Sports Reporter Erin Andrews reveals battle with cervical cancer

Every Sunday Fox Sports Reporter Erin Andrews was front and center during the biggest football game of the week, but behind the microphone this season she battled a much bigger opponent than any team did on the field.

Andrews told Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback, she was battling cervical cancer during this football season.

Andrews had surgery on October 11, but five days later, she was on the sideline reporting for the Packers vs. Cowboys game. She told her doctors that she wasn't watching any games from home this year because it is Fox's Super Bowl year. She was officially declared cancer free on November 17, with no need for radiation.

Andrews is one of 14,000 thousand Americans affected by cervical cancer each year.

Dr. Melissa Geller with the University of Minnesota says the common cause for cervical cancer is HPV and hopes this news will open the door to more people getting the testing that's needed.

“Whenever these stars or people who are in the media are associated with these types of things, people start to think about it,” said Geller. “Maybe this will bring more attention, more light to the HPV vaccine. Hopefully Erin was treated early enough that often times we can sure this with surgery alone and patients go on to live long, full lives.”

Dr. Geller says that 80 million Americans have HPV. The best way to prevent getting it is to get vaccinated as a child between the ages of 9 and 26. The optimal age for the vaccine is 11 or 12 years old. Without vaccinations, physicians can catch cancers, like cervical cancer with regular testing.