As rumors flew around social media that actor Pam Grier is near death with stage 4 cervical cancer, Grier set the record straight, letting the world know it was fake news. Grier was indeed diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer — in 1988. At the time, according to Today, she was given 18 months to live, but overcame the odds after aggressive treatment.
Grier is best known for her role in classic blaxploitation films “Foxy Brown” and “Coffy,” as well as the Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 film “Jackie Brown.”
Read MoreGrier isn’t the first celebrity to have recently been the subject of this type of rumor. In 2019, Olivia Newton-John debunked a rumor that she had died with a video in which she quoted Mark Twain, “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Cervical Cancer Information
About 13,170 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed this year, making up about 0.7% of cancer diagnoses, according to the National Cancer Institute. The disease has a 65.8% survival rate after five years.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the biggest risk factor for cervical cancer, and there are usually no early signs or symptoms of the disease. However, the cervical cancer can be detected through regular check-ups.
What is HPV? And does it cause cancer?
Other risk factors for cervical cancer include giving birth to many children, smoking cigarettes, using oral contraceptives (“the Pill”), and having a weakened immune system, according to the NCI.
The most common screening technique for cervical cancer is a pap test, during which doctors collect cells from the surface of the cervix and vagina, and view them under a microscope to see if they are abnormal.
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