FOX Sports Reporter Erin Andrews Reflects On Cancer Battle Years After Diagnosis
Erin Andrews turned her cervical cancer experience into a wider message about early detection, regular health checks and women speaking up about their health.
Erin Andrews knows how quickly an normal day can change. In 2016 the FOX Sports reporter went for a routine gynecologist visit without symptoms. The appointment led to a cervical cancer diagnosis at age 38. Surgery followed and doctors removed the cancer after multiple procedures. Years later the journey still affects how Andrews approaches medical tests and her own health. Her story has now taken another step as she uses her public platform to speak about early detection, regular screenings and the need for women to take their health seriously.
Erin Andrews' Cervical Cancer Diagnosis Changed Her View Of Health Checks
Andrews' cancer diagnosis came while she was preparing for an NFL game. She had not expected anything serious from a normal medical visit, making the news even harder to process.
Doctors found cervical cancer early. Andrews needed multiple surgeries because the cancer went beyond the margin after the first procedure. The second surgery successfully removed it, and she did not need radiation.
The experience also changed how Andrews felt about future medical tests.
She has described the fear that can return after cancer, especially while waiting for results. During a mammogram years later, Andrews became so anxious that she asked to be placed in a room because she was having an anxiety attack.
Her experience helped shape the message that she shares around people. Andrews has encouraged loved ones to keep medical appointments and not assume that feeling healthy means every problem has been ruled out.
“I'm more of a nag on my loved ones to go to the doctor,” Andrews said. “I use myself as an example and say, listen, ‘I was able to catch this with early detection.'”
Erin Andrews Is Using Her Cancer Story To Push Early Detection And Women's Health Awareness
Andrews' message has gained a wider platform through Mediaplanet's Women vs. Cancer campaign, published in the September 20, 2026, Los Angeles Times. She appears as the campaign's cover feature and shares lessons from her experience as a cervical cancer survivor.
Andrews' story points to an important gap in cancer care. Regular screening exists for several cancers, including cervical, breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers. But many other cancers do not have routine screening tests that can reliably find them before symptoms appear.
For Andrews, the message comes from personal experience. Her cancer did not end her career in sports broadcasting, but it changed the way she thinks about her health and time outside work.