After her “life-changing” stage III chondrosarcoma diagnosis in 2004, Simone Smith, entrepreneur, jewelry designer and wife of rapper LL Cool J, has become a leading voice in cancer awareness and advocacy. While she’s now cancer-free, that hasn’t stopped her from opening up about her journey, supporting cancer research and, most recently, partnering with Pfizer to share the importance of early screenings and listening to your body.
First for Women had the chance to chat exclusively with Smith about how she found out she had cancer, why recovery felt “so challenging” and more. Keep reading to learn more about her battle with chondrosarcoma, plus get expert insight from an oncologist on early symptoms to watch for.
What is chondrosarcoma?
Chondrosarcoma is a malignant tumor or cancer that originates from cartilage cells. “Cartilage is a smooth, flexible connective tissue covering the bone edges,” says Tarik Hadid, MD, MPH, MS, FACP, medical oncologist and member of the Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Team at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. “Therefore, chondrosarcoma can occur in various parts of the body, although it occurs more frequently in the pelvis and long bones, such as thigh and arm bones.”
Smith was diagnosed with this rare form of bone cancer in her right tibia when she was just 34 years old.. “It was life-changing and very shocking,” she told First For Women. “I had a little knot on my leg, but other than that, I had no symptoms or pain.”
Dr. Hadid said it’s not yet understood what causes chondrosarcoma. He notes that in some cases, prior exposure to radiation therapy or the presence of certain pre-existing, benign bone tumors could increase the risk of developing this rare type of bone cancer.
How Simone Smith discovered she had cancer
While Smith didn’t notice any glaring symptoms that might signal cancer, she told First for Women that she’s highly in tune with her body. About a month before her diagnosis, she shared that she got her legs waxed for the first time, which alerted her that something was off.
“When you get something waxed, especially for the first time, you’re always touching [your skin] because it’s super soft. So I kept doing that with my leg and noticed this tiny, little knot that somebody else would have ignored,” Smith said. “It was almost like touching your knuckle. It was very, very subtle, but I’m so in tune with my body.”
Smith told her sister Sloan about it (who didn’t believe anything was wrong) and ignored it for the time being. It wasn’t until a month later, when Smith was working out that she realized something was wrong.
She continued, “I was training downstairs in my house and doing leg presses, and as I was doing the leg press, I had the weirdest feeling in my leg. I stopped and said to my trainer, ‘Naomi, I feel like my leg wants to break right here.’ And she said, What? Okay, we’re done.’”
Right afterward, Smith bumped her shin on a wastebasket and that tiny bump she’d noticed before swelled up. “That’s what sent me to the doctor and how I found out,” she told First “Eventually, my leg would have broken if I ignored my body and kept training or running.”
Symptoms of chondrosarcoma
In addition to bone pain or swelling like Smith experienced, Dr. Hadid says muscle weakness or tingling can occur if the tumor is pressing on a nerve. When the cancer spreads, it can cause other symptoms throughout the body. “For example, it can cause shortness of breath and cough if it spreads to the lungs,” he adds.
Imaging tests like CT scans and MRIs can help identify chondrosarcoma. However, Dr. Hadid says a biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis.
Smith’s cancer journey
“I had to have a microvascular reconstructive surgery—which lasted 15 hours—where they removed my right tibia bone where the tumor was found and had to replace it with my left fibula bone [and] a steel rod,” Smith said. “They had to transfer the little micro veins from my left leg into my right leg, and it was two and a half years of learning how to walk again.”
Surgery to remove the affected bone is almost always the treatment plan for this type of cancer, explains Dr. Hadid. He adds that chemotherapy is rarely effective in getting rid of tumors of the bone.
Physical therapy was a crucial part of Smith’s recovery, and perhaps the most grueling. “The first six weeks that I was home, my leg had to be on an incline, 24 hours a day. After six weeks, I could put my leg down for five minutes every hour while awake,” she continued. “In the second week, I was able to put my leg down for 10 minutes every hour, but after 10 minutes, my leg was back on an incline.”
Smith credits her willpower, positivity, and faith for helping her get through it. “My youngest was four years old,” she told First. “I thought nobody’s gonna help [my husband] raise these children. I’m fighting for my life, and 20 years later, here I am.”
Today, Smith is cancer-free and advocates for early cancer screenings through her partnership with Pfizer.
Smith on the importance of early cancer screenings
In February, Smith and her husband, LL Cool J, partnered with Pfizer in a Super Bowl ad to share her journey and explain why getting an early screening is key for your health. Early screenings, such as mammograms, Pap smears and colonoscopies, can help diagnose various types of cancer before symptoms are present.
“They reached out to us because I work with the American Cancer Society, and they also found out I was a cancer survivor. I think what Pfizer is doing is amazing because early screenings and early detections save lives,” emphasized Smith.
She said the partnership felt organic because “we want a world with more birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, bat mitzvahs, sweet sixteens, weddings and all of that.” And how do we reach those milestones? “Early detection, going to the doctor and paying attention to your body. That’s the most important thing. You don’t let things go,” she added.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.