cervical cancer awareness

Seven Years NED, One Day at a Time: A Hispanic Cervical Cancer Survivor’s Story

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we’re not done highlighting the Latina voices in our Cervivor community who are breaking the silence around cervical cancer — and helping others feel less alone.

Their voices are especially important. According to the American Cancer Society, Hispanic women in the U.S. have cervical cancer rates 36% higher than White women. Yet stigma and shame surrounding cervical cancer can make it difficult to talk openly about a diagnosis, seek support, or ask questions.

Hispanic cervical cancer survivor and Cervivor Ambassador Lisa Lakey knows what it’s like to carry that silence — and what it takes to break it. Her journey from a private diagnosis to outspoken advocacy was first featured in Patient Resource magazine. The magazine cover and Lisa’s original article are shown here.

With permission from Lisa and Patient Resource, we’re republishing her story below, followed by new reflections on seven years with no evidence of disease (NED), the challenges of survivorship, and the message she hopes other Latina women and their families will hear.

Lisa’s Story in Patient Resource: “Survivor Turns Her Silence Into Outspoken Advocacy”

When Lisa Lakey was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV) at 18, she wasn’t given any information about what it was or what it could mean later in her life. Years later, when she was 37 and trying to have a child with her second husband, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. They found that the cancer was due to that long-lasting HPV infection. Despite her initial reluctance to tell anyone about her HPV diagnosis, she now advocates for women to get cervical screenings on a regular basis to help end this preventable cancer.

Lisa Lakey

Embarrassed about the HPV diagnosis, I didn’t tell anyone at the time, especially my parents. I didn’t want them to know I’d been having sex because I was a good Catholic girl. No one explained what the diagnosis meant or whether I needed treatment. I had no symptoms, and, at the time, the HPV vaccine was not available, so I just went on with life. I had regular cervical cancer screenings with normal results. I even had a child with my first husband without any problems. I wish someone had explained how HPV could affect me in the future.

After I got remarried in my late 30s, my husband and I tried to have a child. I was having trouble conceiving, so I saw my OB/GYN. My screening showed abnormal cells on my cervix. She tried to remove as much as possible with a cone biopsy using LEEP, a technique that uses electric current passed through a thin wire loop to remove abnormal tissues. However, she told me after the procedure that there were no clear margins. She recommended a hysterectomy.

I was devastated, and my dad encouraged me to get a second opinion with a gynecologic oncologist. The second doctor performed another cone procedure but still couldn’t remove all the abnormal cells. Testing of the cells revealed I had adenocarcinoma in situ, and I was given a diagnosis of Stage IA1 cervical cancer. I decided to have a partial hysterectomy to remove my uterus and cervix but leave my fallopian tubes and ovaries. It made having a biological child in the future possible, and I still wanted a chance to have a child with my husband.

We looked at several fertility treatment options, including freezing some of my eggs, but we were surprised and disheartened at how incredibly expensive they were. It simply was not affordable for us. I looked online for information and support. This led me to Cervivor, which was a great place to meet other women going through something similar. Over time, I shared my experience with them. They asked me to speak at their Cervical Cancer Summit about family planning, so I joined their panel.

After the surgery, my doctor said there was only a 5 percent chance the cancer would return. I was hopeful. Although I was considered a survivor, I didn’t feel like it because for the next two and a half years, I had an ultrasound every six months. All results were normal until an 18 cm cyst was found on my right ovary during a routine scan. The doctor ordered bloodwork, and the results indicated cancer. Testing of the cyst showed it had the same cells as my original cervical cancer. Therefore, it was considered a recurrence.

This shook my world. I was like a zombie for a few weeks as I tried to come to grips with the news. The doctor scheduled surgery to remove the mass and my ovaries and fallopian tubes. I was so scared, but I put on a positive face and adopted the adage of “fake it until you make it.” Inside, I was mourning the fact that I would not be able to have any more children. I felt robbed.

Lisa on her final day of chemotherapy.

Surgery was followed by six rounds of aggressive chemotherapy treatment every six weeks. Today, I am cancer-free and have annual follow-up appointments.

After the recurrence, I became more involved with Cervivor. Talking about my experience helped me to feel less embarrassed and more emboldened to speak out. I began advocating for other women. I was invited to Cervivor’s Communities of Color event to share my experience as a Latina woman who had cervical cancer.

Many people, especially people from communities of color, have trouble discussing HPV. There is a stigma around it because it’s tied to sexual activity. I like to think of HPV as more like the common cold for your vagina. I even wear a button that says, “Ask me about HPV.” It is a great conversation starter and reduces the stigma of discussing a private part of the body.

