Marcia Cross, from the ‘Desperate Housewives’ series, survived anal cancer. She recounts her fight to break the taboo that surrounds the disease.
Marcia Cross, who plays the gorgeous Bree Van de Kamp in ‘Desperate Housewives’, has revealed that she survived anal cancer in order to break the taboo surrounding the disease. “I’ve read a lot of testimonials from patients who have survived it, including a lot of women who were too embarrassed to say what kind of cancer they had. There’s a lot of shame about that. And I want it to stop” she argues in the magazine People.
“Don’t leave anything lying around”
She also recounts her battle with the disease, which began in November 2017. The actress underwent chemotherapy sessions but avoided having surgery. “Surgery was not recommended, which was a great relief, in order to preserve the sphincter muscles as much as possible,” she explains.
When anal cancer is detected at an early stage, there is a 90% cure at 5 years. “If something is wrong, listen to your body and talk to your doctor. Don’t leave anything lying around. It’s a treatable cancer if it’s caught in time, which it was for me,” says Marcia Cross. “Now that I have discovered its importance, I have become a big fan of the anus! Every time I go to the bathroom, I think to myself It’s awesome! Thank you my body“, she testifies with humor.
Symptoms
Each year in France, approximately 1,000 people are affected by anal cancer, three times more than 30 years ago. Anal cancer develops in the anal canal, the end part of the digestive tract behind the rectum, and manifests as anal bleeding and pain. These signs are little different from those observed during benign anal diseases such as hemorrhoidal flare-ups, which makes it “discreet”. Especially since the first symptoms generally appear when the tumor has grown and invaded neighboring tissues.
It is therefore important to see a doctor if you suffer from bleeding or see blood in your stool. Discomfort or even pressure in the anal region can also alert you. As well as itching, a mass or swelling near the anus or groin, as well as a narrowing of the intestinal transit, such as for example a narrowing of the stools. The fact that these symptoms last over time should put you on the alert.
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