Jessica Mason, a 45-year-old mother from Wales, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2022 after years of persistent pelvic pain and abnormal vaginal bleeding. Mason’s diagnosis came only after she insisted on an MRI scan, which revealed a 6.5-centimeter tumor, after earlier consultations and tests had failed to identify the disease.
Mason’s health issues began in March 2019, when she first visited her doctor with intense pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding. Initial tests, including an ultrasound, did not detect any abnormalities. Over the following years, Mason saw multiple healthcare providers. She reported to Southwest News Service, via Wales Online being misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a vaginal prolapse, and endometriosis, conditions that did not address her core symptoms, but was repeatedly advised to continue with pelvic floor exercises or reassured that nothing serious was present.
By 2022, her symptoms persisted and her distress increased. Mason described feeling “fobbed off” and “not believed” by clinicians, and she began begging for an MRI scan, which ultimately led to her cancer diagnosis, as reported by BBC. The MRI identified a tumor roughly the size of a tennis ball, confirming cervical cancer.
Following her cervical cancer diagnosis, Mason underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Subsequent imaging revealed that the tumor had not fully resolved, and she required a hysterectomy. This surgery ended her opportunity to have more children, a development she and her husband had hoped to pursue.
Mason later reported that while she is currently cancer-free, she continues to experience ongoing physical effects, including bleeding and pain, and expects to undergo additional biopsies in the future. She has described both the physical and psychological toll of the prolonged diagnostic process and the disease itself. She explains that she will never be able to "trust the doc
Cervical cancer remains a significant public health concern in the United Kingdom, although substantial progress has been made in reducing its impact through screening and vaccination programmes.
According to Cancer Research UK, about 3,300 new cases of cervical cancer occur annually across the UK (2017-2019).
Cervical cancer accounts for roughly 1 percent of all new cancer cases, and around 890 deaths from the disease are recorded each year (2021-2023).
Survival rates have improved over time, with approximately 63.5 percent of patients surviving for 10 years or more after diagnosis in recent data.1
Cervical cancer incidence has declined over the decades, in part due to the effectiveness of cervical screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes, which can prevent up to 99.8 percent of cases with high coverage. However, incidence rates have plateaued in recent years, and mortality remains a concern.
In England, health authorities have adopted a long-term strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, emphasizing increased HPV vaccination uptake and improved screening coverage. The NHS and public health partners aim to reduce incidence to below 4 per 100,000 people, aligning with World Health Organization elimination targets.
Cervical cancer screening, commonly known as a smear test, is offered routinely to individuals aged 25 to 64 in the UK. This test detects early changes in cervical cells that could lead to cancer if left untreated. HPV vaccination for adolescents also protects against the viral strains most commonly linked to cervical cancer and has dramatically reduced disease incidence among vaccinated cohorts.
While screening and vaccination are effective at preventing or detecting disease early, many eligible individuals remain overdue for testing, and symptom awareness is critical because cervical cancer can develop even with regular screening. Persistent symptoms such as abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, or unusual discharge should prompt medical evaluation.
References
Cancer Research UK. “Cervical Cancer Statistics.” Cancer Research UK. Accessed January 29th 2026. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/cervical-cancer.
NHS UK. “Cervical Cancer.” NHS. Accessed January 29th 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-cancer/.
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