Holly Pardue, a 31-year-old mother of three from Milton Keynes, England, was diagnosed with late-stage 3 cervical cancer after her postpartum bleeding was initially attributed to “stress and hormones.” Pardue experienced excessive bleeding for six weeks following the birth of her third child in January 2024. Despite having a history of abnormal cervical cells and HPV, her doctor advised rest and walks, dismissing her concerns.
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Pardue insisted on a pap smear, a test that detects cancerous cells in the cervix. She felt strongly that her bleeding indicated a more serious issue. “To me the bleeding was happening for a reason and I wanted to know what that reason was,” she stated. She advocated for herself despite her doctor’s reassurance that her previous smear test was normal. “I had to advocate for myself and I said, ‘Look, I’m not happy,’” Pardue explained.
The pap smear revealed abnormal cells, initially diagnosed as Stage 1B cervical cancer. However, further scans revealed the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, upgrading her diagnosis to Stage 3C. “To be told your stage was so high, it felt like a death sentence,” Pardue confessed.
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In August, Pardue began an intensive treatment regimen consisting of six weeks of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy and brachytherapy. She now faces the side effects of radiation, experiencing pain while walking and early menopause. “That’s really a tricky thing to juggle being so young, it’s not something I had on my to-do list any time soon,” Pardue shared.
Pardue’s case highlights the importance of patient advocacy and persistent follow-up when experiencing concerning symptoms. Had she not insisted on the pap smear, her diagnosis could have been delayed by a year, potentially with devastating consequences. Current UK guidelines recommend pap smears every three years, while US guidelines recommend them every five years after age 30, although these may be updated to prioritize HPV testing. Pardue’s experience underscores the critical role of early detection in cancer treatment and survival.
