Overcoming Adversity
- Comedic actress Fran Drescher, who rose to fame in the ’90s during her time on the TV sitcom “The Nanny,” is inspired us after beating uterine cancer 23 years ago, and once again as she continues to fight for SAG-AFTRA.
- Drescher, president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), fave an emotional speech this week when she announced the SAG-AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) guild strike.
- Fran Drescher learned she had uterine cancer in June 2000. Her diagnosis followed two years of experiencing uterine cancer symptoms and misdiagnoses from eight doctors, but she eventually got a correct diagnosis and later beat the disease.
- If you’re trying to reach a goal of either beating cancer or getting a new union contract, Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly suggests using a focused mindset like "the eye of the tiger," which can help people dealing with health problems.
- “You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers,” Dr. Ganguly, a cancer specialist at Houston Methodist, previously told SurvivorNet.
Now, the 65-year-old president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is facing another battlethe SAG-AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) guild strikeand many are wondering if she can lead Hollywood actors to victory.
Additionally, their strike, which comes as the 2023 Writers Guild of America (a dispute between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) continuesmarks the first time actor’s and writers of Hollywood are on strike at the same since 1960, NBC News reports.
As the SAG-AFTRA strike was announced this week, Fran Drescher made an emotional and passionate speech at the Los Angeles press conference, saying, “We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people we have been in business with are treating us.
“I cannot believe, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things, how they plead poverty while giving millions of dollars to their CEOs. Shame on them!
“They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment. We stand in solidarity in unprecedented unity.”
"They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment. We stand in solidarity, in unprecedented unity."
Today, SAG-AFTRA's President Fran Drescher and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland announced the #SAGAFTRAstrike. 💪🪧 #SAGAFTRAstrong pic.twitter.com/vha7ZxuEv4
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) July 13, 2023
Drescher’s fiery speech continued, “You cannot keep being dwindled and marginalized and disrespected and dishonored! The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, A.I. This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth. If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble.
“We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business, who cares more about Wall Street than you and your family. Most Americans don’t have more than $500 in an emergency. This is a very big deal, and it weighed heavy on us.
“But at some point, you have to say, ‘No, we’re not going to take this anymore. You people are crazy! What are you doing? Why are you doing this?”
Expert Uterine Cancer Resources
She praised the of everyone who came together in “strength and solidarity and unity” to create “the largest strike authorization vote in our union’s history.
“And we made the hard decision that we tell you as we stand before you today. This is major! It's really serious and it's going to impact every single person that is in labor,” Drescher added. “We are fortunate enough to be in a country right now that happens to be labor-friendly, and yet we were facing opposition that was so Labor unfriendly, so tone deaf to what we are saying.”
We didn’t want a strike, but we are not afraid of a fight. We are #SAGAFTRAstrong! 💪🪧 #SAGAFTRAstrike pic.twitter.com/QLRME29vMC
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) July 13, 2023
She concluded, “What are we doing, moving around furniture on the Titanic?!? It's crazy! So the jig is up, AMPTP! We stand tall! You have to wake up and smell the coffee! We are labor and we stand tall and we demand respect and to be honored for our contribution! You share the wealth because you cannot exist without us!”
Fran Drescher’s Cancer Journey
Fran Drescher learned she had uterine cancer in June 2000. Her diagnosis followed two years of experiencing uterine cancer symptoms and misdiagnoses from eight doctors, but she eventually got a correct diagnosis.
Drescher told SurvivorNet in a previous interview how the experience led her to feel scared and betrayed by her own body, as well as the medical community. However, she's used the experience to try to help guide others through a cancer diagnosis.
Fran Drescher's Advice on How to Handle a Cancer Diagnosis
She’s spoken publicly about her cancer battle and encourages others to always seek second opinions if they're unsure about a treatment path.
“If you are a cancer patient or was just diagnosed with cancer, you may, undoubtedly, be very frightened. I know that I was,” Drescher told SurvivorNet in an exclusive interview.
“Some of the recommendations that I can make for you immediately is to open your world up to people, start looking at your lifestyle, become educated so that you can see what all of your options are. Because the best decision you make is an informed decision and to start increasing mind, body, and spirit balance as much as you can.”
During our interview with Drescher, we asked Dr. Heather Yeo, an oncologist and colorectal surgeon at Weill-Cornell, to give her opinion about environmental factors and cancer risk.
“I think that there are so many environmental factors,” Dr. Yeo said in her conversation with Drescher. “And unfortunately, I think some of it is really confusing for patients and individuals. It's often difficult to study environmental causes of cancer. Much of it is done in labs in mice, trying to look at exposing mice to different toxins.”
The Environment and Cancer: SurvivorNet Talks To Fran Drescher
Understanding Uterine Cancer
Uterine cancer also called endometrial cancer develops in the lining of a woman's uterus. The uterus, or womb, is a pear-shaped organ where a fetus can develop and grow.
More than 90% of uterine cancers occur in the endometrium (the layer of tissue that lines the uterus), making them endometrial cancer. Uterine sarcoma, on the other hand, is very rare and develops in the myometrium, the muscle wall of your uterus.
Understanding the Risks and Symptoms of Uterine Cancer
This year, approximately 66,200 people will be diagnosed with this type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Some people may be predisposed to uterine cancer. Dr. Diana English, a gynecologic oncologist at Stanford Medicine, says in a previous interview, Uterine cancer and endometrial cancer are synonymous. It's a cancer that's coming from the lining of the uterus. That's what endometrial cancer is.”
“I think one of the challenges with uterine cancer is that it can also happen in younger patients that have certain conditions that might predispose them to cancer,” she says. “These patients might not be thinking about this, their primary care providers may not be speaking to them about this."
Dr. English noted the risk factors for this disease as well. “Some of the common risk factors for uterine cancer include hypertension, diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. This is a syndrome that's marked by anovulation or the absence of regular periods, which tends to happen in premenopausal patients.”
'I Push Forward,' Actress Meagan Good Had a Uterine Cancer Scare Years Ago'
"And some of these patients are obese, some of these patients have signs and symptoms of hyperandrogenism or elevated male sex hormones, and Lynch Syndrome,” she continues. “The one good thing about uterine cancer, if there can be a good thing about any cancer, is that there's usually an early warning system, which is abnormal bleeding."
Overcoming Adversity
Overcoming adversity can seem daunting. Many people think reciting upbeat mottos or pretending to be cheerful will help, but these solutions can make someone feel even more dejected than before. Instead, focus on the following steps to make meaningful change.
1. Set a goal. No matter what the situation, create a new goal for yourself. If you have just been diagnosed with cancer or a chronic illness, perhaps one goal would be to educate yourself about the disease and the possible treatments as much as possible.
2. Make a plan. How will you achieve this goal? Your plan will help you focus on that goal. Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly refers to this determined, focused mindset as "the eye of the tiger," which can help people dealing with health problems, such as lymphoma and other cancers. "You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers," Dr. Ganguly, a cancer specialist at Houston Methodist, told SurvivorNet.
3. Rely on others. Spend time with people who show you unconditional support and encouragement. They will ease your stress and help you remember that you're not alone in this! Dr. Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and author, tells SurvivorNet that one "coping strategy that can be productive is reaching out, talking to others. Having support we know is really critical in the healing process."
4. Use positive self-talk. Leave messages with affirmations in places you frequent. Put notes around your mirror or your computer screen that say "You got this!" or "Keep going!" Cut out inspirational quotes from people you admire and surround yourself with their words. Dr. Boardman explains to SurvivorNet that "Positive emotions have unique benefits above and beyond managing negative emotions.”
A Grand Goal: 4 Steps to Overcoming Adversity
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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