‘Jersey Shore’ Reality Star Diagnosed With Cervical Cancer
38-year-old star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi shared in a TikTok video that she was diagnosed with stage 1 adenocarcinoma, a type of cervical cancer that develops in the mucus-producing glandular cells that line the upper portion of the cervix.
In her post, Polizzi shared that she has been struggling with abnormal pap smears for about four years. She is encouraging others to get screened.
The "Jersey Shore" star shared the news of her cancer diagnosis in a video posted to TikTok.
“Instead of putting it off because I didn’t want to go, because I was hurt and scared, I just went and did it. And it was there, cancer is in there, but it’s stage 1 and it’s curable,” she said.
Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines
Women at average risk for cervical cancer are recommended to start screening for HPV, the leading cause of cervical cancer, at age 25 and continue until at least age 65. Depending on the test performed, screening should be done every 3 to 5 years.
Signs and Symptoms Of Cervical Cancer
Common signs of cervical cancer can include:
- Light bleeding or spotting in between menstrual periods
- Menstrual periods that are heavier than usual
- Menstrual periods that last longer than usual
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- Vaginal bleeding after menopause
Polizzi shared that she hopes others going through a similar diagnosis know they are not alone. "I like that we have a platform here to talk about it with each other," she said. "I appreciate all of the love. Everything’s going to be fine. I’m going to tackle this and get it done."
She concluded her video telling her fans that her next step is to get a PET scan to see if the cancer has spread elsewhere.
“Obviously, I think the smart choice here is the hysterectomy. I’ll still keep my ovaries, which is a good sign,” she said. “But yeah, I have got to get the cervix and uterus out. It all depends on the PET scan.”
