Cheryl Crowe explains why she wanted to make a film about her life - and how mammography saved her

"My story is proof that you can go on to live a long, healthy life after you're diagnosed," wrote Crow, who talks about surviving breast cancer in her new documentary, Cheryl.

When the pandemic started, I was hesitant at first when I was told it was time to make a documentary about my life and career. But I soon realized that the opportunity to tell my story - my whole story, from my point of view - is not something that everyone gets in life. Especially for someone like me who has lived in the public eye for three decades, grappling with prejudices about my identity based solely on lyrics or tabloid rumors, making films feel like a refreshing and cathartic way to step into a new world of life.

But this isn't the first time I've made my private life public. I've spent the last decade sharing my experiences with breast cancer with women worldwide from my fans to their sisters, daughters, and mothers hoping they will learn from my experience and prioritize their health. This is very important to me because I almost missed the opportunity to diagnose my cancer early.

As I share in my documentary Cheryl, 2006 was a very turbulent time in my life. I went through public breakups and struggled with the paparazzi as I tried to focus on my career. I've always been a healthy person who prioritized proper nutrition and exercise. Still, at the time, it seemed impossible to focus on anything other than living each day and moving on with my career. So, of course, I'm tempted to put off my annual mammogram visit, as many women do when dealing with stressful times in their lives, whether it's during a pandemic, career changes, family issues, or just the day-to-day work.

Luckily, I kept that promise, and my breast cancer was found early, giving me a chance to start treatment and move on with my life. Since then, there have been many advances in breast cancer screening, including Genius 3D mammography, which has been shown to see more invasive cancers and is clinically proven to be better than 2D mammography for all women, including women with large breasts.