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The rockstar nearly rescheduled the mammogram that changed everything.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, according to BreastCancer.org. And despite having zero family history and being otherwise very healthy at 44, Sheryl Crow was one of them.
In Sheryl, the rockstar’s new Showtime documentary, the now 60-year-old details what it was like to nearly skip the mammogram that detected her stage one ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). If she hadn’t gone, simply because she was “too busy,” the cancer could’ve progressed and become fatal. That’s why she’s so passionate about sharing her story.
“I’ve spent the past decade sharing my experience with breast cancer with women across the world—from my fans to their sisters, daughters, and mothers—in the hopes that they will learn from my experience and prioritize their health,” the songstress wrote in an op-ed promoting her documentary for People.
2006, the year she was diagnosed, was one of her life’s most chaotic, which is why she was tempted to reschedule her annual exam. “I was going through a public breakup and battling with paparazzi, all while trying to focus on my career,” she wrote. “I’ve always been a healthy person who prioritized eating well and exercising, but at that time it seemed impossible to focus on anything other than getting through each day and keeping my career going.”
Thankfully, she made the last-minute decision to keep the appointment, which resulted in her getting a biopsy that found her early-stage cancer. After her diagnosis, she had a lumpectomy in both breasts, per Health, and also underwent radiation.
Now, Crow is partnering with Genius 3D mammography, a technology that offers 3D mammograms, which are especially effective at detecting cancer in those with dense breasts—a trait Crow herself has. “This advancement not only finds more invasive cancers, but it also reduces callbacks, which can cause unnecessary stress and worry for women who already have enough on their plates without having to deal with going back to the doctor for a second screening only to find there is nothing to be concerned about,” she wrote.
“It’s my hope that women who watch ‘Sheryl’ will be inspired to advocate for themselves.”
In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, she admitted that surviving breast cancer “redefined who I am,” adding: “Until then, I’d spent a lifetime being a caretaker for everyone around me. From then, I started to put myself first. I had voices at the back of my head telling me whatever I did wasn’t good enough. Now, finally, I’ve silenced them.”
And she urges other women to care for themselves enough to do the same. “It’s my hope that women who watch Sheryl will be inspired to advocate for themselves in all aspects of their lives,” she wrote, “especially when it comes to preventive health screenings.”