Interview with Sheryl Crow: A Newfound Song of Gratitude

Important Lessons Learned as a 10-Year Breast Cancer Survivor

During a career that spans four decades as a singer/songwriter, Sheryl Crow has sold more than 50 million albums around the world. She’s performed with the world’s most famous musical artists, from the Rolling Stones and Willie Nelson to Tony Bennett and Pavarotti. But what many people don’t know is that Sheryl is a breast cancer survivor. The nine-time Grammy Award winner recently talked with HealthPoint about her experience dealing with the disease and the surprising life insights it revealed.

When were you diagnosed with breast cancer?
It was February 2006. I had a mammogram scheduled that month, and believe it or not, I almost skipped the appointment. But I decided to go ahead. That decision may have saved my life. The mammogram showed a suspicious area.

What action did you eventually decide to take?
Fortunately, my Ob/Gyn told me to have a biopsy performed immediately. That’s when I learned I had breast cancer. There’s no way of knowing exactly how far the cancer might have spread if I had waited.

Would you mind telling our readers what treatment you received?
I had a lumpectomy and then seven weeks of radiation therapy. Today I’ve been cancer-free for almost 10 years though I still have a mammogram every six months.

What lessons have you learned from this experience?
Many. I have a new sense of gratitude—for the love and care my family gave me during my treatment and for just being alive today. I’m also thankful for the many advances that have been made in detecting and treating breast cancer. For example, 30 years ago, my cancer would have meant a mastectomy, a complete removal of the breast.

What’s your advise for others with breast cancer?
When you’re in the middle of a stressful situation like being treated for breast cancer, there is always a great deal of uncertainty. So it’s very helpful to do things that make your life feel as normal as possible. Just simple things. In my case, continuing to ride my horse really helped me. You need to let people help you with everyday chores, like doing the laundry, but you also need to make sure people respect your privacy.

Sheryl do you have any final thoughts?
I believe education and awareness are critical. So I’m serving as the spokesperson for a new breast cancer educational campaign with a company that has developed a 3D mammography system. This technology can detect up to 41 percent more invasive cancers than a conventional mammogram. For many women, that can mean earlier detection, which was so critical in my case. When detected early, the breast cancer survival rate is close to 100 percent. That’s the reason I strongly encourage women to never miss their annual mammogram exam. There really is no excuse.