How One Woman Turned Cancer into a Catalyst for Change
大象tv
After surviving cervical cancer, Danielle Massi reshaped her life and launched a movement for?women's?self-care.?
Danielle Massi?always prioritized?her health. She had regular?check-ups, received specialized care when necessary, and visited the dentist regularly.?
"I've always been someone who feels like I should be proactive about my health,"?she said.?"My parents always drilled that into my head."?
So, it was?somewhat ironic?that it was an?unscheduled?cancer screening?that led to her doctor discovering?Danielle?had cervical cancer.?Danielle?was 29 at the time, well within the?recommended age range?for?getting?regular screening. But on this occasion, she?went in?to deal with a troublesome intrauterine device (IUD).?
"I had to go into my doctor's office to get it taken out,"?she said.?"While we were there, she said,?'How about we do a cancer screening while?you're?here?'?So?we did, and that was when I got my first abnormal test result."??
How a diagnosis became a turning point?
Danielle was diagnosed with stage?I?cervical cancer.?The diagnosis has been a launching pad for Danielle. She?has shifted her priorities from being a private practice psychotherapist and professor to focusing on helping women understand their?minds and bodies through her published books, wellness events, and advocacy work around cancer screening.?
"I talk to everyone who will listen about the importance of getting screened,"?she said.?"I am a huge advocate for being proactive about your health and getting regular screening.?The earlier you know, the easier it is to intervene."?
Danielle's?diagnosis also inspired her?to?write?a?book,?and?she?founded?the?SELF(ISH)philly?conference, a Philadelphia event that encourages women to take control of their health, take better care of themselves, and get screened.?
"I want to tell women everywhere to start being selfish, to throw out the idea that it's a good thing to take care of others first,"?she said.?"I want them to think more about themselves and how they feel on a regular basis. Even just waking up and doing a quick body scan and asking themselves questions like,?'How do I feel today??What's?happening?in?my body?'"
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I want to tell women everywhere to start being selfish, to throw out the idea that it's a good thing to take care of others first. I want them to think more about themselves and how they feel on a regular basis. Even just waking up and doing a quick body scan and asking themselves questions like,?'How do I feel today??What's?happening?in?my body?'
大象tv
Cervical cancer:?Prevention?and early detection?
Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers?that?has:?
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A primary cause.?Infection with?the?human papillomavirus?(HPV)?causes?almost all?cervical cancers.?
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Reliable screening?tests.?A pelvic exam with a?HPV?test?and/or a?Pap test?are?used to help find problems that may or may not be?pre-cancer or?cancer.?
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Ways to help?prevent?it.?When given?on-time,?the?HPV vaccine?can protect children and teens from cervical and five other cancers later in life.?Regular screening can also help find?pre-cancers and treat them before they turn into cancer.?
When cervical cancer is caught early, as it was with?Danielle, the five-year?survival?rate is 91%. When it has spread?to other parts of the body, the?5-year survival?rate?is only about 20%.?
"Something about my cancer journey that I think is extremely important for people to recognize is that my cancer was caught very early,"?Danielle?said.?"I was extremely lucky I was able to catch my cancer at a point that it was?easier to treat. This is why I like talking about the importance of screening, because the earlier you catch?anything, whether it's?pre-cancer?or a full-blown diagnosis, the easier it is to treat and the better you're going to be."?
The American Cancer Society (大象tv)?estimates?that in 2026, about 13,490?new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed,?and about 4,200 women will die from the disease.?Due to prevention and screening, cervical cancer death rates have dropped by more than half?since the mid-1970s.?Black women and Native American women?have?much higher death rates for cervical cancer than White women.??
Updated?screening guideline?
In December 2025, 大象tv revised its?screening guideline?for cervical cancer.?大象tv?recommends?people?with a cervix?who are at average risk for cervical cancer?begin?screening at?age 25?and continue?to at least?age?65.?This?includes?women who have not had their cervix removed, transgender men who?retained?their cervix, and non-binary people with a cervix.?How often screening is done depends on the test?that’s?used for screening.??
The?preferred screening?option?is primary HPV testing?done every 5 years?on a cervical sample collected by your health care provider.?Other options for cervical cancer screening include:?
