Woman Diagnosed With Three Cancers After Husband’s Infidelity and HPV

Eileen McGill Fox, a school teacher and mother of four from Florida, is sharing her medical journey to highlight the critical importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine after being diagnosed with three different types of cancer linked to the virus.

The health crisis began after Fox learned that her husband of 30 years had been unfaithful. Following the discovery, she sought medical attention for an STI screening. While initial tests returned negative results for HIV, syphilis, and gonorrhea, she later discovered she had contracted HPV.

HPV is an infection that is not typically included in basic STI screenings. Fox learned of her status approximately one year after her initial screening during a routine Pap smear.

A Sequence of Cancer Diagnoses

Medical professionals informed Fox that the presence of HPV placed her at a high risk for several types of cancer, including those affecting the throat, vagina, vulva, anus, and cervix.

Over the following years, Fox received three separate cancer diagnoses:

• Vulvar cancer, diagnosed in February 2019.
• Cervical cancer, diagnosed shortly after the vulvar cancer diagnosis.
• Anal cancer, diagnosed in 2023.

All three forms of cancer are linked to the HPV virus.

Treatment and Ongoing Recovery

Since her initial diagnosis in 2019, Fox has undergone extensive medical procedures to treat the cancers. These include a hysterectomy and the surgical removal of a portion of her labia.

Seven years after her first diagnosis, Fox continues to undergo painful medical treatments. She currently receives skin treatments and laser therapy because cancerous cells remain in her body.

The Role of HPV Prevention

Fox’s experience underscores a significant public health point regarding the HPV vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccine protects against the specific types of HPV that cause the majority of HPV-related cancers.

Fox noted that she had not considered receiving the vaccine when it first became available on the market in 2006, as she was already a mother and married at that time.

By sharing her story, Fox aims to spread awareness about how these cancers are often preventable through vaccination and the necessity of understanding which infections are covered by standard STI screenings.