She joined the Pink Palmetto Project, a South Carolina Cancer Alliance program focused on breast and cervical cancer education. A 2025 survey found one in six women say they missed or may have missed a routine cancer screening in the past year.
Cheatham says trust makes the salon work. "They confide in me when they don't even feel comfortable telling their families things and their friends," she said.
Her own story drives it. Her mother died from colon cancer at age 62, and Cheatham says she still has "really bad PTSD" about going to the doctor for exams. She wants younger women to hear the message. "The earlier you get this taken care of, the better," she said.
Brenda Thorpe, senior community engagement director for the South Carolina Cancer Alliance, pointed to a gap in the data. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, she said, and doctors diagnose African-American women at a later stage. Later diagnoses often mean harsher treatment and lower odds of survival.
A woman who skips her checkup may still tell her stylist everything.