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Marissa Jaret Winokur's story

Marissa Winokur

The Tony-winning star of Hairspray

Ever since I was little, I wanted to be an actress. Playing the role of Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray" on Broadway, and then winning the Tony for best actress, was literally a dream come true.

However, at the same time that my career was taking off, I was also fighting cervical cancer. During the rehearsal period for "Hairspray," a routine Pap test – after years of normal Paps – found what looked like abnormal cells on my cervix.

My doctor did another exam in which he looked at my cervix closely and took a sample of tissue for analysis. My diagnosis: cervical cancer. I was shocked, and felt very alone. How could I have cancer? My mom was always the one to call the doctors and make appointments. Now it was my turn to take care of myself – and I wanted to do whatever I could to get this cancer out of my body.

The next few days were a blur. I was scheduled to have a hysterectomy right after the final rehearsal for "Hairspray." Because the show hadn’t started its run on Broadway yet, I was afraid to tell anyone other than my immediate family that I had cancer. I didn’t want to jeopardize my opportunity to play the biggest role of my life, or to be known as "the cancer girl." On top of that, I felt so uneducated about everything. I didn’t know anything about cervical cancer or its cause – the human papillomavirus, or HPV. I didn’t even know where my cervix was! So, how could I know what questions to ask?

But I was very lucky. The surgery was able to remove all of the cancer, and the doctors were even able to save my ovaries. I was too focused on surviving at the time to worry about losing my ability to have my own biological children, but as I know now, having my ovaries is a real blessing! Throughout the entire ordeal, all I kept thinking was "I have to get better. I have to do this show." Hairspray was the light at the end of the tunnel that helped me get through cancer.

My brush with cancer put everything into perspective, and made me realize I had to take charge of my life, and my health. Now, I want to use that newfound "empowerment" to help other women do the same. I’m a lot more educated today, and I know that the Pap sometimes doesn’t catch abnormal cells until the cancer is already there. That was the case for me. I also now realize that we know the cause of cervical cancer, HPV, and that there is a test that can detect it – the HPV test. Getting the HPV test along with a Pap helps make sure you know if you’re at risk early – before it’s too late.

Today, my career is flourishing, I recently married a wonderful man who supported me throughout my ordeal, and we’re trying to have a baby through a surrogate. It’s a great time for me to share my enthusiasm for life with other women, and help them learn from my experience. All women should take control of their health and get educated about HPV. The medical experts recommend that all women 30 and over – who I’m told are most at risk for following in my footsteps – get the HPV test along with their Pap.

So, just do it! This is one cancer we can do something about!

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