Being a part of Cervivor lit a fire in me. I continue to use my voice to bring awareness to this totally preventable cancer. Many women reach out to me in private, but I’m willing to talk about cervical cancer with anyone, anywhere, because I don’t want them to feel alone. Today, I feel like a survivor.

The advice I give other women is to not be afraid of cervical cancer screening, advocate for yourself and find a team of doctors who have your best interests at heart. It’s worth it for your own well-being.

Reprinted with permission from Patient Resource LLC. Copyright 2026. Download or order a free copy of the Cervical Cancer issue featuring Lisa’s story.

Lisa Today: “Survivorship is a Day-by-Day Experience”

Lisa two years ago, celebrating five years with no evidence of disease (NED).

Seven years after reaching no evidence of disease (NED), Lisa continues to navigate the challenges of survivorship while helping others through education and advocacy. We caught up with her to hear how she’s doing today and what she’s learned along the way.

Q: What helps you keep going on the harder days of survivorship?

“Survivorship is literally a day-by-day experience. Some days are great, and after being NED for seven years, dare I say there are some days I don’t even think about my diagnosis. But the reality is it’s always there. Any ache or pain, you immediately think: it’s cancer. It doesn’t help that cancer seems to be all around us, so it feels like there is no escape.

For me, I’m still experiencing some of those fears with questionable scans and other issues that stem directly from my treatment, so I’m not as carefree as I’d like to be. But every day I live in the moment. I wake up and feel so blessed to be here, and I look into my family’s eyes and remember why I fight so hard not to let this disease or this experience get the best of me.

You have to be strong; you have to have faith and hope. And you have to learn not to predict the future. If you advocate for yourself through this journey, then you should also be able to TRUST your team.”

Lisa’s Message to Latino Families

Lisa with her family on the day she completed treatment.
Lisa with family celebrating her fifth NED anniversary.

Q: As a Latina survivor, what would you tell Latino families when a loved one is diagnosed with cervical cancer?

“First and foremost, don’t be ashamed and don’t judge. Cervical cancer can feel like two diagnoses in one, but they did nothing wrong.

Second, I would let them know I am here for them for anything they need. When I was first diagnosed, I remember meeting someone with cervical cancer and weirdly being excited, because I had someone I could relate to.

If I have learned anything through Cervivor, it’s to be there for others: to share your story, to answer questions, to share my knowledge. I wish I’d had someone with firsthand experience when I was first diagnosed. Maybe I would have felt less alone and a whole lot more confident.”

Advocacy on Her Own Terms

Q: How has your advocacy evolved since your story appeared in Patient Resource?

Lisa at a 2025 Cervivor Communities of Color event.

“My advocacy over the past few years has been a lot of storytelling. I’ve hit some major milestones, so it’s always good to share the success and let others know there is hope, and also what years of survivorship could look like. Many times the storytelling is one-on-one, and I’m able to share personal experiences or help calm nerves.

I’m also huge on pushing for and sharing how important the HPV vaccine is, and I consistently push for others to vaccinate themselves or their children. In addition, I belong to a Latino cohort at work, and I’ve been given a platform on a regular basis to share my story and statistics, and to answer questions.

When it comes down to it, advocacy is what you make of it, and making myself open and available has worked well for me, especially when I’m immersed in a community of people who might be a little more reluctant to talk about it.”

Make Lisa’s Story Matter 

Lisa’s story is a reminder that breaking the silence can start with one conversation, whether that’s with a doctor, a sister, a coworker, or a friend who was just diagnosed. As she puts it, advocacy is what you make of it.

This Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond, we invite you to carry her message forward:

  • Talk about it. Cervical cancer is nothing to be ashamed of. Open, judgment-free conversations help the women we love feel less alone.
  • Protect the next generation. The HPV vaccine prevents the infections that cause most cervical cancers. Talk to your doctor about vaccination for yourself and your children. 
  • Get screened. Regular Pap and HPV tests can find changes early, when they’re most treatable.
  • Share your story. Like Lisa, your experience could be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
  • Find your community. Join Cervivor Español and connect with other Hispanic cervical cancer survivors at our next virtual Café con Leche meetup! Check our Events page for upcoming gatherings.

Thank you, Lisa, for your courage, your honesty, and for always showing up for others. We’re grateful to have you in the Cervivor family.

Every Voice. Every Journey. — Meet the People Moving Gynecologic Cancer Advocacy Forward

By Cervivor Communications Director Sara Lyle-Ingersoll

A gynecologic cancer diagnosis can change a person’s life in an instant. Hearing the words “you have cancer” is a universally disorienting experience — one that can divide life into a before and an after.

