Erin Andrews is known for being one of the most popular sports personalities of today, but she’s a regular person, and she’s had to deal with some major life struggles.
Andrews first opened up about her diagnosis with cervical cancer in 2017. They caught it early, so she underwent surgery to treat the cancer and has made a full recovery, which is great news.
Now, Andrews wants to help others have the same hopeful outcome. As of Wednesday, Sept. 3, Andrews is stepping into a new role as national spokesperson for Aflac’s “Check for Cancer” campaign. This initiative “aims to spark life-saving conversations around early detection and inspire millions to take action on their health,” according to Aflac.
Erin Andrews Opens Up About Cancer Journey
“I just went for a regular checkup, and what I had shared with Aflac and been pretty vocal about is that my mom was really good when we were getting ready to go to school as kids about getting into the dentist and doctor all those things, so that’s something I grew up with and become a habit in my life,” Andrews told Men’s Journal. “Obviously, I’ll be doing it with my son, and I do it with me right before football. That’s what happened in 2017. I’m really good at going to the regular doctor, gynecologist, dentist, and when I did that in 2017, that’s when I found out in had cervical cancer.”
Andrews says that she was “shocked” when she found out the news.
“The good news is that because I had been so diligent in going every single year for a checkup, we were able to handle it with treatment and surgery, and I was okay,” she added. “That’s why Aflac is launching this movement, because they want to increase early cancer screenings. They’d love to increase it by 10 percent in the next decade.”
Andrews also emphasized that cancer hits all ages now, not just the old.
“Cancer has touched everybody, unfortunately, and now, everyone knows someone who deals with it or has had it,” she said. “It’s not just for old people anymore. Kids and babies and all that kind of stuff, so it’s better to go and get checked out instead of delaying it.”
To participate, head to Aflac.com/CheckForCancer to access screening guidelines, assess your personal risk and find tools to help prioritize early detection. Also, get social, and on social media, post using the hashtag #CheckforCancer, and Aflac will donate $5 to childhood cancer research and care, up to $1 million.
