Anal Cancer Survivor and Actor Marcia Cross Says ‘Check Your Vulva’Her Brave Campaign To Remove Shame From Cancer

The Massachusetts native, 58, reminds women out there to check their vulva. “Someone has to talk to you about these cancers,” Cross says on her Twitter page, signed with an “xo” and her first initial “M.”

Related: Preserving Sexual Function After Vulvar Cancer: What Patients Need to Know

Cross posts a link from a Vulval Cancer UK Awareness Twitter handle (vulvar cancer is referred to as “vulval” in the UK), managed by survivor Claire Baumhauer, which says “You should #CheckYourVulva once a month for any changes. Get to #knowyournormal Any lumps, bumps, ulcers/sores , itching and irregular bleeding see your doctor.” The UK organization’s post features artwork of a woman’s legs open with a mirror covering her vulval, or vaginal region, encouraging women to feel comfortable about inspecting that area.

Someone has to talk to you about these cancers.. xo m💕 https://t.co/5RORCvw4A5

Marcia Cross (@ReallyMarcia) February 15, 2021

Cross, who was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2017, is right. Like anal cancer, this is yet another cancer that is not discussed as openly due to perceived embarrassment, but women need to be aware that vulvar cancer does exist, and what signs to look for.

 

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A post shared by MARCIA CROSS (@reallymarcia)

What is Vulvar Cancer?

The vulva is the exterior part on a woman’s genitals, and vulvar cancer most commonly affects the inner edges of the outer lips (the labia majora), or the inner lips (labia minora), according to the American Cancer Society.

Risk Factors for Vulvar Cancer

There are many risk factors involved with a woman developing vulvar cancer, but just like with other types of cancers, it is not usually possible to pinpoint which specific risk factors caused the cancer for people who have been diagnosed with cancer of the vulva. The main risk factors are age, smoking, and HPV.

The majority of vulvar cancer cases, around 80%, are women over the age of 50, so a woman’s risk increases with age. Smoking also increases the risk of getting vulvar cancer. One of the bigger risk factors (that Cross often educates on) is HPV, or the human papillomarvirus. There are certain strains of the virus that can affect the female genital area and anal area, and looking out for warts or other changes can be a telltale sign of HPV, although most strains that cause genital warts are the lower-risk strains of HPV. It’s important to know that HPV can be transmitted just from skin contact, and can be spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

HPV and Cancer

Justine Almada, co-founder of the Anal Cancer Foundation who lost her mother to the disease, tells SurvivorNet about HPV and how it increases a woman and man’s risk of getting cancer. “HPV causes 5% of the world’s cancer and is completely preventable with a vaccine.”

Almada stresses the importance that we are all at risk from this virus. “There is actually something that we can do about it, which is making sure that our children are vaccinated against this carcinogenic virus.”

HPV Is Responsible For 5% Of Cancers In The World: An Advocate's Crucial Message

Getting Vaccinated for HPV

Not only should adults be vaccinated for HPV as a form of prevention against cancer, but the FDA has actually approved that children as young as nine get vaccinated as well. Dr. Bobbi Rimmel from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center tells SurvivorNet about the HPV vaccine and why it is a good idea for children of approved ages to be protected from HPV, which can cause cervical, anal, vulvar, and throat cancers.

“A lot of parents wonder about vaccinating their children for HPV because they recognize that HPV transmission is primarily through sexual contact,” she says, but reminds us that it’s very easy to transmit from skin-to-skin contact. Also, to have kids vaccinated before their teenage years when they may become sexually active is another reason that the FDA approves the vaccine for that age group, so they are ahead of the game, whether parents want to think about that or not.

“HPV vaccination is the single greatest anti-cancer move we can make for our children today,” Dr. Rimmel says. “The removal of HPV infection as a potential harm to them by vaccinating them against this potentially deadly disease is an incredible opportunity for us as parents for our children.”

Should I Give My Kids the HPV Vaccine? A Leading Doctor On Why She Says "Yes"

 

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