A mother who received treatment for cervical cancer at the Royal United Hospital in Bath is urging other women to check themselves for symptoms.

Becky Curtis was treated for cervical cancer at the RUH | Photo © RUH
Becky Curtis, who has two children, had a tumour removed during surgery at the RUH.
She appealed to other women during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which takes place from 21st – 28th January.
Becky said: “My message to other women would be: if something doesn’t feel right, get it checked.
“Don’t ignore it – get an appointment with your GP. It really could save your life.
“I think some people don’t realise that cervical cancer can be a deadly killer, but it really can be. Please make sure you attend your cervical screening appointments and look out for symptoms.”
Becky, 42, from Wiltshire, was first diagnosed in 2020, during lockdown.
She continued: “I’d been bleeding intermittently and it was worse when I went walking.
“I mentioned it to a couple of friends who told me to get it checked out, to make sure it was nothing serious.
“I spoke to my GP who got me straight in to the RUH and within 24hrs I was having examinations and scans – the support from the hospital was just incredible. They could see there was a tumour, but fortunately the cancer hadn’t spread.
“It was a very scary time for me personally, and with it all taking place in lockdown it was quite overwhelming. I also had the operation on my son’s 14th birthday, which just added to the emotion of it all!
“I had a very anxious wait after the operation but it was good news and the surgery had been a success. I was also very lucky that I didn’t need to have chemotherapy or radiotherapy.”
Becky has now been in remission for five years and remains cancer free.
“I’m definitely one of the lucky ones. I know for many women the outcomes can be very different.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the care I received at the RUH. All of the staff were so caring and supportive, particularly the gynaecology oncology clinical nurse specialists who were always there for me and were wonderful.”
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. In the UK, around 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year.
Cervical cancer can be cured if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly. The earlier the cancer is found, the easier it is to treat.
While not everyone diagnosed with cervical cancer will have symptoms, things to look out for include unusual vaginal bleeding, pain during sex, vaginal discharge or pain in the area between the hip bones (pelvis).