Probably the most random of questions but Im trying to get my head around unanswered questions.
To give my background, Im 32, went for my first smear at the age of 25 back in 2009, had my 3 year follow up smear in 2012 and again my 3 year follow up in Oct 2015, all my smears have always been negative.
I started with symptoms of cc in Dec 2015 and after being tested for IBS, Pelvic floor collapse, possible scar tissue etc it was only when I began having problems with my bladder that a scan done on my kidney/bladder showed a 'blockage' that I was passed back to my doctor for an internal examination when she found the white cells covering my cervix and put me on an urgent cancer screening.
Within a matter of days I got the call from the lady who did my coloscopy to confirm I did have cc and it was stage 3b.
Yesterday I had an appointment with a consultant to discuss my smear audit results, I walked into the appointment expecting him to tell me something had been missed but yet they were all clear. He said he had never seen a case like me where the cancer has developed so quickly and been missed, particularly as I had had an internal procedure in Aug 2016 where my womb and cervix should have been examined prior to the procedure going ahead, he explained that the records showed that the womb examination had been recorded and everything was normal however the cervix examination hasnt been recorded so he couldnt 100% say if it had or hadnt been done. He explained that had it been done the cc would have been visible unless it has somehow developed from nothing to 3b in 7 months.
So what I would like to ask is if any of you have had such a fast developing cc that has reached the higher stage?
I know its crazy and I will probably never get an answer as to how my cc was missed or developed so quickly.
Hi. I had my first bleed in August 2014 and was diagnosed in November/December 2015.
I'd always had clear smears (last one March 2013 ) & had ultrasounds and a GP attempting a smear but failed because of bleeding.
After asking to be referred I had one gynaecologist 'have a look' and decide if need a mirena coil so went back a week later only for another gynaecologist to take a look and tell me there & then I had cc.
2 weeks later I was told it was stage 4a.
I still can't get my head round why it wasn't diagnosed sooner when I went after my first bleed. I wish I was brave enough to have my smears audited but I think I'd be devastated to hear that a mistake had been made and it should've been caught at an earlier stage.
i had a smear done in 2014 when mirena was removed and I wanted to have another baby. I had a smear done at 6 weeks pregnant. A smear done in 2016 when wanting a new mirena post baby and all were clear. I had no symptoms of cc. I went in to get a mirena and he couldn't get it in as my uterus had tilted back. Schedule to get it in at hospital and when he was inserting it noticed an area that looked odd. He took a punch bx. I had also had a c-section and nothing was noticed.
After questioning so many dr, they all said smears are not 100% and my oncologist said that hormones have more impact then most dr realize in the growth of cc. Of course this was said off the record as he cannot go against what the WHO puts out.
I had 2 mirena coils and didn't have a period for 91/2 years then it was removed to conceive, then pregnancy and then birth. Talk about hormonal imbalances! My cc developed from most likely abnormal cells to 2b from birth in late oct 2015 to diagnosis in June 2016
as much as I believe the info about cc is mostly accurate although outdated on recognized cancer sites there is a lot of info that is not released to the public as it's still in the research stage.
Try not to beat yourself up with worry about the past too much focus on the present , get through each day! Smile at least once a day. The treatment is very effective!!!
i hope you are doing well now! I just find it shocking that so many of us are going through this having been 'missed' my gynaecologist said that it would be highly fast and unusual for cc to develop in 3 years but a 7 month window has sent his head spinning. I can't help but feel something else other than smears needs to be done for women like us.
I visited the doctor in June 2014 to tell them I wasnt feeling well and couldn't tell them what was wrong apart from mild back pain but I felt like all my joints ached and my periods were all over the place they told me it was my age and I was at the start of the menopause but to be sure they gave me and update smear which I wasn't due two weeks later the results were normal in February 2015 i was getting worse and visited the doctor 4 times to be told I was anemic and it was period problems I got a dvt in my leg by March 2015 and was anemic with the blood loss then referred to the hospital where they did a bust scan a tummy scan and was due to have a ct scan but got lost in the system
I visited the gynaecologist in April 2015 to talk about a hysterectomy but when I told her of all my symptoms she asked if she could do an internal this is where she could see the Tumor
by may 2015 after having a normal smear results in April 2014 I was diagnosed with a 5cm Tumor on my cervix and a 3cm Tumor in a lymph node higher up
i guess it's just bad luck
please don't beat yourself up over questions that can't be answered concentrate on the treatment and getting back to normal
and as lolli says and me take every day as it comes smile every day and enjoy
I had a clear smear July 2016 and developed CC symptoms by Oct 2016, after harrassing my doctor because of the pain I got an apointment with gyneacologist in March 2017 and she told me there and then after a colposcopy that I had CC. It was further diagnosed as 2b with lymph node involvement. I havent had my results from my smear audit yet but like lots of people on here cant believe that it can happen this quickly. When you read all the literature and the main reason for having smears is to detect the early signs of cancer and CC doesnt appear overnight, even my McMillan nurse has told me this and it can take up to 10 years to develop so I should have had some abnormal smears previously.
Some of us will never know I guess but it shows that smears do not work for everyone. Would be iteresting to know what the statistics are!!
