Nicole 'snooki' Polizzi Urges Cervical Cancer Screening After Diagnosis

• Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has shared her recent cervical cancer diagnosis on her social media. 
• She emphasized the importance of routine Pap smears and early detection. 
• Cervical cancer is largely preventable through the HPV vaccine. 

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of “Jersey Shore” fame recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with stage 1 cervical cancer. 

On February 20, Polizzi, 38, posted on TikTok about the cone biopsy she had after a routine pap smear. 

“It came back stage 1 cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma,” the reality TV star said. 

“Obviously not the news I’ve been hoping for, but also not the worst news just because they caught it so early. Thank freaking God!” 

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that around 13,290 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2026.

Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 64. Here’s what you need to know about getting screened.

Snooki encourages women to get Pap smears

In her TikTok videos, Polizzi also stressed the importance of all females going in to get their routine pap smears (cervical screenings). 

“I’m 38 years old, and I’ve been struggling with abnormal pap smears for three or four years now, and now look at me,” she said. 

“Instead of putting it off because I didn’t want to go, because I was hurt and scared, I just went and did it. And it was there, cancer is in there. But it’s stage 1, and it’s curable.”

She continued to tell people to get their appointments done. “Once you go to stage 2, then you have to do chemo… nobody wants to do that! It’s scary. So get your appointments done,” she encouraged. 

Diana Pearre, MD, board certified gynecologic oncologist at The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA, agreed.

“It is so important to get pap smears (cervical cancer screenings),” she told Healthline. “They allow us to screen women for HPV (the virus that causes cervical cancer) and identify cells that can become precancerous. In doing so, we can prevent many cases of cervical cancer before they transform to cancers.”

Polizzi said that she was being transferred to an oncologist and would undergo a PET scan to be sure the cancer has not spread to other parts of her body. 

“After that, I’m gonna probably get the hysterectomy,” Polizzi added. She also noted that her doctor gave her the alternative of chemotherapy and radiation as treatment. 

“Obviously, I think the smart choice here is the hysterectomy. I’ll still keep my ovaries, which is a good sign. But yeah, gotta get the cervix and uterus out. It all depends on the PET scan,” she said. 

“I appreciate all of the love. Everything’s going to be fine. I’m going to tackle this and get it done,” Polizzi told her followers. “I gotta keep attacking this, and everything’s gonna be great.” 

Cervical cancer largely preventable with HPV vaccine

While cervical cancer is common, it is also largely preventable. 

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), 70% of cervical cancers are the result of two high-risk types of HPV.

Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are due to long-lasting and persistent HPV infections. 

However, the HPV vaccine is a safe way to prevent the HPV infection and cervical cancer. The current recommendation is that anyone ages 11 to 26 should have the HPV vaccine. 

“It is so important to get this vaccine. Giving children this vaccine (boys and girls alike) can prevent HPV related cancers (cervical, head and neck, vulvar, vaginal) before the onset of sexual debut.  It can also help women who already have cervical dysplasia, lowering the risk of severe dysplasia recurrence,” Pearre said. 

The vaccine dose schedule depends on your age when you receive it. 

The vaccine is not recommended for everyone over 26, but you can speak with your healthcare professional to see if it is right for you. 

“I recommend anyone ages 9 to 46 to consider getting the HPV vaccine if they have not done so,” Pearre said. “There are little to no side effects. It does not affect fertility, age at sexual debut, [or] menstrual patterns. It is one of the few vaccines (the other being the hepatitis vaccine) that can prevent cancer development.”