{"id":72841,"date":"2025-09-19T05:29:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T05:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/72841\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T05:29:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T05:29:07","slug":"what-strikes-me-is-how-easy-it-would-have-been-to-dismiss-that-one-symptom-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/72841\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018What strikes me is how easy it would have been to dismiss that one symptom\u2019 \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00dana Kealy didn\u2019t have any of the typical symptoms of a gynaecological cancer<\/a> before she was diagnosed with stage one cervical cancer in 2016 at age 43.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy one symptom<\/a> was a very slight change in the colour and consistency of my vaginal discharge,\u201d she says. \u201cI almost didn\u2019t pay attention to it and, like most people, I didn\u2019t go to the doctor and have a conversation about it. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn retrospect, I realise that I had internalised a conception that vaginal discharge was an unpleasant or shameful thing to talk about. I know now that I\u2019m not unique in internalising this stigma because I now know that one in seven women delay or avoid GP visits due to their embarrassment discussing symptoms.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kealy underwent a radical hysterectomy, including the removal of her ovaries, successfully treating the cancer before it could spread any further. She has been cancer-free since and says cervical screening is vital when it comes to detecting cancer and treating it early. <\/p>\n

More than 1,400 gynaecological cancers are diagnosed each year in the Republic, some 12 per cent of all female cancers detected in the State. <\/p>\n

Saturday is World Gynaecological Oncology Day<\/a> and experts, including from the Irish Network for Gynaecological Oncology<\/a> (INGO), hope to raise awareness and highlight risk factors.<\/p>\n

Fortunately Kealy, a mother of three, had been scheduled for a routine smear test, during which an abnormality was discovered. She was referred for further tests and an LLETZ procedure (a treatment used to remove abnormal cervical cells). She was then diagnosed with stage 1b cervical cancer. <\/p>\n

She recalls being \u201cterrified\u201d that she might not live to see her children grow up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came as a complete shock,\u201d she says. \u201cI was devastated, and [I] catastrophised, thinking I was dead and buried. I wasn\u2019t brave or stoic, but I put on my best act for friends and family.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kealy\u2019s father died some years before her diagnosis after a long battle with cancer and she believes supporting him through his illness and treatment \u201cleft me with a trauma that was reactivated\u201d by her diagnosis. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband and I decided not tell our kids about my cancer because they were too young to understand it \u2013 we didn\u2019t really understand it ourselves. It was a really tough time.\u201d <\/p>\n

Within months of being diagnosed, she underwent surgery. The cancer had not spread beyond the cervix and no further treatment was needed. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a huge relief,\u201d she says. \u201cI am eternally grateful to the medical team who looked after me as I\u2019ve been cancer free ever since because of their expertise. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf I hadn\u2019t had surgery when I did, my treatment would have been much more intensive and I may not have survived \u2013 and what really strikes me is how easy it would have been to dismiss that one symptom.\u201d <\/p>\n

Prof N\u00f3ir\u00edn Russell, clinical director of CervicalCheck<\/a>, the national cervical screening service, says that in nine out of 10 cases, cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), commonly through sexual contact. <\/p>\n

She says the HPV vaccine is an extremely effective way to prevent cancer from developing. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0HPV vaccine catch-up programme to be rolled out in schools \u2018without delay\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd for those who didn\u2019t have the opportunity to have vaccination as a teenager, the biggest risk factor for developing cervical cancer is not coming for cervical screening each time you are invited,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, the risk of developing cervical cancer is 10 times higher for women who have never had cervical screening. So screening really an important choice that we are working hard to make sure everyone who is eligible has the opportunity to make.\u201d <\/p>\n

Prof Russell also says that, along with the HPV, there are other factors that increase a woman\u2019s risk of developing cervical cancer, such as smoking, which makes it harder for a person\u2019s immune system to clear the virus. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0My smear test dilemma: How do I confess that this is my first one, at the age of 41?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

The most common symptoms\u202ffor cervical cancer are persistent, unexplained vaginal bleeding or discharge, especially in between periods or after sex. It is less common for cervical cancer to present with pelvic or back pain, but it is also a symptom. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that these are also symptoms of other gynaecological issues, including cancer, which is why it is so important that women do not rely on screening or (only) come for screening if they are experiencing symptoms,\u201d says Prof Russell. \u201cThey should contact their GP without delay who will ensure they have appropriate follow-up if needed.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kealy says she is \u201cliving proof\u201d that early intervention works and believes other women should be aware of their bodies and seek medical advice if any changes or concerns. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00dana Kealy didn\u2019t have any of the typical symptoms of a gynaecological cancer before she was diagnosed with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72842,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[110,18,2215,135,49963,19,17,12000],"class_list":{"0":"post-72841","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-cancer","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-for-you","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-hpv-vaccine","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-womens-health"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72841"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72841\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}