We all remember her as the beloved Fran Fine from the CBS hit, The Nanny, always the bumbling nanny pining after the handsome and debonair Maxwell Sheffield. We all cheered as the slapstick humor and brilliantly written scripts would bring us rejoicing almost to love, but then we’d fall back to earth as our favorite commitment-phobic, Mistah Sheffield, would “take it back.” The comedy ruled our televisions from 1993-1999, but there was drama brewing under the laughter.
Fran Drescher, known for that unforgettable nasal-toned voice, infectious laugh, and thick New York accent, knew something wasn’t right. The two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee would experience bouts of excruciating abdominal pain while on the set, often powering through the pain to complete her scenes. Finally, after countless doctor misdiagnoses, Drescher was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a total hysterectomy. That hysterectomy not only physically altered her
Finally, after countless doctor misdiagnoses, Drescher was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a total hysterectomy. That hysterectomy not only physically altered her life, but also led to her new passion of advocacy and prevention. I had the incredible opportunity to interview the Malibu beauty as she prepared for her Cancer Schmancer Health Summit on October 24th in Los Angeles.
Karen: A diagnosis of cancer completely redirected your life. Eight doctors misdiagnosed you before you heard the word cancer. Now you have devoted your life to be a voice for cancer wellness, early detection and prevention. How has this new passion changed your life?
Fran: I change my pain into purpose which helps to make sense of this senselessness. I really believe that I got famous, I got cancer, and I lived to talk about it, so I’m talking. My life has changed exponentially. I began the health advocacy organization that has the same name as my best-selling book, Cancer Schmancer. I realized after the book was written, it was not the end but just the beginning of what has become a life mission. A great deal of my time is spent speaking, traveling and organizing my vision for the organization which includes our programs and our annual education events. Currently, I’m extremely focused on The Fran Drescher Health Summit Oct 24th at The Music Center in Los Angeles. Cancer Schmancer has deepened my life in a way I could have never predicted. I’m not glad I had cancer, but I am better for it.
Karen: What are some of the unique challenges that your diagnosis brought? How did those
challenges shape your life after cancer?
Fran: I was extremely lucky that even after two years and eight doctors, I was still in Stage One, when cancer is most curable. Many people aren’t as lucky. And the reason we lose loved ones to cancer is almost always due to a late-stage diagnosis. So I began to question, “Why isn’t everyone diagnosed in stage one? Why, in a country as wealthy as ours, are so many people sick? And, why do we spend so much time and money looking for a cure with little to no focus on the cause? This became my obsession and vision for my organization, Cancer Schmancer, with the cornerstone being early detection: if you catch it on arrival, 95% survival. But then causation became the next deep involvement and quest! Let’s not get cancer in the first place, how’s that for a cure?
