By Ed Chatterton
A mom diagnosed with cervical cancer after her symptoms were “fobbed off” by doctors as irritable bowel syndrome is taking legal action after being left unable to have more children.
Jessica Mason, 45, was diagnosed with a tennis ball-sized tumor six months after a smear test which she was told was all clear.
She had visited her GP and hospital several times over the previous three years before the 6.5cm (2.5 in) tumor was eventually found.
Jessica has complained of symptoms including heavy bleeding, abdominal pain and swelling – but says she was “fobbed off” by medics each time.
She was given various diagnoses, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a prolapse and endometriosis and was advised to perform pelvic floor exercises.
Following her devastating diagnosis, Jessica underwent months of grueling chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brachytherapy.
She went into an early menopause and underwent a radical hysterectomy, meaning her and husband Dan, 43, are unable to have more children naturally.
Jessica, of Penarth, Wales, is now seeking legal action and has instructed lawyers to investigate her care.
Jessica, who has a son Teejay, 17, and 18-year-old step-daughter, Brooke, said: “For years I was back and forth to GP appointments or hospital complaining of bleeding and pain.
“While I knew my body and felt something was wrong, I felt like I had no choice to put my faith in the doctors.
“However, it felt like nothing was really being done to get to the bottom of my symptoms and I often felt like I was being fobbed off.
“It was only when I demanded an MRI that things started to happen.
“Finding out I had cancer was devastating, but what was harder to understand was that I’d been attending medical appointments for years and had received a clear smear test six months earlier.
“Even now I’m still left wondering how long I’d had cervical cancer for and whether it should have been spotted earlier, especially as my tumor was 6.5 centimeters, which is about the size of a tennis ball.
“I tried to remain as positive as I could for Dan, Teejay, and Brooke, but it was an extremely emotional time.
“The treatment was particularly grueling and took a physical and psychological toll on me.
“Me and Dan had always discussed having another child but for that to be taken away from us was hard to accept.”
Jessica first visited hospital and a GP in March 2019 concerned about heavy bleeding and pain.
Following an examination the following month she was told she had a healthy cervix.
She attended two further GP appointments in September and October 2019 and a doctor told her she had IBS.
In January 2022, Jessica’s ultrasound showed she had a thickening of the uterus and she was told the results of a smear test were normal.
However, with her symptoms still persisting, she asked for an MRI scan, following which she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2022.
While Jessica is now cancer-free, she continues to live with the effects of her diagnosis and treatment
Since her treatment Jessica has been a supporter of Claire’s Campaign. It was launched by Claire O’Shea, who was diagnosed with gynecological cancer two years after raising concerns with a GP. She died aged 42 last May.
The campaign, which says women are too often dismissed, unheard or misdiagnosed, seeks to improve health services in Wales for women living with cancer.
Jessica said: “When I was ill I rushed and planned my wedding and made a will in case I didn’t survive.
“In some ways I know I’m one of the lucky ones as I’m alive and cancer-free, but it’s difficult not to think I wouldn’t have had to go through what I have had I been listened to.
“I still live with the mental and physical scars. I’ve got aches and pains and sometimes I can’t walk properly.
“My family and friends have been so supportive and thoughtful, but I feel different to my friends and others my age because of going through the menopause early.
“While I’m cancer-free it feels like the impact of cervical cancer on me won’t go away.
“The least I deserve is answers and I just hope that by speaking out and sharing my story I can help other women.”
Roza Akram, the medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Jessica, said: “The last few years and coming to terms with her diagnosis and its impact has been incredibly difficult for not only Jessica but her family.
“Understandably, she has a number of concerns about her diagnosis and whether more could have been done to prevent her cancer developing, especially as Jessica attended a number of medical appointments in the years before her diagnosis.
“While nothing can make up for what she’s been through and continues to face, we’re determined to at least provide Jessica with the answers she deserves. “
The NHS says symptoms of cervical cancer include: Vaginal bleeding that’s unusual, having heavier periods than usual, pain during sex, pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy.
Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from January 19 to 25.
