Health
How Melissa Sanders Caught Cervical Cancer Early
Health Points
- Unusual bleeding or pain deserves timely medical attention.
- Regular Pap smears help detect cervical cancer early.
- The HPV vaccine greatly reduces cancer risk.
Melissa Sanders, 44, endured ongoing heavy bleeding for nearly three months in 2024. She attributed the symptoms initially to perimenopause, until pain similar to contractions led her to see her doctor.
“Everybody was telling me I’m going through perimenopause,” Sanders says. “I didn’t make a big deal about it. I just put up with it for another two months. But then I started getting contractions.”
A Pap smear and biopsy revealed Stage 3 cervical cancer. Sanders says, “I was sad. But I didn’t give up.”
After experiencing severe pain and non-stop bleeding that made everyday tasks difficult, Sanders learned her symptoms were more serious than anticipated. Delaying regular checkups, she discovered it had been 22 years since her last Pap smear.
“I never worried about me,” Sanders shares. “I was a single mom with three kids, and I worked. So, they did their routines, doctors, dentists, but I just never had the time.”
Her cancer treatment included both chemotherapy and radiation, which left her with lasting weakness. “My son pretty much had to carry (me) around at my last radiation,” Sanders recalls. “I was really, really weak.”
Since completing treatment, Sanders attends physical therapy to rebuild her strength and undergoes routine checkups. She entered menopause due to her therapies. “My doctor said I won’t have a period for the rest of my life,” she says. “I will have hot flashes.”
Cervical cancer most often stems from persistent infection with high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Regular screenings like Pap smears every three years between ages 21 and 65 are vital to find early cell changes.
“The goal is to find any changes in those cells … so you can remove them before they turn into cancer,” says Dr. Sudha Amarnath, a radiology oncologist.
Early warning signs can range from abnormal bleeding to pelvic pain or bloating. The highly effective HPV vaccine prevents most HPV-related cancers, but awareness and uptake remain issues, especially in some regions.
“We’d like to scream it from a rooftop — everyone should get the HPV vaccine,” Amarnath suggests. “It protects against several … strains of high-risk HPV, so it can protect against cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, anal cancer, head and neck cancers for both boys and girls.”
If you experience abnormal bleeding or ongoing pelvic pain, see your healthcare provider promptly. Prioritizing regular screenings and considering the HPV vaccine are proactive steps for maintaining your health.
