‘Howard Stern Show’ Sidekick Robin Quivers, 72, Made a Difference For Women On “The Greatest Radio Show of All Time”– How She Fought Endometrial Cancer

Responding to how “there’s got to be a ton of people out there looking up to you,” Quivers replied, “It’s very odd because I never thought of any of that when we started. I didn’t think about being black. I didn’t think about being a woman. I just thought about being a newscaster.”

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“The outcome … had everything to do with that. One of the things that our very first program director said, ‘with Rob being on the show, the one thing that happens is if in the morning somebody’s tuning around the dial and they hear a woman’s voice, they know they’re on the ‘Howard Stern Show,'” she explained further.

“Because there were no other women in Washington, D.C. on morning shows, and so, it was special right from the very beginning because of that.

Quivers added, “And then later in my life, I would hear from young women, ‘You were the one that inspired me to go into radio, and you were something special to me,’ or you know, ‘it made a difference that you were on the air.’

“That just came along with the territory.”

Fans also praised Quivers in the comments section of the Instagram post, recapping Quivers addressing her influence on others.

Black Women Die From Breast Cancer at Shockingly Higher Rates Than White Women

One fan wrote, “Robin we definitely look up to you! You set the bar so high! The way you keep these rascals you work with in check and laugh off the foolishness is so impressive!

“You’re so incredibly brilliant. Love your thoughtful approach and how you keep such a positive attitude! And also keep it real. You are our queen! and we love and celebrate you!”

Another commented, “Robin is wise beyond words, she is such a pivotal person on the the radio, and being black just makes her more powerful.”

In addition to her career, Quivers’ cancer journey has helped raise endometrial cancer awareness for women, especially Black women, as they face additional challenges with this type of cancer as it tends to be more aggressive, according to a study recently published in the medical journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

RELATED: As Howard Stern’s Sidekick Robin Quivers Embraces ‘Bald Hairdo’ Amid Endometrial Cancer, New Study Finds a Rare Form of the Cancer Is More Aggressive In Black Women

Understanding Robin’s Cancer Journey

Robin Quivers is a Baltimore native who earned several movie credits during the ‘90s, including “Private Parts,” an autobiographical story about famed radio host Howard Stern. However, her connection to Stern gained her the most notoriety as the co-host on his popular radio show.

She was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, which begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium or lining of the uterus, in 2012. Symptoms typically associated with this type of cancer include vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain.

After a woman has been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, her doctor will stage the cancer based on its spread within the body. A pelvic exam and imaging tests help your doctor learn if the cancer has spread or metastasized.

Quivers’ symptoms began after she experienced trouble urinating and increased fatigue. She went to the doctor for answers, and her CT scans, MRIs, and biopsies, however her biopsies remained inconclusive—a period of uncertainty she described as “scary” and “bizarre.”

Further tests finally found the culprit, a grapefruit-size mass on “every organ in her pelvic area.”

Following the discovery, a hysterectomy was ordered, and the popular radio host underwent the procedure.

A hysterectomy is a procedure that removes part or all of the uterus (or womb), often along with the cervix, according to the National Cancer Institute. Women who receive a diagnosis of uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancer may have their cancer treated with a hysterectomy.

RELATED: ‘Howard Stern Show’ Sidekick Robin Quivers Beat Cancer And Alopecia- Her Secret To Staying Healthy

Following the procedure, Quivers began chemotherapy and radiation treatments that spanned 15 months.

“When you’re in and out of treatment, you’re always recovering and trying to get back to where you were,” Quivers said.

After undergoing intensive treatment, Quivers reached remission, which lasted for more than three years. Then, in late 2016, she experienced a relapse and needed additional treatment after the cancer returned and metastasized to her lymph nodes. After getting her cancer under control, she undergoes immunotherapy infusions periodically.

WATCH: New Immunotherapy Approvals Provide Hope for Women With Advanced Endometrial Cancer: What to Know

The immune system uses white blood cells to attack abnormal or foreign cells in the body. Cancerous cells can prevent the immune system from doing its job and attacking foreign cells.

Cancer produces certain proteins that protect the tumor from white blood cells. As a result, the body does not recognize the tumor as abnormal. However, immunotherapy treatments stop this from happening and ensure that the white blood cells recognize the cancer cell properly and attack it.

WATCH: Solutions to Racial Disparities in Cancer Care

Treating Endometrial Cancer

Treatment for this cancer varies depending on the stage of the disease, the patient’s overall health, and other factors. Here’s an overview of the treatment options available for endometrial cancer.

Surgery

When the disease is localized, surgery is usually the first treatment considered and that alone may be all that’s required. More advanced stages often require a newer, more targeted treatment approach such as immunotherapy.

The most common surgical procedure is a hysterectomy, which involves removing the uterus. In some cases, the surgeon may also remove the cervix and the fallopian tubes and sometimes the ovaries. Surgery helps to remove the cancerous tissue and is often followed by additional treatments to ensure that all cancer cells are eradicated.

“So in my practice, probably 90% of patients get surgery first as their first treatment for their endometrial cancer. And that is if you have a stage one or a stage two or a stage three, sometimes even a stage four cancer surgery is usually typically the first step in your treatment,” explains Dr. Dana Chase, an associate professor of UCLA Obstetrics and Gynecology in Los Angeles.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to stop cancer cells. It can be administered externally, where the radiation comes from a machine outside the body, or internally, where radioactive materials are placed inside the body near the cancer cells. Radiation therapy is often used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence.

