Cervical Cancer Survivor Urges Instincts, Second Opinions

Three-time cervical cancer survivor Samantha Gonzales-Russell is encouraging patients with cancer to trust their instincts, seek second opinions and keep advocating for themselves when something feels wrong.

After her third diagnosis, she refused to accept that no options remained and contacted multiple specialists until she found a Los Angeles team willing to perform pelvic exenteration surgery. For her, feeling heard and respected mattered just as much as a provider’s credentials.

Adjusting to life afterward meant learning to live with two permanent ostomies, attending therapy and giving herself permission to grieve the life she once knew while redefining a new normal. That emotional processing, she says, is just as important as physical recovery, and mental health support should be built into cancer care from the start.

Speaking with CURE, Gonzales-Russell emphasized that survivors know their bodies best. Persistent symptoms such as abnormal bleeding, unexplained pain or digestive changes should never be brushed aside. When concerns are dismissed or attributed to minor causes, she urges patients to stop waiting, push for answers and find a new doctor who will listen.

Transcript

Your symptoms were initially dismissed as a UTI and anxiety despite your cancer history. What specific red flag should tell a survivor it’s time to stop asking and start demanding a new doctor?

I think it goes back to following your instincts. Truly, everyone knows their body best, and if you feel that something is wrong and you’re thinking, “I need answers,” please, please, please follow that instinct.

For cervical cancer specifically, there are symptoms that are big red flags and definitely need more investigation from a medical professional. For me, those included abnormal bleeding and abnormal pain. I was also having digestive problems with my first and second recurrences. Any abnormal bleeding, like I mentioned, is a serious symptom that is absolutely worth checking out.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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