Marcia Cross' Cancer Journey
- Actress Marcia Cross, who beat HPV-linked anal cancer seven years ago, has reprised her memorable “Desperate Housewives” role for a promo for an upcoming French TV festival.
- Cross was diagnosed with anal cancer in November 2017 following a routine check-up at the gynecologist. During a digital rectal exam, her doctor felt something unusual, prompted her to visit a clinic to get it checked out. After two biopsies and one colonoscopy, it was revealed she had anal cancer. She was declared in remission in 2018.
- The actress talked about her HPV-related anal cancer in a previously recorded video with SurvivorNet: “I didn’t have any symptoms. Never had an irregular pap smear. I had never heard of HPV until my husband. We both probably carried it for most of our lives.”
- The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a group of more than 200 related viruses, some of which are spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, according to the National Cancer Institute. It can cause a handful of cancers, including cervical and throat cancers.
- The HPV vaccine, like Gardasil 9, offers protection against “nine HPV types” and creates an immune response to HPV 16, the primary cause of 92% of head and neck cancers.
Cross, a 62-year-old mom of two, who also starred in the TV show drama “Melrose Place,” made a brief appearance in a promo announcing the upcoming international festival in France called Series Mania, which is held each year in Lille, France.
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Herszber is then seen, dressed as Cross on “Desperate Housewives” while donning similar makeup and hair, making a phone call to the real Cross reprising her beloved role, asking, “Bree? It’s Bree. I’m in a very delicate situation.”
Cross then replies, “Listen, Bree. One thing I’ve learned over the last eight years living with those ladies is that no holds barred.”
She continued, “And pretending that you’re pregnant is never a good idea. Good luck, Bree.”
The video promo concludes with Cross drinking white wine and smiling in character, as she wears her stylish floral apron.
An Instagram post by Series Mania, also offered some context on the footage, writing, “Previously on Desperate Lillewives… In Wisteria Lille, everything seems peaceful… but only on the surface!
“Look a little closer, and you’ll see that everyone has their secrets. What about Bree Van de Kamp’s secret? She’s a total series addict, and ever since she found out Series Mania Festival is returning to Lille from March 21 to 28, she’s been completely hooked!”
The post continues, “Nothing’s off-limits to make sure she doesn’t miss a thing at this must-see event. All will be revealed on February 13. So, Desperate Housewives fans, where are you?”
Cross’ brief role reprisal comes more than 20 years since ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” show debuted with her fellow stars, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, and Nicollette Sheridan.
The show concluded in May 2012 after eight seasons, and despite the series coming to an end, the creator of the show, March Cherry, previously told People he has been asked by approximately 70,000 people for a series reboot.
He told the celebrity news outlet, “The truth of the matter is that I have a couple of ideas to do it. I ran into a lot of people including Marcia [Cross] when Eva Longoria got her star on the Walk of Fame.
“I had Felicity [Huffman] over a few months ago. Brenda Strong and I are making plans together. And Doug Savant’s brother actually lives on my street, so I’ll bump into Doug occasionally too. I loved my cast and I treasure those people. Every time I run into one of them, we pick up as if no time has passed at all.”
He added, “I’m grateful to them [the Desperate Housewives cast]. You can write a really great script, but unless you get the right actors to say the words correctly, it doesn’t make much of a difference. I’ve had a couple of pilots where I don’t think I got the right cast, but in that one, the casting gods were with me. I lucked out.”
Marcia Cross’ Cancer Journey
We’re glad to see Marcia Cross looking incredible in the recent promo video. She’s certainly come a long way since she was diagnosed with anal cancer in November 2017, following a routine check-up at the gynecologist. Her doctor felt something unusual during a digital rectal exam, which prompted Cross to go to a clinic to get it checked out. After two biopsies and one colonoscopy, Cross’ cancer diagnosis was confirmed.
The National Cancer Institute says, “Most anal cancers are related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.” Common signs include bleeding from the anus or a lump near the anus.
Cross has been public about her cancer fight and admitted chemotherapy was challenging, but she powered through, telling Coping magazine in an earlier interview, “I will say that when I had my first chemo treatment, I thought I was doing great. And then, out of nowhere, I felt this sting on my lip; it was excruciating. It was from the chemo.”
She also told SurvivorNet in a previous interview her cancer diagnosis was HPV-related.
