When a Black woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer, her mind starts racing, and her reactions may run the gamut to include anger, anxiety, fear, depression, and shame. But while you may be on an emotional rollercoaster, you also must figure out her next steps. Here is some information you don’t want to miss:
Make Sure You Get a Second Opinion.
According to Dr. Carol Brown, MD, FACOG, FACS, a Gynecologic Surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “If you are diagnosed with cervical cancer, the most important thing is to get an opinion from a gynecologic oncologist, a specialist who has had many years of training just to be able to take care of women with cervical cancer.” To find a Gynecologic Oncologist near you, visit the Society of Gynecologic Oncology website. Check with your insurance company to ensure that the second opinion is covered.
Understand Your Diagnosis.
Your doctor will categorize the type of cervical cancer according to stages. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) says staging describes where the cancer is located, if or where it has spread, and whether it affects other body parts. Those stages will range from I to IV, with substages within each group. And they factor into your treatment recommendations.
Cancer.net suggests asking the following questions:
- What is my diagnosis, and what does it mean?
- What is the stage of the precancer or cancer? What does this mean?
- Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
Treatments Plan Will Depend on the Stage of Your Cancer.
Rachel Clark Sisodia MD, Associate Professor of Harvard Medical School and a Gynecologic Oncologist and Gynecologic Surgeon at Mass General Brigham Hospital, notes that precancer dysplasia, for example, can be fixed with an in-office procedure. “With early-stage cancers, it is important to know that surgery gets pretty aggressive, pretty quickly, and that is what is required to cure your cancer,” she explains. “For more advanced cancers, those tend to be harder to cure. They are almost always treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.”
Know Who May Be Part of Your Medical Team.
A gynecologic oncologist will oversee treatment, but they may work alongside a gynecologic surgeon, a medical oncologist, and a radiation oncologist, depending on your care plan.
Discuss Fertility Preservation Options If You Are Of Childbearing Years.
Treatment of cervical cancer can trigger early menopause. If you want to have children, it is important to discuss fertility preservation options with your healthcare team before embarking on your treatment. At NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, those with smaller tumors may be candidates for radical trachelectomy. In this procedure, doctors leave in place the uterus, the ovaries, which contain a woman’s eggs, and the fallopian tubes, which carry the eggs to the uterus. Another option to preserve fertility is freezing your eggs before treatment.
Don’t Neglect Your Mental Health.
The shame associated with having a form of cancer connected to a sexual organ comes with stigmas that make us want to hide it. Don’t. Remember that cervical cancer is a result of HPV, a sexually transmitted infection that nearly all sexually active people get in their lifetime. Talk about your diagnosis with family and friends. Make sure they are being screened. Add a social worker, therapist, or counselor to your team to discuss your concerns.
Get Support For Those Who’ve Been in Your Shoes.
Finding virtual and in-person support can assist you further in managing your cervical cancer journey. A few organizations to explore are Cervivor, a global non-profit education community of patient advocates who can provide inspiration, empowerment, and a safe place to learn more. Founded by Tamika Felder, a Black woman who survived the disease, it serves all women impacted by the disease, but the organization also has groups like Cervivor Noir for Black women. The Resilient Sisterhood Network promotes education on women’s reproductive diseases through in-person events and webinars.