But the impact doesn’t stop with the person diagnosed. It reaches families, friends, caregivers, and communities. Daughters care for their mothers. A loved one’s diagnosis changes how family members think about their own health and the decisions they make about their care. And when someone dies from gynecologic cancer, those left behind carry both the loss and the memory of the person they loved.

Sometimes, those experiences become a catalyst for action. Survivors and loved ones turn what they have lived through into education, peer support, research, policy, community-building, and advocacy — working to make the path better for those who come next.

That same belief in the power of patient voices fueled Cervivor Founder and Chief Visionary Tamika Felder to start the organization 21 years ago after surviving cervical cancer.

“Too many gynecologic cancers still aren’t talked about enough. That’s why every voice and every journey matters,” says Tamika, echoing Cervivor’s Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month (GCAM) 2026 theme. “When survivors share their stories, they raise awareness, help others recognize the signs, and inspire action that can lead to prevention, earlier diagnoses, and better outcomes.”

Throughout the month, Cervivor has been elevating the voices of people whose lives have been changed by different gynecologic cancers — and who are using those experiences to improve the lives and outcomes of others. Read on to meet seven people moving gynecologic cancer advocacy forward.

Naomi Aziz: Advocating for Young Patients to Be Heard

Endometrial Cancer Research Foundation (ECRF), Patient Advocacy & Engagement Lead

Naomi Aziz was just 27 when she was diagnosed with Stage IVB endometrial cancer in 2018, after experiencing prolonged menstrual bleeding for nearly a year. She was forced to confront the loss of her fertility and the future she had envisioned for herself.

Her age makes her experience particularly striking: The average age at endometrial cancer diagnosis is 60, and the disease is uncommon in people younger than 45, according to the American Cancer Society.

After more than five years of treatment, Naomi found a way to turn grief and uncertainty into action. Today, her advocacy emphasizes symptom awareness, equitable access to specialists and clinical trials, survivorship, and making sure younger patients are part of the conversation.

“There is growing recognition that lived experience is essential, and that patients should not simply be included in these conversations; they should help shape them.”

Adrienne Moore: Filling a Void for Black Women

Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African Americans (ECANA), President

When Adrienne Moore was diagnosed with Stage III endometrial cancer in 2016, she went looking for answers — and couldn’t find them. A respiratory therapist and longtime patient and caregiver educator, she realized she could use both her professional skills and lived experience to help other Black women recognize symptoms, ask questions, and communicate more confidently with their healthcare providers.

That mission is urgent. The American Cancer Society reports that although Black women are less likely than white women to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer, their death rate from the disease is nearly twice as high. 

Adrienne’s advocacy also carries the memory of her late cousin, Cervivor Ambassador Teolita Rickenbacker, a 2017 Cervivor School graduate who lived with Stage IV cervical cancer and advocated on Capitol Hill. Adrienne told Cervivor that participating in this GCAM feature was one way she could honor her cousin.

“Our patient voice creates a powerful ripple effect: As individuals share their experiences, vital information spreads throughout the community.”

Kath Mazzella OAM: Refusing to be Ashamed 

Vulvar Cancer Survivor, Author and International Gynecologic Health Advocate

For Kath Mazzella OAM, an Australian advocate awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (that’s the “OAM” after her name) for her service to women’s health, advocacy began with a cancer people were barely willing to name.

Kath says a lump near her clitoris was dismissed for about 18 months before she was diagnosed with vulvar cancer. After undergoing extensive treatment, she was struck by how little people knew about vulvar health—and by the shame and silence surrounding women’s genital health.

“I simply refuse to be ashamed,” she says.

That conviction has fueled more than 30 years of advocacy for greater awareness, education, early detection, and open conversations about gynecologic health. Kath also established International Gynecological Awareness Day, observed annually on September 10. Her new book, Stitched Up: Turning My Vulval Cancer Diagnosis into a World-Changing Movement, is being released this week, sharing more of her journey from diagnosis to advocacy.

Her hope for future patients is simple but powerful: “knowledge, a voice, and permission to speak openly about their vulvar health without shame.”

Alvina Nadeem: Turning Patient Experience Into Systems Change

Quebec Cancer Coalition, Board Member | Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada), Public Advisory Council Member

Before ovarian cancer, Alvina Nadeem understood complex systems through her work in engineering, change management, human-centered design, and digital transformation. Then she became the person trying to navigate one.

“I understood the ‘pipes,’ so to speak: how systems are designed, coordinated, implemented, handed off, and changed,” Alvina says. “Cancer made me understand the ‘water.’”

Suddenly, professional concepts became lived experiences. She saw firsthand the gap between healthcare as designed and as experienced — and how often patients and families are left to bridge it.