“I didn’t have any symptoms. Never had an irregular pap smear. I had never heard of HPV until my husband. We both probably carried it for most of our lives. I think there’s just a vast lack of knowledge about HPV and how it’s spread, how we carry it, what happens to it when you have it,” Cross said.
More On HPV-Related Cancers
- Anal Cancer Survivor Marcia Cross Launches Charity to Finally Put an End to the Stigma Associated With HPV-Related Diseases
- More than 70% of Americans Don’t Know that HPV Can Cause Anal, Oral, and Penile Cancers — Even With Famous Advocates Such as Michael Douglas and Marcia Cross
- Study: Anal Cancer, and Mortality Rates from the Disease, Have Increased — What’s Going On?
- Get the Facts: HPV Can Cause Cancer in Men Too
- Actress Marcia Cross Beat Anal Cancer & She’s Made a Point to Give Her Daughters the HPV Vaccine: Here’s What You Should Know about the Vaccine and HPV-Linked Cancers
- Get the Facts: What Do We Know About HPV-Linked Throat Cancer?
- ‘Controversial’ HPV Vaccine Shown to be Highly Effective in Wiping Out Cervical Cancer
The HPV infection is linked to multiple cancers, and most sexually active people will get the disease at some point in their lives.
Although nearly all cases of cervical cancer are indeed caused by HPV, people should also be aware that HPV puts both men and women at risk of developing several other cancers, such as oral cancer and cancers of the vagina, penis, anus, and throat.
WATCH: Why the HPV Vaccine is so Important in Preventing Cancer
Overall, HPV is believed to be the cause of 90% of anal and cervical cancers, approximately 70% of vaginal and vulvar cancers, and 60% of penile cancers.
“There are no screening guidelines to screen for throat cancer, unlike cervical cancer with pap smears,” says Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “There are no standard tests to determine if you harbor the virus.”
On the plus side, HPV-related throat cancers are generally very responsive to a combination of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, according to Dr. Geiger.
“The cure rates for people who have HPV-related disease are a lot higher than those who have tobacco-related throat cancer,” she said.
Understanding Anal Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, anal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells develop in the tissues of the anus. And a majority of this type of cancer is related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
The institute explains, “The anus is the end of the large intestine, below the rectum, through which stool (solid waste) leaves the body. The anus is formed partly from the outer skin layers of the body and partly from the intestine. Two ring-like muscles, called sphincter muscles, open and close the anal opening and let stool pass out of the body. The anal canal, the part of the anus between the rectum and the anal opening, is about 1-1½ inches long.
“The skin around the outside of the anus is called the perianal area. Tumors of the perianal skin that do not involve the anal sphincter are usually treated the same as anal cancers, although local therapy (treatment directed to a limited area of skin) may be used for some.
WATCH: HPV’s link to cancer.
Dr. Julian Sanchez, a surgeon in Moffitt Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal Oncology Clinic, previously spoke with SurvivorNet about the warning signs of anal cancer. He explained, “Putting diagnosis and treatment on the back burner [can lead] to the poor prognosis .These symptoms usually do not develop overnight. Often patients will have symptoms such as pain and bleeding.”
“If anal cancer is not treated early and effectively, the survival odds decrease and patients usually have to have major surgery to remove their anus and rectum,” Dr. Sanchez said. “They will also need a permanent colostomy bag, a small pouch that collects waste from the body.”
While anal cancer may have no symptoms at all, in most cases, bleeding is often the first sign of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. At first, many people assume the bleeding is caused by hemorrhoids, which are a benign and fairly common cause of rectal bleeding.
Important symptoms of anal cancer include:
- Rectal bleeding
- Rectal itching
- A lump or mass at the anal opening
- Pain or a feeling of fullness in the anal area
- Narrowing of stool or other changes in bowel movements
- Abnormal discharge from the anus
- Swollen lymph nodes in the anal or groin areas
While these symptoms may also be caused by benign conditions, like hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or anal warts, if you have any of them, it’s important to have them checked by a doctor so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are concerned about your cancer risk related to the human papillomavirus or whether the HPV causes cancer you have, you can use one of the conversation starters below when talking with your doctor:
- I am unsure if I received the HPV vaccine when I was younger. What can I do to know for sure?
- If I experience symptoms that could be because of HPV, what tests can I undergo to know for sure?
- How can I know if HPV caused the cancer I have?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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