SITTING in Glasgow’s Beatson, talking to cancer nurses, her oncologist and the team gearing up to deliver the life-saving treatment she needed, Pamela Orr admits it all felt a little surreal.
“I was in disbelief the whole time,” she recalls. “I couldn't quite believe that I was actually attending the Beatson, that I had cancer….”
A smear test helped reveal Pamela had cancer, and as Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness Week gets underway (June 17 to 23), she is urging other women to take up the offer of the vital procedure.
“Smear tests can pick up on early cancer cells and the human papillomavirus (HPV), which, in a small percentage of cases could lead to cancer, and therefore has to be monitored,” explains the 49-year-old mental health consultant.
“I appreciate people may feel nervous about the process, but each smear I have had I was treated with dignity and respect.
“We are very lucky to be able to be checked regularly through the NHS - please, please make use of this and every preventative test available to you.”
The Glasgow Times Don’t Fear the Smear campaign aims to tackle the low uptake of smear tests – just 65.4% - in the city. Each year in Scotland, 95 women die from cervical cancer, although the disease is largely preventable thanks to the HPV vaccine and screening.
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Pamela adds: “It’s important to get checked out, if you have any symptoms of cervical cancer, such as unusual bleeding, lower back pain, pain after sex or changes to vaginal discharge.
“There may be several other reasons for these symptoms, but please get them investigated. I had one symptom. Don’t dismiss even just one.”
Pamela, who lives in Hamilton with her husband Evan, 50, first noticed unusual bleeding in between her periods around March, 2022.
“It was very light, but by April it had got heavier, so I contacted my GP and was booked in for a smear test,” she explains. “I was due one soon.
“The results came back a couple of months later, stating I was HPV positive, and that in most people, the body clears it on its own, so I’d be screened again in 12 months.”
Pamela adds: “However, by this point I had heavy bleeding every day, and I wanted it investigated.”
Pamela was referred for a colposcopy and a biopsy, and was shocked to learn she had stage three cervical cancer, which had spread to her pelvic lymph nodes. Just before Christmas, 2022, she met the team at the Beatson, to discuss the treatment ahead.
“From the moment I entered the Beatson, every member of staff was kind, empathetic and exceptionally knowledgeable,” says Pamela. “They were all fantastic.”
Between January and March last year, Pamela received radiotherapy every day, for six weeks; five rounds of chemotherapy; and two sessions of high-dose radiation called brachytherapy. A shock second diagnosis, of thyroid cancer, also required treatment.
Throughout it all, Evan - and Pamela’s children, Aimee, 29, and Liam, 28 - were by her side.
“I was exceptionally lucky to have them there,” she says, smiling. “They were so supportive throughout it all.”
The gruelling treatment took its toll on Pamela, she admits, but there were highs amid the lows.
“Daily radiotherapy is challenging, but because you have treatment at a similar time each day, you get to know people,” she says.
“I met some lovely people, and some I still keep in touch with, as we bonded over cancer and treatments.
“Chemotherapy was also challenging, but I reminded myself that these treatments are life-saving.”
Brachytherapy, which involves a small, sealed radiation source being placed inside the body to kill off cancer cells, meant two overnight stays on the ward.
“The Beatson Cancer Charity has donated money to decorate the brachytherapy rooms,” says Pamela.
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“You’re not allowed out of bed for around 30 hours during the treatment, and this room, with its beautiful mural and calm colours, made a world of difference to me.”
Pamela celebrated being “cancer free” from both cervical and thyroid cancers in August 2023.
“I appreciate how truly lucky I am,” she says. “What a journey.
“It is important to remember though, that while the treatment has stopped, your cancer journey continues and you need support. I was lucky to have my family and friends and everyone at the Beatson. I still call my oncologist’s wonderful secretary, Cheryl, with questions, she’s fantastic.”
Pamela advises anyone experiencing unusual symptoms to “get checked”.
“Trust your instincts, you are the expert in you,” she adds. “If it doesn’t feel right, advocate for yourself. And if you are called for a smear test, go along and have it done. It is so important. These tests save lives.”
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