Two Gwent mums who were diagnosed with cervical cancer are sharing their stories as part of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which aims to raise awareness of the risks of cervical cancer.

Rachel, aged 44, attended a routine smear test in 2019, where abnormal cells were found and she was referred for further investigations. After severe cell changes were discovered, a biopsy then confirmed that Rachel with stage 1b cervical cancer.

“I just remember the nurse saying it was curable, but all I could think was, ‘Oh God, this is happening, this is really happening,’ over and over. After an MRI, I was told I would need a radical hysterectomy and lymph node removal,” she said.

“Three weeks after the procedure, I went for my outpatient appointment to get my results. I was so nervous, but before I even sat down, the surgeon smiled and said, ‘Good news, by the way.’ He showed me the histology report, which confirmed no further treatment was needed.

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the cervix. While most common in women aged 30 to 35, it can occur at any age.

“I am so thankful to the surgical team,” she continued.

“I also bought flowers for the nurse at my GP practice who carried out my smear test. That test saved my life.”

Two years later, Elizabeth attended a routine smear test and was advised to have another in a year’s time as her results had shown she was positive for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) but with no cell changes. But one year later, life events took over and Elizabeth missed her next cervical screening appointment.

In January 2023, Elizabeth finally had her smear test. This time, her results showed cell changes along with HPV, and so she was referred straight to the colposcopy unit at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr (YYF) for a biopsy. Just two weeks later, Elizabeth was told she had cervical cancer. Following her diagnosis, Elizabeth had a series of scans and tests to ensure the cancer hadn’t spread and luckily, it hadn’t. In July 2023, she underwent a full hysterectomy.

Elizabeth is extremely grateful to the team at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr for their support and expertise.

She said, “The staff are lovely. I know the team really well now, they’re like part of my family. If I’m ever worried about anything, I know I can just call them.”

“Smears are so simple, and the nurses who do them are well-trained. If you’re nervous, you can take someone with you. Even if you’ve had the HPV vaccine, it doesn’t cover all strains, so attending your cervical screening appointment is vital.“I know it’s easy for life to take over, and as women, we tend to put everyone else before ourselves, but you need to make your health a priority. It could be a life-saving game changer.”

Both Rachel and Elizabeth are now hoping to use their experiences to highlight the importance of attending smear tests and catching cervical cancer at an early stage.

The risk can be reduced by attending regular cervical screening (smear tests), which aims to detect and treat abnormal cell changes before they become cancer. Cervical cancer usually develops slowly, and how serious it is depends on its size, whether it has spread, and the patient’s overall health.