“If you were wondering, I had #analcancer. I know, right?” That was actress Marcia Cross’ way of telling the world what she’s been facing. Many people know Cross from her role on the hit television show “Desperate Housewives.” Anal cancer is not well-known and some people who get it are, quite naturally, uncomfortable talking about it.
The actress posted a selfie without her famous long red hair. “So happy to be alive but sad my hair fell out and is about 1 inch long now and looks cra cra. Anyone else have #hairloss due to #cancer?”
Read MoreAnal cancer is one of those diseases that isn’t talked about enough, and there isn’t much screening available. #SurvivorNetFamily member Lillian Kreppel got anal cancer through HPV, and said she was completely blindsided by her diagnosis. “The word anal, that’s the big deal, people don’t want to say it, people don’t want to talk about it,” Kreppel said. “Not long ago, people didn’t want to talk about colonoscopies. There’s a stigma because people are embarrassed about where it is.”
Kreppel is also a big advocate for the HPV vaccine. Because not all cases of anal cancer are caused by HPV, too few people know that it’s a possibility. HPV, a sexually transmitted disease that is hugely widespread in the United States, can actually lead to a handful of cancers. Talking openly about things like HPV and anal cancer is crucial for awareness. We applaud Cross to bringing attention to such an important cause.
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