Cervical cancer: Alliance MLA Michelle Guy says screening saved her life

An MLA has said it was "shocking and really terrifying" when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in November 2023.Michelle Guy, who was 44 at the time and experienced no symptoms, said the cancer was only caught because of cervical screening."It terrifies me to think if I was blasé about going for screenings, what that outcome could have been; how more developed things might have been when I realised that there was a problem," she said.An average of 81 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer each year between 2017 and 2021, with about 20 deaths per year, according to the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, which hold the most recent statistics.
The Alliance Party politician hopes to use her platform to encourage women to go for cervical screening."I'm relieved to have went through that process, relieved that the screening system worked for me; that it did find that cancer, and it did find it early," she said.The mother-of-two said her diagnosis came as "a huge surprise" as her previous smear tests had always came back clear of abnormalities.But a routine smear test two years ago showed there was "something wrong" which needed further investigation."To find myself in that position was initially unnerving," she said."But I was realistic that most people, they go through this, everything's fine."That's what the screening process is for, to identify things early."
A couple of weeks after having a colposcopy, while sitting in her kitchen, she received a "terrifying" phone call from the hospital asking her to come in, but not to come alone."When you hear, don't come on your own, you know there's something wrong," she said.She was told she had cervical cancer.It was caught "at an early stage", which she said was a "relief", but it still led to months of anxiety until she completed treatment.Her treatment was a hysterectomy which she had in January 2024, while still working as a councillor for Lisburn and Castlereagh Council.
"We got a level of reassurance that the hysterectomy would be a cure - that was the language that my oncologist used - that they intended this to be a cure," she said."There isn't 100% certainty until you've had the procedure and all the different tests are complete, so I was just really anxious and determined to get it over with."You want that operation as soon as possible because nothing's getting better while you're waiting."I was lucky that it was contained and localised in a way that going through that surgery, as dramatic and painful as that is, I was very cognizant that things might have been worse had that diagnosis not come as early as it did."
What is cervical screening?
Cervical screening, while not a diagnostic test, is for people without symptoms and aims to detect early changes which could go on to develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.In some cases, cancer may be found.In December 2023, Northern Ireland introduced primary HPV cervical screening, although this was after Ms Guy's diagnosis.It checks for an infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) - the cause of most cervical cancers.This newer HPV test is regarded as a better indicator than cytology of identifying who is a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
Through her diagnosis and treatment she continued to work in politics because, not only did she feel it was "vocational", it was also a "distraction".She said she had that "reflex to stay busy" and "wanted to get as far away from what I had been through as quickly as possible"."It's that sense of I was running away from it as opposed to necessarily processing it," she added.She said she also threw herself into experiences that she may not otherwise have done so, including replacing Sorcha Eastwood as the MLA for Lagan Valley just eight months after her diagnosis.
'Hopefully do some good'
Michelle understands that there is a lack of confidence around cervical screening, particularly after what happened in the Southern Trust when 17,500 women had to have their smear tests re-checked."Of course [that] would shake anybody's confidence in our system here - that women were going forward for their smears, and they were being let down," she said.While she had kept her cervical cancer diagnosis private, she feels now is the right time to share her experience to "hopefully do some good" and encourage women to attend screenings."Not going for it and then potentially facing a diagnosis that I had and potentially one that's much more serious - that you knew you might have been able to prevent had you taken the opportunity of a screening - I really feel that that is a message that I didn't want to shy away from anymore," she said.

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BBC News

11 minutes ago

• BBC News

Assisted dying bill due for final Commons debate ahead of crunch vote

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Telegraph

30 minutes ago

• Telegraph

Eating without waiting for others is not rude, study finds

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The Independent

32 minutes ago

• The Independent

Climate change blamed for UK heatwave amid 32C temperatures

Searing temperatures of 32C hitting the UK this week have been made 100 times more likely due to human-caused climate change, scientists have warned. A rapid study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) research group found the current heatwave in the south-east of England was around 10 times more likely than without human activity warming the planet. Dr Fredi Otto, from Imperial College London, underscored the severity, warning that heatwaves are "silent killers" and that the impacts of heat are "severely underestimated", leaving the UK unprepared for the conditions expected to persist into the weekend. Experts highlighted that older people, along with those suffering from heart issues, respiratory illnesses, and conditions such as diabetes, face the highest risk of death. They also noted that heatwaves occurring earlier in the summer are particularly deadly, as the population is less acclimatised to coping with warmer conditions. The researchers also identified wildfires as an "emerging risk" for the UK during summer, with conditions increasingly resembling those found in southern Europe. They urged the public to exercise extreme caution with barbecues, cigarettes, and glass, all of which can ignite fires in the hot, dry weather. This study marks only the second time the WWA, known for its rapid assessments of climate change's role in specific extreme weather events, has analysed a forecasted event rather than one that has already occurred. The analysis, which drew on observations for early summer heat in the south east of the UK, found that a heatwave – defined as three days of temperatures above 28C for the region – in June would be expected once every five years today. But without humans warming the atmosphere by around 1.3C since pre-industrial times, such a heatwave would only have occurred about once every 50 years, the study shows. The heatwave was made approximately 2-4C more intense as a result of the overall warming of the planet, meaning the current weather 'just wouldn't have been a heatwave without human-induced warming', Dr Ben Clarke, from Imperial College London, said. Temperatures had been forecast to hit 32C across the south east on Saturday and had already reached that level on Thursday in London. Heat of that level could be expected in June once in 25 years in the current climate, but only once in 2,500 years in June before industrialisation, the researchers said. While the impacts of temperatures rising above 30C are not as severe as the record-breaking heat topping 40C in some places in July 2022, the researchers warned people were still at risk. They urged people to ensure they were drinking enough water, and to encourage elderly relatives to do the same, avoid areas with high air pollution, keep windows and curtains shut during the day, and consider going to cooler public buildings such as museums to protect against the heat. Dr Clarke, researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, said: 'This heatwave is another reminder that our planet has already heated to a dangerous level. 'We're at 1.3C today, but heading for around 3C this century. 'With every fraction of a degree of warming, the UK will experience hotter, more dangerous heatwaves. 'That means more heat deaths, more pressure on the NHS, more transport disruptions, tougher work conditions and poorer air quality.' Dr Otto, associate professor in climate science at the Centre for Environmental Policy, said: 'We know exactly what has intensified this heatwave – burning oil, gas and coal, which has loaded the atmosphere with planet-heating greenhouse gases. 'It is totally insane we have political leaders in the UK trying to drag us back to the past with calls for more fossil fuels. 'The climate will continue to drive increasingly dangerous heatwaves, fires and floods in the UK until emissions are reduced to net zero globally.' She added that while people working in air-conditioned offices would 'probably be OK' this week, poorer people working outdoors, in kitchens or other hot environments and then returning home to poorly insulated flats would be enduring hot conditions throughout. 'Making our societies more equal is essential to reduce the impacts of climate change,' Dr Otto said.