From newlywed joy to cancer shock: How a spontaneous health check saved a young mum's life at 32 - even though she felt 'totally fine'
When Melbourne receptionist Emma Jones booked in for her routine cervical screening test at 32, she didn't think twice.
She wasn't experiencing any symptoms and felt healthy, happy and excited for her upcoming wedding.
But that spontaneous decision to head in for a quick 15-minute appointment ended up saving her life.
According to a 2024 report by the Department of Health and Aged Care, cervical cancer is diagnosed in around 800 Australian women each year - and there are barely any symptoms.
Shockingly, about 70 per cent of these cases are occurring in women who have never screened or weren't up to date with their screening tests.
'I have to admit, I'd been a bit slack,' Emma told FEMAIL of making her repeat cervical screening appointment, which involved Pap smears every two years for women aged 20-69, at the time.
The National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) was updated in 2017 to a five-yearly screening for Australian women aged 25-74.
'To be honest, I think I was self-conscious, so I was a bit behind with all that but I knew it was important,' she said.
'I wasn't expecting anything to come of it. It was just a routine check and I felt completely fine.'
The NCSP had originally been put in place by the government to spot early signs of cervical cancer and to identify those who may have been exposed to HPV (Human Papillomavirus) – a precursor for the potentially deadly disease.
'We know that certain types of HPV are transmitted through sexual activity,' Dr Lara Roeske, Chair of the RACGP Board and a leading expert in cervical cancer prevention told FEMAIL.
'Those two types (HPV 16 and 18) may be associated with the development of significant abnormalities in the cells of the cervix, posing a greater risk of the development of serious changes including cancer.'
For Emma, her screening revealed she had indeed been exposed, and the timing couldn't have been more dramatic.
'My first cervical screening, prior to my wedding, revealed abnormalities so I underwent a colposcopy [a procedure used to examine the cervix] which is more in depth.'
'That's when they found a tumour.
'Not long after, I got married, and I was booked straight in for a LLETZ procedure [a surgical procedure to remove abnormal cells from the cervix], where they removed the tumour and took a biopsy to make sure they'd removed everything else.
'Two weeks later I was told I had cancer - Stage IA1, which was luckily the earliest possible stage.'
Emma and her new husband were set to jet off on a six-week trip of a lifetime around America for their honeymoon just weeks after her life changing diagnosis.
'I stopped in the middle of the street and just started crying in front of my husband. It was a shock,' she said.
Although doctors cleared Emma to fly so she could enjoy her long-awaited trip, the worldwide pandemic COVID-19 hit only seven days into the holiday, forcing her to come straight home.
The newlyweds were forced back to Australia (at a hefty personal expense) to then spend two weeks in quarantine before Emma could undergo her urgent surgery.
Fast forward four years, and Emma, now 36, is cancer-free - and the proud mum to a healthy baby boy.
'I certainly didn't think this would happen to me, especially at my age,' Emma admitted.
Most Australians are vaccinated from the age of eleven years old against HPV, which is a common virus that eight in 10 sexually active Australian adults will be exposed to in their lifetime.
Cervical Screening: THE FACTS
• Free in Australia for women aged 25 to 74
• Now tests for HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer
• Needs to be done every 5 years if results are normal
• Self-collection now available (ask your GP)
• Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV - but early detection is the key to prevention
'We call it the common cold of sexual activity, that's how common it is,' said Dr Roeske.
'Most types of HPV infection are low risk, and they're cleared. Most people aren't even aware they have the infection.
'However, ongoing screening is crucial because the HPV vaccination doesn't cover every single strain that is associated with the possible risk of cervical cancer. It certainly covers the majority though.'
Making it even easier for Australian women everywhere, there is now the option of a self-collection.
'Introduced in 2021, everyone now is offered a choice to have the screening performed by either their doctor or nurse, or to take their own samples, which is really exciting,' Dr Roeske said.
'One thing I think we can be very proud of is Australia is a world leader in cervical cancer prevention.
'All the components that go into running really a world class screening program has led to the fact that we will be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer.'
As for a timeline, Dr Roeske said Australia is set to be free of all cervical cancer cases by 2035 or sooner.
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