Farrah Fawcett's Anal Cancer: Fighting the Stigma

Promotional portrait of, from left, American actresses Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith as they pose with palms together for the television program "Charlie's Angels," mid 1977.

(Pictorial Parade/Getty Images)

Rarity and Embarrassment Prevent People From Seeking Treatment

Anal cancer is rare -- much less common than cancer of the colon or rectum. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009 about 5,290 new cases of anal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. The number of new anal cancer cases has been on the rise for many years.

But the stigma, coupled with the rarity and the cancer's location, may make those affected slower to respond to symptoms.

"For some people, this stigma is a critical factor in determining how quickly they respond to the symptoms or signs of disease," said Dr. Richard Wender, national president of the American Cancer Society, at the time Fawcett was diagnosed in 2006. "Just out of embarrassment, some people don't go to the doctor and say they have a pain in their anal area or that they have bleeding there."

Related

A Skin Cancer Cream to Bust Wrinkles?

Lawsuit, Health Woes Cloud 'Farrah's Story'

Untested Treatment Spawns Debate

Fawcett's Openness a Beacon for Many

Anal cancer can be a serious condition and the symptoms, which include changes in bowel habits, bleeding and pain, are not specific to anal cancer, making it difficult to catch in the early stages and almost impossible to prevent. An estimated 710 people (450 women and 260 men) will die of anal cancer in 2009, according to the ACS.

But treatment for anal cancer is often very effective, and most patients with this cancer can be cured. Fawcett's openness about her anal cancer, which included a documentary about her experience that aired in May, raised awareness about the disease.

"Her openness and honesty about this disease has probably helped to heal a lot of people. So she may have done a significant service by doing that," Brooks said. "You've got a woman who was known as a sex symbol who had a great deal of inner character and helped a great deal of other people."

ABC News' Joanna Schaffhausen contributed to this report.