Crow Addresses Cancer in New Book
- Sheryl Crow, 58, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 44.
- She remembers the experience of her journey in her new book for Audible.
- Screenings and reduction of risk factors are important when it comes to breast cancer detection and risk mitigation.
The woman has won nine Grammy's and is still finding ways to gift people with more than just her music: She is creating even more awareness around breast cancer.
The inside look at Crow's career, history, and personality, provides much detail to sate her fans' appetites.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis & Early Detection
One thing her fans love best about her is Crow's authenticity. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she didn't shy away from discussing it.
She was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer at 44 after a routine mammogram she almost skipped. After a lumpectomy and radiation, Crow's cancer went into remission. She's now a staunch advocate for urging women to resume mammogram screenings, which may have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crow's lumpectomy, a minimally invasive surgery, was followed by 33 radiation treatments over 7 weeks. Thanks to Crow's proactive nature when it comes to her health, the superstar singer was able to take quick and decisive action around treatment.
Mammograms Are Still the Best Tool for Detecting Breast Cancer
"Early detection is probably what kept me from having to have chemo or maybe even worse," Crow told KRY news. "I was 44 years old, no cancer in my history, was very healthy, ate well, very athletic. It was just a random mammogram, and I wound up being diagnosed with breast cancer. And so, I wound up being a sort of spokesperson for it, because I think it really does matter. I think part of that was laying on that radiation table and having to sort of meet myself."
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
As Crow has shown, even the most seemingly healthy people are at risk for breast cancer. Dr. Elizabeth Comen of Memorial Sloan Kettering tells SurvivorNet that there "are a handful of modifiable risk factors and non-modifiable risk factors. What this means is that there are some things that you may be able to change in your life to reduce your breast cancer risk, like drinking less alcohol and exercising more, and there are things you cannot change, like your genetics and family history."
Related: Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
Dr. Comen says that the risk for breast cancer increases as women age, and the key risk factors are age and family history. Additionally, lifestyle factors, like being overweight, can also increase your risk for breast cancer.
Prevention can be worth more than a pound of cure, so taking proactive steps, like Sheryl Crow did going in for your mammograms, eating healthy, exercising, and taking decisive action when faced with a cancer diagnosis can all be critical components for beating this disease as she did.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.