Published Apr 12, 2024

Mom, 53, Was Diagnosed With Anal Cancer, Just Like Actress Marcia Cross She’s Spreading Awareness To Remove The Stigma Of The Disease: ‘It’s Onwards & Upwards From Here’

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Removing The Stigma of Anal Cancer

Caroline Hyde, a 53-year-old mom of four, is now cancer-free and spreading awareness of anal cancer, a disease in which cancer cells develop in the tissues of the anus, which is not easily diagnosed as there is no routine screenings to help monitor it.
Anal cancer occurs when a genetic mutation turns normal healthy cells into abnormal cells in the anal canal. It’s a rare type of cancer and according to the National Institutes of Health, there is a “clear correlation” between anal cancer and the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV, an extremely common sexually transmitted infection, is believed to cause most anal cancer. Thankfully, there is an effective vaccine approved for kids to protect against HPV and help prevent related cancers.

Caroline Hyde, a mom of four, is hoping her anal cancer journey can inspire others to feel comfortable talking about the disease, in which cancer cells develop in the tissues of the anus, as it’s not easily diagnosed as there is no routine screenings to help monitor it.

The 53-year-old mom, who resides in Clacton-on Sea, England, was unaware of anal cancer prior to her diagnosis in October 2022, which followed her discovery of blood after making a bowel movement, a symptoms which led her to seek medical advice.

Speaking to BBC in a recent interview, Hyde revealed it was another woman’s story that initial made her suspect she had bowel cancer, but when she went to the doctor she was first diagnosed with hemorrhoids. However, she urged her doctor to refer her to a hospital when her symptoms didn’t resolve.

@carolinehyde348
#Analcancer #bowelcancer #cancersucks #cancerfighter #cancer #kickcancer The BBC are coming to interview me to about my cancer. Hopefully will raise the profile and get more people correctly diagnosed quicker. #stoma
♬ original sound – carolinehyde348

Hyde, who often takes to TikTok to share her journey with anal cancer, told BBC, “People don’t talk about anal cancer. I’d never heard of anal cancer before in my life. I want to share [my story] for others going through the same thing as me.

“I just felt if I could get the message out there that anal cancer is just another tumor, just in your bottom, and gets treated the same as everything else, it might help people.”

The loving mom ultimately had to have a stoma bag fitted prior to undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments, and amid doing so, she took part in a research study looking into who patients react to various levels of radiotherapy.

The study she took part in was funded by Cancer Research UK and Stand Up To Cancer, as well as managed by the University of Leeds Cancer Research UK’s clinical trials unit, the BBC explains.

Hyde continued, “I think we need to be more open. We’ve still got a massive issue with our bottoms and we shouldn’t have – it’s normal.

“Life for me now is great … I’m cancer-free. I’ve still got my stoma bag but I’ve got used to that and can live with that quite happily, like many other people do. It’s onwards and upwards from here.”

She received the “all-clear,” and learned she was cancer-free in November 2023, approximately one year after her diagnosis, she said in a commemorative TikTok video.

@carolinehyde348
♬ original sound – carolinehyde348

Understanding Anal Cancer

Anal cancer is a rare tumor that’s most often linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) according to the National Institutes of Health.

There’s a good chance you have HPV if you’re sexually active. However, for most people, it won’t cause any problems. HPV affects both men and women and in a small percentage, it can lead to cancer most commonly of the cervix and head and neck.

WATCH: Understanding anal cancer.

Anal Cancer Symptoms

Anal cancer symptoms can include:

Bleeding from the anus or rectum
Pain around the anus
A mass or growth in the anal canal
Anal itching

These symptoms do not always mean anal cancer as they can stem from benign conditions, like hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or anal warts. If you have any of these symptoms and are concerned something more is going on, it’s to see your doctor so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

“These symptoms usually do not develop overnight. Often patients will have symptoms such as pain and bleeding,” Dr. Julian Sanchez, surgeon in Moffitt Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal Oncology Clinic told SurvivorNet.

A combination of chemotherapy and radiation is commonly used to treat anal cancer.

“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.

Cancer warriors battling anal cancer who didn’t begin treatment early enough tend to need a permanent colostomy bag, a small pouch that collects waste from the body.

Anal Cancer Risk Factors and Prevention

Older age. Most cases occur in people over 50.
Many sexual partners.
Anal sex.
Smoking.
History of cancer.
Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection increases your risk of several cancers including anal and cervical cancer.
Drugs or conditions that suppress the immune system.