“There are some features of the cancer that make you high risk for recurrence. And what that means essentially is the doctor could be scared that maybe even just a single cancer cell escape the uterus and could eventually grow back with time.,”Dr. Chase explains. “And if that’s the situation, your doctor might recommend radiation treatment.”

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves using drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs can be taken orally or injected into the bloodstream. Chemotherapy is often used in cases where the cancer has spread beyond the uterus or when there is a high risk of recurrence. It can be used alone or in combination with other treatments.

Chemotherapy is often given in conjunction with other therapies such as radiation or immunotherapy.

Dr. Marta Crispens, a professor and director of the division of gynologic oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, explains that when chemotherapy is given along side of other types of treatment it is even more effective. She points to studies that looked at combining standard chemotherapy with immunotherapy drugs that strengthen the immune system’s response for fighting cancer.

Dr. Jennifer Mueller, a gynecologic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, explains how surgery can help determine treatment path.

“If you gave the patient with advanced recurrent disease, endometrial cancer chemotherapy with standard chemotherapy for six treatments, which would be the standard combined with immunotherapy, followed by a maintenance period of immunotherapy, that patients had much better outcomes than if they were treated with chemotherapy alone,” Crispens says.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a newer form of treatment that helps the body’s immune system fight cancer.

“For a long time, patients with early-stage endometrial cancer generally do very well with a combination of surgery, maybe some radiotherapy,” says Dr. Shannon Westin, a professor in the department of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

“However, there’s a population of patients that are diagnosed at a later stage, stage three or four, or that have their cancer come back after initial therapy. And those patients have had a really hard time,” she adds.

According to Westin, the latest treatments combine immunotherapy with standard chemotherapy plus a drug that prevents cancer cells from fixing their own DNA.

Hormone Therapy

Some endometrial cancers are hormone-sensitive, meaning they grow in response to hormones like estrogen. Hormone therapy involves taking medications that lower hormone levels in the body or block their effects on cancer cells. This type of therapy is often used for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

“Hormonal therapy commonly works because most of endometrial cancers are estrogen receptor positive,” Dr. Michael Toboni, an assistant professor in the division of gynologic oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham notes to SurvivorNet. “So if you give progesterone, it can counteract the estrogen feeding the cancer. This is commonly given with multiple anti-estrogen medications or an anti-estrogen medication in combination with another medication that inhibits a common pathway in endometrial cancer.”

Closing the Gap Can Lead to Better Patient Outcomes

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, “only 5.7% of physicians in the U.S. identify as Black or African American.” That small number fuels inequities in medicine and, if addressed, could boost the amount of trust Black Americans have in the healthcare system.

“This is the biggest factor,” Oluchi Oke, MD, tells SurvivorNet. “With later stage breast cancer, stage 4, we have no cure for that. So, if patients are known to have later stages, compared to other populations, they are going to be more likely to experience cancer mortality.” Oluchi is a breast medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

Josette Gbemudu is the Executive Director of Health Equity at Merck and has advocated for increased diversity in healthcare for years.

“We know that black women and African American women are disproportionately impacted with triple-negative breast cancer: high incidents, high mortality relative to other racial demographics and groups across the country,” Gbemudu previously told SurvivorNet when we sat down with her at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the largest cancer conference in the world.

Although the need for more Black physicians is well known, what’s stopping more from training and entering the healthcare industry?

According to Associated Medical Schools of New York, medical schools’ “high costs” and “lack of guidance and preparation” during undergraduate studies are key barriers to entry for would-be Black and brown medical students.

The Education Data Initiative says the average total cost of medical school is $218,792, which is a steep obstacle for many students.

However, the tide could be turning just a bit because Inside Higher Ed reports, “Black [medical] students in the 2021-2022 academic year rose by 21 percent, from 2,117 to 2,562.”

Managing Your Mental Health in the Face of a Health Challenge or Major Life Change

It’s only natural for health challenges to have some sort of effect on one’s mental health. Although Quivers has appeared to be coping well the challenges her cancer diagnosis and recurrence has brought her, it’s important to note that the diagnosis of a cancer or disease or some external stressor can offset your mental health in ways you don’t expect.

The National Institute of Mental Health advises people to seek professional help if experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:

• Trouble sleeping
• Changes in appetite
• Struggling to leave bed in the morning because of mood
• Trouble concentrating
• Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy
• Inability to perform normal daily functions and responsibilities

How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term

Equally as important is recognizing the value of self-care. Some basic tips to take better care of yourself and improve mental health, beyond seeking professional help when necessary, include:

• Regularly exercising
• Eating healthy, regular meals
• Staying hydrated
• Prioritizing sleep
• Exploring relaxation programs or techniques
• Setting goals/priorities
• Staying positive
• Connecting with others

Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin also shared some simple tips to help you maintain good mental health and reduce stress amid adversity.

When it comes to dealing with anxiety, Dr. Strongin says it’s important to have a healthy relationship with your anxiety and get to know it rather than fear it, avoid it, or push it away.

Dr. Strongin explained, “By learning more about your anxious thoughts and tendencies, one can begin to answer their anxious thoughts even in moments when there aren’t any answers. For cancer patients, the worry thoughts tend to be, ‘Will I survive?’

“It’s important to let those thoughts come in and really be able to tolerate them before answering them. This is a very powerful coping skill.”

Dr. Strongin suggests medications to help with anxiety and depression if other approaches are not as effective. She also urges cancer warriors to explore telemedicine.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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