Cervical cancer stories
Last modified: 5 June 2025, 09:35
Every day in the UK, nine women are given the news that they have cervical cancer.
We have brought together the experiences of 35 women who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer in the last two years to show first-hand some of the issues women face when they are newly diagnosed, and how they cope during and after treatment to highlight areas in which the care and treatment for cervical cancer can be improved and draw attention to the varying experiences and needs of women affected by cervical cancer.
We are hugely grateful to all the women and partners who took part in this study for giving their time.
What do we want to change?
We have 20 recommendations for changes to diagnosis, treatment, care and follow up. These include:
- Potential long and short term, physical and psychological side effects of each treatment to be presented to facilitate shared decision making and ensure informed choice about treatment pathways
- Greater attention to given to the psychological and emotional needs of the patient throughout treatment and after care, with signposting to appropriate services including those who can provide support for changes to, or loss of fertility, communicating with children and dealing with feelings of trauma, loss and isolation
- Each patient to be introduced to their CNS as soon as possible with care taken to ensure patients understand the support a CNS can offer and how and when they can contact them, especially if CNS contact is patient led
- A collaborative project to help design a care model to provide all of the extra support that women with cervical cancer require focussing on the long term consequences of treatment.
