Sheryl Crow, who is a breast cancer survivor, has explained why she wanted to make a documentary about her life and how a mammogram saved it.
The 60-year-old Grammy-award winning artist was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She is not in remission. She has been working hard to raise awareness about the importance of early detection.
Crow said, “When it was suggested to me at the start of the pandemic it was time to make a documentary about my life and career, I was hesitant at first. But quickly I realized that the opportunity to tell my story — my whole story, from my perspective — was one that not everyone gets in life.”
“For someone like me, especially, who has lived three decades in the public eye, dealing with preconceived notions of my identity based solely on song lyrics or tabloid rumors, making a movie felt like a refreshing and cathartic way to enter into a new decade of life,” she added.
The musician has spent the last 10 years sharing her experience with breast cancer with women across the world so they can learn from her experience and prioritize their health. “It’s so important to me because I came incredibly close to missing the opportunity to find my cancer early,” she said.
Crow said, “As I share in my documentary Sheryl, 2006 was a particularly tumultuous time of my life. I was going through a public breakup and battling with paparazzi, all while trying to focus on my career. 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.”
“Naturally, I found myself tempted to delay my annual mammogram visit — like so many women do when dealing with stressful periods of life, whether during a pandemic, career change, family issues, or just the daily grind,” she continued.
The actress went on to say that her breast cancer was detected early, giving her “an opportunity to begin treatment and move on with my life.” She said, “Since then, there have been countless advancements in breast cancer screening, including the Genius 3D mammography exam, which has been shown to detect more invasive cancers and is clinically proven superior to 2D mammography for all women, including those with dense breasts.”
Crow, who is the spokeswoman for the Genius 3D Mammography, said, “For the majority of women, breast cancer is treatable if caught early. My story is a testament that you can go on to live a long, healthy life after diagnosis.”
“As a breast cancer survivor who credits early detection for saving my life, I have made it part of my life story to help educate women about the importance of scheduling their annual mammograms,” she added. “It’s my hope that women who watch Sheryl will be inspired to advocate for themselves in all aspects of their lives, especially when it comes to preventive health screenings.”