To reduce your risk of anal cancer: Practice safe sex, Stop Smoking, and Get the HPV vaccine. The American Cancer Society recommended that children aged 9-11 get the HPV vaccine, with catch-up vaccinations available for those up to age 26.

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Talking About Anal Cancer

It’s more crucial than ever to talk about cancers that may be perceived as “embarrassing” or “shameful.” Lillian Kreppel, a member of the SurvivorNet family who beat anal cancer, said that she’s really open about what she went through because most people simply aren’t open enough about it.

“The word anal … that’s the big deal. People don’t want to say it. People don’t want to talk about it,” Lillian said. “Not long ago people didn’t want to talk about colonoscopies.

“There’s a stigma because people are embarrassed about where it is, and I want to get rid of that stigma. We use that part of our body everyday, so what’s the big deal?”

Another actress, Marcia Cross of “Desperate Housewives,” also recently brought some attention to the disease. The actress announced in September of 2018 that she, too, had anal cancer and is now in the recovery process.

Every bit of candid conversation about the topic helps, especially because anal cancer is one of the cancers that a person can develop because of HPV (human papillomavirus). HPV is spread through sexual contact and is hugely wide-spread in Western culture and yes, it can lead to a handful of cancers, so awareness is key.

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What Is HPV?

Nearly every sexually-active person will get HPV at some point in their lives, but most people with the infection do not know they have it and never develop symptoms or health problems from it. The virus is spread via sexual activity and can manifest as warts on your genitals or mouth.

Get the Facts: HPV Can Cause Cancer in Men Too

When people talk about HPV and cancer risk, they tend to focus on cervical cancer. And while it’s true that nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV, people should also be aware that HPV puts both men and women at risk of developing several other cancers as well including cancers of the vagina, penis, anus and throat.

Oral and throat cancers, for example, are both on the rise in young, non-smoking adults, and Dr. Allen S. Ho, an oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, says HPV is the cause.

“The fastest-growing segment of the people developing oral cancers are young non-smokers, ” Dr. Ho told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “HPV, a very common virus, one responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers, is now identified as a cause of this rapid rise of oral cancers.”

Learning about the HPV Vaccines

Thankfully, we have three types of HPV vaccines – Gardasil 9, Gardasil and Cervarix. All three went through years of extensive safety testing before being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the CDC reports that HPV vaccination has the potential to prevent more than 90 percent of HPV-attributable cancers.

The HPV vaccines, like other immunizations that guard against viral infection, stimulate the body to produce antibodies that attack if they encounter the HPV infection by binding to the virus and preventing it from infecting cells.

The HPV vaccine prevents against certain cancers. It’s given to children which has created the misconception that it promotes sex at a young age.

HPV vaccines do not prevent other sexually transmitted diseases or treat existing HPV infections/HPV-caused disease, but their implementation can reduce the rates of certain cancers.

And while Dr. Susan Vadaparampil, the associate center director of community outreach, engagement and equity at Moffitt Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet there are few medical strategies that totally prevent against getting cancer in the first place, she emphasized that data from countries with high rates of vaccine coverages shows decreases in HPV-related pre-cancer and cancer, particularly so in the case of cervical cancer.

“We have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HPV-related cancer,” Dr. Vadaparampil told SurvivorNet. “It is widely available, and costs are typically covered by private or public insurance.”

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Eileen Duffey-Lind, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children’s Hospital, echoed Dr. Vadaparampil’s sentiment.

“No one should die of a preventable cancer like those tied to HPV, especially since we have a highly effective and safe vaccine available,” Duffey-Lind previously told SurvivorNet.

Who Should Get the HPV Vaccine?

According to the CDC, the HPV vaccine is recommended for all preteens (both girls and boys) 11 to 12 years old in two doses administered between six and 12 months apart. The series of shots can also be started as early as 9 years old.

That being said, the CDC also says that teens and young adults through age 26 who didn’t start or finish the HPV vaccine series also need the vaccine. And people with weakened immune systems or teens and young adults who start the series between the ages of 15 and 26 should get three doses instead of two.

Additionally, the HPV vaccine is sometimes administered in adults up to 45 years old, but it is not recommended for everyone older than 26. Still, a person older than 26 might decide to get vaccinated after talking to their doctor about possible benefits even though it is less effective in this age range since more people have already been exposed to HPV by this time.