‘I truly didn’t know if I was going to survive,’ he recalls. ‘I decided to make videos for my kids because I wanted them to always know that I loved them.’
Jason went to his doctor after feeling a bump on his neck. The bump was still there ten days later, after a course of antibiotics and steroids. The doctor scheduled a series of tests which plunged Jason and his family into a nightmare.
‘Thursday, I had a CAT scan. Friday, I had a needle biopsy. Monday, found out I had stage four, HPV-related tonsil cancer.’
After a radical tonsillectomy and having forty-two lymph nodes removed from his neck, Jason had seven weeks of radiotherapy. The doctor said this course of treatment gave him a chance of survival that was above 85%.
‘I asked about chemo and the doctor said it would increase my chances of survival by 5-7%. I said great, I’ll take it.’
The surgery left him with a scar that runs from the bottom of his right ear to the centre of his throat. And he describes radiation as ‘brutal’ – much more difficult than chemotherapy. But he survived.
Awareness & advocacy
After surviving his cancer, Jason launched a website, supermanHPV.com, to raise awareness of HPV-related oral cancers. The virus, which is more commonly associated with cervical cancer, can also cause several head and neck cancers, as well as genital warts.
‘I chose the name SupermanHPV as I knew it would draw attention to the diagnosis and help me spread the word about HPV-related oral cancer,’ he recalls. ‘Superman was an easy choice, as my friends called me Superman during chemo and radiation.’
Public education on HPV is vital as there are many misconceptions about the prevalence of the virus and the number of men with HPV. Those affected by HPV-related cancers may develop tumours decades after their exposure to the virus. In Jason’s case, his doctor suggested that the cancer diagnosed at the age of 44 was likely to have been linked to exposure to HPV in his late teens.
‘62% of Freshmen (first year) in college have HPV and 80% of people will get an HPV infection in their lifetime. Most infections go away on their own, [but] infections that don’t go away can cause pre-cancers and cancers.’
Jason continues to work tirelessly as a HPV awareness campaigner and will join a Head & Neck Cancer Awareness event in Florida in April.
‘I just spoke a few months ago in Edinburgh, Scotland, as part of the advocacy track at IPVS (International Papillomavirus Society). My story also appeared in the One Less Worry campaign in 2024, and had millions of views.’
It has become a family effort. Jason’s sons, Ryan and Adam, are part of the 2025 campaign highlighting the importance of HPV vaccine for boys. They were chosen to make videos as the sons of an HPV cancer survivor.
‘When I was 12 years old, I received the worst news that any 12 year year old could receive: that my father had been diagnosed with stage four HPV tonsil cancer,’ Ryan says.
‘When I’m a father one day I’m going to make sure that all of my children have proper access and knowledge of the HPV vaccine to make sure they don’t have to go through what me, my father and our family went through ten years ago.’
Adam, Jason’s 17-year-old son, was only six when his father was diagnosed with cancer. ‘Although I didn’t fully understand the seriousness of the diagnosis, I was able to recognise the stress and fear it put on my family,’ he said. ‘To anyone listening, make sure you get the HPV vaccine, it’s just one less worry.’
In Europe, HPV vaccine uptake rates vary greatly. The HPV Prevention Policy Atlas, developed by European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) and the European Cancer Organisation, reveals significant gaps in policies and vaccine uptake. Local campaigns have been ramping up in Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and elsewhere in an effort to address the gaps.
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan supports national and regional authorities in improving HPV vaccination for boys and girls ‘in order to eliminate cervical and other cancers caused by human papillomavirus’. Specifically, it aims to vaccinate at least 90% of the EU target population of girls and significantly increase the vaccination of boys by 2030.
For its part, WHO Europe aims to eliminate cervical cancer – which is primarily caused by HPV. The European Cancer Organisation says achieving these goals will require access to the vaccine for girls and boys alike.
‘Boys often do not get the same access to the vaccine, even though they often spread the virus and are victims themselves,’ says Mike Morrissey, former CEO of ECO. ‘Some of HPV’s nasty work includes penile, anal, and head and neck cancers.’
Globally, HPV vaccine uptake has increased from 7% in 2019 to 10% in 2022, thanks to support from international donors. Gavi, the vaccine alliance, has led a worldwide drive to reduce cervical cancer deaths, while the Sabin Vaccine Institute is spearing-heading the Global HPV Consortium. The EU has donated €260 million to Gavi for 2026-2027. At present, most of these efforts focus on providing the vaccine to girls.
An advocate for life
For Jason, ten years after feeling that lump on his neck, he remains a committed advocate for HPV awareness and encourages people to speak to their doctors about how they can protect their family from HPV-related cancers.
He has appeared on NBC News in the US, been interviewed by Chinese and Vietnamese media, spoken at medical congresses, and led social media campaigns.
‘I share my story in the hope of saving and protecting boys and girls from HPV preventable cancer,’ he says.
