advocacy

Ending Cervical Cancer Starts with Us

Preoccupied much? It happens. Especially when caring for yourself and others, mourning loved ones, slogging through a global pandemic, and attempting to check off all of the things from your personal and professional to-do list. Because we were quarantined and protecting ourselves, we probably missed a few important benchmarks, library books that may have been due, or our annual dentist appointment may have fallen off the calendar. We know first-hand that everything simply can’t be done. But Cervivor does want to help you prioritize the following three things before summer’s out. (Don’t worry, you’ve got two more months to go!)

1) Stay up-to-date on screenings.

Did you know? Anyone with a cervix is at risk for cervical cancer. Each year, 14,100 individuals will be diagnosed and 4,280 will die as a result of cervical cancer. This disease is the only type of cancer caused by HPV that can be detected early by a recommended screening test. It is also highly curable when found and treated early. Knowing this we will continue to share information on risks, prevention, treatment, and resources.

Not sure of what guidelines to follow? Check out the American Cancer Society’s cancer screening guide, schedule your appointment, and have this meaningful conversation with your doctor.

2) Share YOUR story with others.

Your Cervivor story is unique. It helps others to feel seen. And it helps us feel heard – when we are ready to use our voice, of course. Sharing your story is also a crucial aspect in educating the public, caregivers, medical professionals, and even those funding cancer research.

Seeing and hearing your lived experiences amplifies what others, too, may be going through and helps to further research, offers a personal accounting of what cervical cancer looks like, and most importantly – empowers us more and more to thrive. Take a look at these beautiful testimonies, and consider sharing yours with Cervivor.

3) Start vaccinations early.

According to the June American Cancer Society 2021 HPV VACs Impact Report, about 3 to 4 million HPV vaccine doses were missed. “ACS health care partners maintained rates for 9- to 13-year-olds, growing shot series initiation by 2 percent for ages 9 to 10 and shot completion by 2 percent for age 13.”

Cervivor is happy to partner with organizations like St. Jude’s HPV Cancer Prevention Program, the American Cancer Society, and the National HPV Roundtable (to name a few)- all of which continue to help prevent HPV by increasing HPV vaccination rates for this age group. HPV vaccination can prevent more than 90 percent of these cancers if given at the recommended ages. 

Our new mantra is “start at 9.” Giving a strong recommendation for the 9-year-olds in our lives will increase vaccination success, according to the National HPV Roundtable. When we take our young people to health providers at age 9, it provides ample time to complete the HPV series before age 11, which is when they receive their Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) and Meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccines. More than 75% of U.S. parents have chosen to protect their children from HPV cancer with the HPV vaccine.

Since August is National Immunization Awareness Month, let’s raise that number even more! Together we can end cervical cancer, once and for all! 

Take a look at how survivors in our community have shared their stories and are making a difference:

Need some additional help in prevention messaging? Take a look at the resources in this toolbox created by the National HPV Roundtable, and share with your networks, friends, and families. This impacts everyone, and with your support, we can change the course of cancer.

Transcending Passion Into Purpose

When my chemo and radiation treatments ended in July 2013, I struggled to return to my normal life, including my career in agricultural field research. Physically, I no longer had the stamina to work in a corn field for up to ten hours a day. Mentally, I began to question if I was even passionate about my job anymore. I had just survived cervical cancer, so I didn’t want to waste another minute in a job that wasn’t fulfilling. I felt lost and knew I needed to find a new career path that would give me a better sense of purpose. 

I thought hard about what I was passionate about and how I could turn that into a career. I knew I was passionate about cancer advocacy but didn’t know how to apply that to a job quite yet. I found the field of cancer registry interesting but knew little about it. I thought about cancer registry off and on over the next few years but kept dismissing the idea of becoming a cancer registrar because it would require two years of schooling to become certified. 

Cancer registries are important because they reduce the burden of cancer on the community by improving patient outcomes and ensuring funding for public health cancer prevention programs. A cancer registrar is responsible for collecting, maintaining, and reporting cancer data on all cancer types diagnosed and/or treated within a hospital or other medical facility. This data is entered into a cancer registry system, or database, that is then reported to state and national cancer registries. 

Cancer registry data is used by many, including oncologists and other doctors to compare cases for treatment plans, researchers for clinical trials, public health officials for evaluation of cancer prevention programs, policymakers to determine state and national funding of cancer control programs, and cancer organizations for statistics (like the American Cancer Society). 

In 2020, amid the pandemic and working from home, I decided to go for it and enrolled in an online program to become a certified cancer registrar. I am now one year into the program and am enjoying every class I take. I feel like I have a sense of purpose that was missing.

Someone once told me that cancer registrars impact cancer advocacy, policy, and research. This is so true! Knowing that my future job will impact cancer in these ways is exactly the fulfillment I am looking for in a career. It may have taken an unexpected cancer diagnosis, a lot of personal reflection, and seven years to figure out a new direction for my career path, but by the Spring of 2023, I’ll achieve my goal of becoming a certified cancer registrar. You too, can start achieving your goals in 2022, by focusing on your passions with a willingness to persevere. 

Emily is an eight-year cervical cancer survivor who was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer at age 30. After cancer, Emily didn’t realize she even had an advocacy voice until she attended her first Cervivor School in 2016. Today, she is a patient advocate and Cervivor Ambassador who shares her cancer story to raise awareness for ending cervical cancer and to educate others on the importance of cervical cancer screenings and prevention. Emily is the recipient of the 2020 Cervivor Spark Award and the 2022 Cervivor Champion Award. She plans to graduate with her certification in cancer registry in spring 2023.