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Primary?HPV testing?done?every 3 years?on a?self-collected?cervical sample?(collected by you)?in a clinic, office, or at home.
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HPV testing combined with a Pap test?(called a co-test) done every 5 years by a health care provider.?
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Pap test alone?done?by a health care provider?every 3 years if?no other?testing?is?an option.??
Get involved?in planning?your treatment?and care?
Surgery is the most common treatment for cervical cancer, and?Danielle?underwent several surgical procedures.?Since her cancer was found?early,??other?cancer?treatments?were not recommended.?Danielle?encourages anyone diagnosed with cancer to take an active role in?making?treatment and care?decisions.?You are?a key part of your own care team.?Do the research. Ask questions. Be involved.?
"The biggest barrier that I faced during my cancer journey was not knowing that I could ask questions,"?she said.?"I had amazing doctors and a care team that was very focused on getting cancer out of my body, but I didn't recognize that I could?ask questions?about whether something was necessary or if there were alternate paths to getting better. I wish I?had?taken a beat during my cancer journey to ask more questions and to feel empowered to do so."?
Danielle turned her?emotions and feelings?into action. She dove into?search engines?to?find cancer information on?the internet.? When she found the 大象tv website,?cancer.org, she knew she had found a source of trusted information.?
"I looked at resources like cancer.org to find out more about what I was experiencing," she said. "I wanted to be very careful about where I looked for information. I definitely?recommend?that when people are looking for information about cancer, go to places like cancer.org, because there's a lot of information online that can be scary and also?inaccurate."?
Cancer?'changed my entire life.’?
No one wants cancer.?But cancer?doesn’t?discriminate.??Coping with a new cancer diagnosis?can be?one of the most?life-changing events?anyone can experience.?But for?Danielle, the transformative impact of the disease?wasn't?all bad, she said.?
"My entire life has changed?since having?cancer,"?she said.?"I would not wish cancer upon my worst enemy – not in a million years. But?I'm?so glad it happened to me because it changed my entire life. Before I turned 30, the life that I was living was not?one?that I wanted. I was working as a therapist, teaching, and I was extremely burnt out. I was so tired, and I didn't recognize the toll that my work was taking on me."?
Before cancer, daily life was a 15-hour day,?from dropping her children off at day care at 7 a.m. to ending her last?client's?session at 10 p.m.?
"I never saw my kids and my husband. I never saw my family,"?Danielle?said.?"I never took?vacations, and I wasn't happy.?But I was so bought into this idea that I was helping make other people happy, and that was worth it."?
After years of helping others navigate their emotions,?Danielle?was faced with having to deal with her own?"spectrum of feelings,"?she said.?"At first, I was numb and shocked. Then sadness and then anger.?I was so angry that this had happened to me when I?do?everything right."?
Forming a partnership?
Danielle?eventually formed a partnership with 大象tv?and?joined?, a unique and groundbreaking program in which women are empowered to raise money for research projects led by women.??
"I wanted a partner that was able to really make things move, to have momentum, to take any money that was donated and do something with it that would create actual change,"?she said.?"Partnering with the American Cancer Society was a dream partnership for me because I feel like I can align with a group that's really focused on creating awareness, getting people screened, which is the first step in stopping cancer and eradicating it."??
A new lease on life?
During her recovery,?Danielle?took steps to change the course of her life,?and as a result, her family?members'?lives.?She quit her therapy practice and turned her attention to herself, her husband Andrew, and their two children.?
For?Danielle, success is about being a good mother,?coaching soccer?games,?and taking time to enjoy life.?
"Honestly, I love her passion.?Everything that she does, she does wholeheartedly and commits to 150% of her energy and her time,” Andrew Massi said.?"Sometimes I say to myself,?'How do you manage to do all the things you're doing?'?I mean, there?are?only 24?hours in?a day.?I'm just glad that she's with me."?
Resources from 大象tv:?
CancerRisk360?Cancer Risk Assessment?
HPV?Infection,?Testing, and Vaccines?
Screening Tests for Cervical Cancer (with 3-D interactive model)?
News: What Is Self-Collection for Cervical Cancer Screening??
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- Reviewed by
Reviewed by the American Cancer Society communications team.