another considering we already know it causes cervical cancer.

There is not just one explanation here. Perhaps many pathogens along with environmental factors playing on our individual genes are the culprits and if we were never exposed to "the straw that broke the camel's back" we would not have been affected.

I believe there are many factors in play that "cause" cancer and not just one.

caya · 09-05-2009, 08:56 AM

I had warts on my forehead when I was a kid, had them burned off. Also had a huge plantar's wart when I was 15, ultimately had to be cut out because it was so deep.

Interesting aside here - my older daughter had multiple plantar's warts as a young girl - she got them when she took dance classes and for part of the classes they had to dance barefoot. I took to her have them burned off for years, to no avail, they multiplied. Took her to a podiatrist, he was going to try to remove them surgically. Lo and behold, at age 21 (she is now 23), she had the 3 shots of the HPV - the warts totally disappeared, and the soles of her feet were covered in them. The podiatrist could not believe it, he said he had never seen such a total recovery. So who knows?

Adriana Mangus · 10-28-2009, 10:56 PM

Hi Jackie:

First of all, you live in a beautiful country. I visited Sydney in 1999, also Cairns, did a lot of snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. After Australia, I went to New Zealand. Wonderful part of the world. Both of these places.

Now I have a few questions.

What was the size of your tumor?

What about lymph node + or - ? If so how many were positive?
What kind of treatment did you receive? Radiation? Surgery?

I'm a 15 year bc survivor, I have mets, since 2003 to rt lung, you can read everything about me at the bottom of my signature. It would be a good idea if you can do the same, we, at this site like to read about one another's diagnosis and treatments. It's helpful, especially to new members.

Take care,

Adriana