Today, Alvina advocates for recognizing lived experience as a “form of systems intelligence.” Patients cross boundaries between clinicians, hospitals, researchers, and other parts of healthcare, giving them insight into gaps that institutions may not see.

“Healthcare should not be designed around the most capable version of the patient,” Alvina says. “If a system works only because the patient can research, remember, coordinate, and advocate through its gaps, that is what the engineer in me would call a design problem.”

After all, she says, “We don’t expect water to flow where the pipes don’t connect.”

Runsi Sen: Carrying Her Mother’s Legacy Forward

Ovarcome, Founder

Runsi Sen’s path to advocacy began beside her mother. As she helped her navigate ovarian cancer, Runsi experienced the anxiety, uncertainty, complicated decisions, and isolation that can accompany a diagnosis—and the helplessness of watching someone she loved rapidly succumb to the disease.

After her mother died, Runsi made a promise to carry her legacy forward by supporting other women and families affected by ovarian cancer. That promise became Ovarcome, an organization focused on education, support, research, equity, and access.

Her experience also taught her that advocacy doesn’t belong only to patients and survivors.

“Care partners are instrumental in ensuring quality of care for those in treatment. They are the silent yet unwavering force behind Ovarcoming. They should be given a seat at the table. Always.”

Nefa-Tari Moore: Three Cancer Journeys, One Powerful Voice

International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), Gynecologic Cancer Advocate

As both a nurse and a three-time uterine and ovarian cancer thriver, Nefa-Tari Moore brings what she calls “authentic authority” to her advocacy — encouraging women to trust their instincts, ask difficult questions, and push back when their concerns are dismissed.

Her advocacy spans education, peer support, health equity, and systemic change, with a particular focus on ensuring Black women are represented in gynecologic cancer care, research, and advocacy. In 2025, the International Gynecologic Cancer Society recognized her work with its Dicey Scroggins Distinguished Advocate Award.

“Ensuring Black women’s voices and experiences are centered in gynecologic cancer care, research, and advocacy isn’t just about equity—it’s essential for saving lives.”

Claudia Pérez-Favela: Putting a Face to the Statistics

Cervivor Ambassador | American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), ACT Lead

Five years before Claudia Pérez-Favela faced cervical cancer herself, her mother died just 17 days after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

That loss shaped how Claudia approached her own diagnosis and treatment. When she needed a radical hysterectomy, she chose to have her ovaries removed, too, because she feared facing the disease that had taken her mother. She later learned that she carries a BRCA2 mutation.

Claudia initially wondered whether her experience was even hers to share. Her perspective changed after attending Cervivor School in 2023. The following year, she received Cervivor’s Rising Star Award in recognition of her growing advocacy within the Hispanic community and the broader movement to end cervical cancer.  

Today, her advocacy continues to grow. She recently penned an Imperial Valley Press op-ed promoting HPV vaccination as cancer prevention, and was selected for Cancer Nation’s 2026 Leadership Academy, where she is continuing to build the skills and connections to turn her lived experience into broader change.

“I have learned that it is very important to put a face to the statistics and that every story matters, including my own.”

Every Story Can Move Us Forward

There is no single path from cancer to advocacy. It can begin with a diagnosis, a delayed diagnosis, caring for someone you love, losing someone you love, or simply recognizing that what happened to you should be different for the person who comes next.

What connects these advocates is their willingness to speak — and to turn lived experience into something larger.

That is at the heart of Cervivor’s GCAM 2026 theme: 

Our Stories. Our Movement.
Every Voice. Every Journey. Every Gynecologic Cancer.

Later this month, Cervivor will put that theme into action at its first-ever Gynecological Cancer Survivors Retreat and Advocacy Training, September 24 to 27 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Powered by Cervivor School, the special retreat expands beyond cervical cancer to welcome survivors of all gynecologic cancers and build community through shared experience, education, and advocacy training.

Cervivor Cares for Caregivers, Too

As Runsi and Claudia’s stories remind us, gynecologic cancer affects more than the person diagnosed. Caregivers and loved ones often navigate their own uncertainty, questions, and emotions while supporting someone through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. 

If you’re caring for or supporting someone facing a gynecologic cancer diagnosis or survivorship, you don’t have to navigate that role alone. Cervivor’s private Caregiver Support Community on Facebook offers a space to connect with others who understand the challenges, questions, and emotions that can come with supporting someone you love.

About the Author

SARA LYLE-INGERSOLL is a content and communications expert dedicated to transforming lived experiences into impactful stories. Her award-winning magazine feature about a close friend who died from cervical cancer in their twenties led her to Cervivor, and solidified her commitment to cervical cancer awareness and prevention. Now, as Cervivor’s Communications Director, Sara brings this mission full circle.