a colostomy.Popowich says Cross sharing her story is an important effort to “destigmatize the embarrassment” of anal illness.“This happens to people who you look up to,” he says. "I feel back to normal -- though, it's a new normal," she told Entertainment Tonight/TV Guide Network. Daniel Popowich, assistant professor of surgery specializing in colorectal surgeries at Mt. “Anyone can be affected.”Apart from regular screenings and being alert to changes in you body, Popowich also strongly recommends the Gardasil vaccine, which protects against several cancer-causing strains of HPV, and widely available to men and women aged 11 to 45.This isn’t the only high-profile case of cancer as a result of sex.In her newfound mission to increase awareness of anal cancer, Cross has one piece of advice.“Having woken up to its importance, I am now a big fan of the anus!” she But as Cross says, there is that shame that clouds such a revelation. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! By creating an account, you verify that you are at least 13 years of age, and have read and agree to the PopCulture.com The surprising admission comes as a result of her doctor suspicion about the origins of both their afflictions. We've received your submission.Actress Marcia Cross (“Desperate Housewives”) and her doctors revealed Wednesday that they believe her HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, infecting some HPV can be transmitted through a number of sex acts, which means that any body part involved in sexual intercourse is at risk — including the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis and throat.Dr. The group of girlfriends supported her throughout and helped her focus on the positive aspects of her battle.She also credits her checkup as a life saver. Really? Without it, she might not be so positive. Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross was diagnosed with anal cancer back in 2017, eight years after her husband, Tom Mahoney, was diagnosed with throat cancer. When Actress Marcia Cross was asked on CBS This Morning about how she thought her “Desperate Housewives” character Bree Van de Kamp would have reacted to an anal cancer diagnosis, Cross responded, “She wouldn’t have told a soul.”. Cross and her famously uptight character couldn’t be more different in that regard. "I know that there are people who are ashamed. Cross' doctors discovered that both cancers came from the same strain of HPV, typically transferred sexually or through skin-to-skin contact.Both are currently in remission and opening up about their situation, attempting to "destigmatize" anal cancer and spread awareness to prevent others from facing the same issues. I mean, c'mon. Popowich only recalls one case of anal HPV that led to cancer over the course of his career.Popowich says high-risk patients — those who engage in anal sex or suffer from immuno-suppressive diseases such as HIV — may be ordered a swab test, much like a pap smear in women, during a routine checkup. Like you did something bad because it took up residence in your anus? "I know that there are people who are ashamed," the... Do you have to then also feel ashamed? You have cancer. If lab results detect HPV, surgeons like Popowich will remove the cancerous growth, which “can significantly reduce (the virus’) transition to cancer.”If cancer does develop, symptoms usually start as an itchy bump or bleeding, which many patients mistake for hemorrhoids, says Popowich, who adds that “bleeding is always a reason to see your doctor.” Anal cancer is treated “conventionally” with chemotherapy and radiation and doesn’t usually require surgery, i.e.