Beating cervical cancer with the support of medtech

Donna Bradbury was having unusual gynaecological symptoms that led to a cervical cancer diagnosis. Because she was diagnosed early, she was able to get treatment and has had a full recovery. She shares her story to raise awareness during Women’s Health Awareness Month.

“Among other symptoms, I was having irregular bleeding in between my periods and I bled after sex,” Donna tells MedTech Views. “My last cervical smear was two and a half years earlier, and I was due for another one in six months. I didn’t want to wait for that, as I just knew something wasn’t right.”

She had ultrasound scans that didn’t show any problems, but because she was having ongoing symptoms, her doctor sent her for a colposcopy, which is a medical procedure that takes a closer look at the cervix. Doctors used a special medical technology called a colposcope, which is a microscope with a light that specifically examines your cervix. “They could see a tumour but did a biopsy to confirm,” explains the mother of three. “It was during the COVID pandemic, so I was on my own. I walked home in a blur and told my husband.”

Cervical cancer affects your cervix, or the entrance to your womb. In 99.7% of cases, it’s caused by a “high-risk” type of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause abnormal cell changes. HPV is transmitted through skin-to-skin sexual contact and is common. Most of the time, it doesn’t cause any issues.

Donna believes it’s important for people to understand that the cervical smear test is not a test for cervical cancer, but it can be a valuable screening tool to detect high-risk types of HPV that could lead to cancer if left untreated. “My smears had always been clear and I’d never had HPV,” she notes. “It’s possible that my cancer could have developed since my last smear or that I was one of the rare cases where it wasn’t due to HPV.”

Within a week, Donna was having additional scans, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). This medical technology helped doctors get detailed images of her cervix so that they could determine the best treatment. “I started chemotherapy, then had radiotherapy, followed by brachytherapy,” Donna comments. “The brachytherapy was mind-boggling. It involved a large team of medical staff who were there just to look after me. I felt extremely grateful.”

Brachytherapy is a type of radiotherapy that’s delivered directly to the cervix and is sometimes used when surgery isn’t possible. “I couldn’t have surgery because of the location of my tumour,” Donna explains. The treatments took around two months, and after that, Donna “pretty much got on with life, aside from some initial fatigue.” She has had regular scans over the past four years that have come back all clear. “I’m looking forward to doing something special when I reach five-years,” she says.

Since then, Donna has done various activities – including a half marathon – to raise awareness and funds for the charity The Eve Appeal, which educates people about gynaecological cancers, funds research and calls for early detection.

“When you hear the word cancer, it’s scary. But cervical cancer is treatable if found early,” she says. “That’s why it’s important to know your body, know your normal and get your smear test regularly.”