A young woman whose smear was postponed was given "double whammy" of bad news.
Sarah Waters' smear test was postponed back in 2020 due to the pandemic but on April 1 this year, she managed to get an appointment and attended the routine cervical screening. Assuming "everything was normal", she jetted off to Spain for a holiday before returning home to "urgent letters".
The 30-year-old was instantly referred to hospital and on June 22 was given a devastating diagnosis that she had a rare type of cervical cancer called Poorly-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma that was "aggressive and fast growing". Sarah was given a "double whammy" of bad news when she was told she would need a full hysterectomy meaning the chances having her own child have been "taken away".
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Having recently undergone a full hysterectomy, Sarah was waiting to hear if she needs chemotherapy treatment. Unfortunately, doctors found the cancer was "more aggressive" than they thought and it had started to spread. Now, her cancer is at stage 3 as she reinforces the importance of having a cervical screening.
As many women may put off their routine tests due to fear, embarrassment or even a lack of time, Sarah and her family are urging people to take the time to book their tests as it could "save your life."
Sharing her journey on social media, the singer gave an update earlier this month, having been in hospital with several infections. She wrote: "As most of you will know, in June this year I was diagnosed with a rare type of cervical cancer. I was told it is fast growing and aggressive. Since that day my life changed.
"It is exactly one month since having major surgery and starting this difficult journey of ‘beating cancer’. I had a radical hysterectomy and lymph nodes removed. Unfortunately, they discovered the cancer was more aggressive than they thought and noticed it had started to spread.
"After these findings were tested, I was told that my cancer was now at Stage 3 and I would need to have a combination of chemo and radiotherapy. I am a month into my 12 week recovery and after my chances to carry my own baby were taken away from me, the one silver lining is there’s still a chance I can freeze my eggs (though a very short time frame to do this).
"One thing some people don’t always understand is, this type of cancer is a double whammy of bad news. One being told you have cancer and two being told you can’t carry a baby. It is one big nightmare that no person or family should have to go through.
"I am so lucky to have the best Mum and Stepdad, who have been helping me with my recovery and in so many ways. Not to mention my AMAZING sister, brother in law and my gorgeous Tilly and Miles for giving us a reason to get up in the morning. Thank you to everyone else who are constantly supporting me and my family, you all know who you are.
"I know I’ve got many appointments, needles and scans coming my way and I’m hoping that before we know it, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Lots of love."
The ECHO previously reported that Sarah's mum Susan who is watching her daughter go through "an incredibly tough time", has decided to take on an incredible challenge. She plans to walk 300,000 steps this month, as well as looking after Sarah.
Setting a target of £100, the fundraiser has already received over £1,600 as the family reinforce the important message of not to miss a smear test. The fundraiser can be found by clicking here.
Susan told the ECHO: "I’d advise anyone to share the symptoms to all the women they know. I used to refer Sarah for back massages, she had lower back pain for two years and that was one of the biggest symptoms, there are lots of people who have back problems, but this was a big symptom at the time, we didn’t know.
"Just don’t put off your smear. Sarah didn’t put hers off, the pandemic did but those two years made such a difference. In the meantime we just keep hoping for the best outcome and supporting each other as well as being supported by so many."
Cervical cancer
According to the NHS, cervical cancer is a cancer that's found anywhere in the cervix and can often be prevented by attending cervical screening. Main symptoms can include:
- Unusual vaginal bleeding
- Changes to vaginal discharge
- Pain during sex
- Pain in your lower stomach, back or hip bones
Cervical screening is one of the best ways to protect yourself from cervical cancer. It is not a test for cancer, it's a test to help prevent cancer by checking cells for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). These types of HPV can cause abnormal changes to the cells in your cervix and are called "high risk" types of HPV.
If you have a cervix and have had any kind of sexual contact, with a man or a woman, you could get cervical cancer. This is because nearly all cervical cancers are caused by infection with high risk types of HPV. You can get HPV through vaginal, oral or anal sex, any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area and sharing sex toys.
More about cervical screening can be found via the NHS website here.
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