I used to share Emma Beddington’s dislike of smear tests and was further outraged to discover that here in Spain they are not performed in your local GP surgery (DIY smear tests are on their way? I’ll be first in the queue, 22 July). Instead I had to make an appointment with a gynaecologist in a hospital an hour’s drive away. It turned out that this huffed-about visit would save my life.
A smear test can’t diagnose ovarian cancer, but a good gynaecologist taking advantage of a smear appointment to perform an exam can. The doctor discovered a 13cm tumour on my right ovary. He immediately sent me for blood tests and made some referrals. Within two weeks of my smear, I found myself sitting opposite two onco-gynae surgeons – who operated on me a week later.
