Snooki Reveals Stage 1 Cervical Cancer Diagnosis and Plans for Hysterectomy
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has revealed she was diagnosed with Stage 1 cervical cancer following a cone biopsy, and she outlined immediate medical steps she will take. The disclosure, shared publicly after a doctor’s appointment, matters because Polizzi says the disease was detected early and she faces a planned surgical route that could be curative.
Development details
Polizzi, 38, announced on Feb. 20 that testing from a recent cone biopsy returned a diagnosis of Stage 1 cervical cancer identified as adenocarcinoma. The cone biopsy removed the abnormal tissue; doctors took out what she described as the tumor and said tissue around it tested clear, meaning there were no cancer cells on the removed margins and the disease did not extend upward into the cervix. She said she first disclosed that doctors had found cancerous cells on Jan. 20 after an earlier colposcopy and biopsy delivered abnormal results.
Snooki’s diagnosis and next steps
Polizzi said she is still learning about the full treatment plan but confirmed two concrete next steps: she will undergo a PET scan and is scheduled to have a hysterectomy. Her oncology team presented other options—chemotherapy or radiation—but Polizzi stated the hysterectomy appears to be the prudent choice. She added that surgeons plan to remove her cervix and uterus but will leave her ovaries in place; final decisions depend on findings from the PET scan.
Context and escalation
Polizzi described a multi-year history of abnormal Pap smears, saying she had struggled with those results for "three or four years" before the cancer diagnosis. She urged women not to delay routine Pap smears, emphasizing that her own decision to follow up after feeling scared and hurt led to the discovery. Medical guidance in her statement referenced screening tools such as the Pap smear and HPV testing as ways to detect disease early; the HPV vaccine and routine screening were noted as part of prevention strategies.
Public health organizations have documented shifting incidence patterns: cervical cancer rates have risen among women in their 30s and early 40s even as they have fallen for women in their 20s. Clinically, cervical cancer is described as a growth of cells that begins in the cervix; various strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) are implicated in most cases, with the virus sometimes persisting for years in a subset of people and contributing to malignant transformation.
Immediate impact
The diagnosis affects Polizzi both medically and personally. She is a mother of three and said the year 2026 has not unfolded how she expected, though she emphasized gratitude that the cancer was caught at an early, potentially curable stage. Clinically relevant immediate consequences include the planned PET scan to check for any spread and a scheduled hysterectomy to remove the cervix and uterus; these actions follow the cone biopsy that removed the initial lesion with clear surrounding tissue.
Polizzi also highlighted the emotional toll: she described fear and pain around previous screenings but stressed the importance of follow-up care. She warned there remains a chance cancer could spread elsewhere in the body, which is why the PET scan and the surgical plan are being pursued.
Forward outlook
Confirmed near-term milestones are the PET scan and the hysterectomy, with the latter presented as the likely course after oncology consultation. If the PET scan shows no further disease, the cone biopsy with clear margins and the hysterectomy form a sequence aimed at removing known disease; if the PET scan reveals additional spread, other treatments discussed by her team include chemotherapy or radiation. Polizzi has said she will keep her ovaries, which preserves certain hormonal functions.
What makes this notable is the combination of a Stage 1 adenocarcinoma finding after years of abnormal Pap results and the clear surgical pathway already identified: a diagnostic PET scan followed by a hysterectomy unless scan results dictate alternative therapy. Polizzi has used her platform to urge routine screening and early follow-up for abnormal results, and she emphasized that cervical cancer can be preventable and detectable early through vaccination and screening measures. Symptoms associated with advanced disease can include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pain and discharge.
