Website Spotlight: Superman HPV

Have you ever met a real-life Superman?  Well, Jason Mendelsohn might not be a superhero from another planet – but he is a survivor of stage 4 cancer who was given the nickname “Superman” by his friends during his remarkable recovery.  Now, the 50-year old father of three, cancer-free, is also known as “Superman HPV a crusader who spreads the word about cancer prevention and the importance of the HPV vaccine.

Working with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA), Mendelsohn is one of many program ambassadors who help HNCA raise awareness, connect patients with communities of care and resources, and educate medical professionals on the benefits of the HPV vaccine Gardisil-9 (which the FDA now indicates is an effective tool in the prevention of head and neck cancer, in addition to other cancers caused by HPV).

For Mendelsohn, his story of survival is not only remarkable – he went from making “goodbye” videos for his family to participating in a charity bike ride in just over a year – but an opportunity for him to inspire others.  Assuming the character of “Superman HPV” at local events and via his own social media lead to a call from NBC and an appearance on the Nightly News with Lester Holt, as well as traveling abroad and testifying in front of Congress about the need for more awareness, prevention, and treatment resources to help patients not only survive, but thrive during and after treatment.

“I’m not Michael Douglas or Jim Kelly,” says Mendelsohn, referring to two of the celebrities who are past spokespeople for HNCA, and themselves cancer survivors.  “But HNCA was happy to work with me right away.”  Partnering with an organization that is patient-centered has made “Superman’s” message even more powerful than a locomotive, and the ongoing fight for health, recovery, and a better world is well-met!

I had a chance to interview Mendelsohn to learn more.

1. People don't often make the connection between HPV and head and neck cancers - why should they be aware of that link? 

 I am a survivor of stage IV HPV tonsil cancer. I am not a doctor. When I was diagnosed at age 44, I had never heard of HPV related oropharyngeal (tongue, throat and tonsil) cancer, nor had I ever know anyone to be diagnosed with it. Shortly after being diagnosed, I had a radical tonsillectomy, neck dissection (42 lymph nodes removed from my neck), followed by seven weeks of chemo, radiation and a feeding tube. I even made videos to my kid's saying goodbye. I share my story, so other parents don't have to make videos to their kids saying goodbye. My videos went something like this, "One day you are going to get married, I am not going to be there, this is what's important."There is a vaccine, that can protect your sons and daughters from HPV preventable cancers.

HPV related head and neck cancer, surpassed cervical cancer over the past year. It's important to know about HPV, as three out of four adults by age 30 have HPV; 62% of freshman in college and men between the ages of 40-60 are the most highly diagnosed decades after being exposed. My doctor told me that he believed I was exposed to the virus in college through oral sex with a woman, and decades later the virus presented itself as cancer. On a side note, out of 100 people that get exposed to HPV, 98% never know they have it as their body fights off the virus. Learning about HPV, can protect your kids from preventable cancer. Think of it this way, if there was a vaccine that protected your daughter from breast cancer, most parents would give the vaccine to their daughters. Parents would do the same thing for their sons, if there was a vaccine that would protect them from prostate cancer. Why is the HPV vaccine any different. It protects your kids from HPV related cancers. 

2. How did you know that something wasn't right and needed to get checked out? I found a bump on the right side of my neck that appeared out of no where. I shave almost every day, and had never seen this bump. I had no other symptoms. I immediately went to the doctor. 

3. What are some things people might not realize about head and neck cancers?

• Head and neck cancer is the 6^th most common cancer by incidence worldwide
• 650,000 new cases are diagnosed each year worldwide
• 65,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
• 330,000 deaths occur annually worldwide
• BUT head and neck cancer has an approximately 80% survival rate when it is found early 

4. If you could go back and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be? I would have had less sexual partners, and certainly understood that oral sex can cause cancer. I truly didn't realize that before being diagnosed with HPV related tonsil cancer.