‘Stranger Things’ Actress and Skin Cancer Survivor Jennifer Marshall, 42, Supports Friend Who Just Underwent Treatment for Skin Cancer

Erin McShane, 39, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma – a type of skin cancer – and after a seven-month cancer journey, she’s still coping with her diagnosis.

“There is no definitive cause of this. I have zero markers that would have alerted anyone to my diagnosis, other than my persistence over the last 6-7 months that something was not right,” McShane said in her GoFundMe post.

While McShane did not reveal specific details of her diagnosis, she shared an Instagram video after undergoing surgery.

“I’m recovering well from my surgery…[but] still swollen, still affected speech-wise,” McShane said.

McShane pointed out scars and bandages on her arm, neck, and tongue. It remains unclear if her cancer affected all of those areas.

 

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A post shared by Erin McShane (@e_mcshane)

“Progress videos on my voice. I’m amazed with myself as well as my surgical team, friends, and family,” she added in an Instagram post.

Having Support Matters

Marshall is among McShane’s family and friends, helping her through her cancer journey.

If you were recently diagnosed with cancer, you likely know about the wide range of emotions that news can bring. This is one of the most challenging phases of the cancer journey to overcome.

However, a team of supporters can be most useful during these early stages. Your supporters can be close family members and friends or people from outside your inner circle.

“Some people don’t need to go outside their family and friends circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik tells SurvivorNet.

“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it is important to reach out to a mental health professional,” she added.

One benefit of having supporters is that they can help alleviate stress and anxiety following your diagnosis and advocate for you during treatment.

Sometimes, it is not always easy to share news you have cancer, even among loved ones. In such instances, you can seek a trained professional to center your support group around. Mental health professionals can help fill this space because many are trained to help you navigate your cancer treatment.

“Make sure that the mental health professional that you work with is reaching out with your consent to the rest of your team, to the oncologist, to the surgeon … it can also be helpful to reach out to family, friends, and any other caretakers that may be involved in the person’s treatment,” Dr. Plutchik said.

Dr. Plutchki recommends cancer patients consider the following three steps to get the help they need after a diagnosis:

• Step #1: Seek additional support if you need it (this could mean speaking to a mental health professional or seeking out a support group)
• Step #2: Look for a mental health professional with experience helping people in your situation.
• Step #3: Keep your care team connected. This may include your friends and loved ones, your therapist, and the doctors who are treating your cancer.

How Jennifer Marshall Coped With Cancer

Marshall’s cancer journey began after she noticed her hair was thinning. She went to see her dermatologist, who suggested that she undergo a full body scan.

“During the full body scan, I mentioned a spot on my foot that itched a little bit and seemed to have a small, hard nodule underneath. At the time, I had chalked it up to a bug bite,” Marshall explained.

However, the spot was not a bug bite. Further tests revealed that it was stage one melanoma on her foot.

WATCH: Melanoma Risk Factors

Melanoma starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. In melanoma, the cells change in a way that allows them to spread to other organs. You’re most likely to find melanoma on sun-exposed skin areas like your face, neck, arms, and legs. However, areas with little to no sun exposure may also get melanoma, such as your palms, feet, eyes, mouth, or under your nails.

“The surgeon called me. He explained that due to the location of the cancer, he may have to take tissue from my thigh to use as a skin graft. I jokingly told him to take the fat from my right thigh, as it was slightly fatter. I think my humor was unsettling to him, but I couldn’t help it. I was facing the big ‘C,’ and instead of sorrow, I chose humor,” Marshall said.

She prepared for surgery in early January 2021. However, just before the procedure, she learned her cancer was more advanced than previously thought and was in stage 3.

“When he gently revealed that it had spread, the sounds around me became muffled, everything seemed to move in slow motion, and I experienced tunnel vision. I gasped and choked out, “But you said…you said that there was only a 3 percent chance.” He slightly paused and replied, “I’m so sorry, Jennifer. You’re my three percenter,” Marshall said.

With the thought of her children and husband in mind, she prepared herself for 18 months of cancer treatment.

WATCH: How do you perform a skin check using the ABCDEs?

“The next 15 months were grueling. There is no other word to explain it. Every cancer survivor reading this is probably nodding their head in agreement. Every three weeks, I would visit my oncology center, have labs drawn, visit with the doctor, and then go in for treatment,” she said.

When she experienced hair loss during treatment, she wore a wig amid her ongoing acting career.

After undergoing a grueling cancer treatment and a series of scans, Marshall finally received some good news regarding her prognosis last year.

“I was officially stage 3 NED (no evidence of disease)…I feel healthy, I’m back to running, and I’m incredibly thankful for every single day on this earth,” Marshall said.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you are diagnosed with skin cancer, you may have some questions for your doctor. SurvivorNet suggests some of the following to help you on your cancer journey.

• What type of skin cancer do I have?
• What treatment options exist for my type of melanoma?
• Will insurance cover this treatment?
• Would treatment through a clinical trial make sense for me?
• What resources exist to help manage my anxiety because of this diagnosis?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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