Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Meet Tanya and Kyanna, a mother-daughter duo here to share the important message that regular cervical cancer screening with a pap test can save your life.
Tanya had her routine pap test done, which came back showing the presence of some abnormal cells. As a result, she was having pap tests done more frequently to monitor any changes. Soon after, it was discovered that she had high-grade abnormal cells and was diagnosed with cervical cancer. “My family doctor called me almost right away with my results and I saw the Obstetrician/Gynecologist soon after. Everything moved so fast, from MRI’s to CT’s to biopsies and treatment. Every person who played a part in my journey were very good to me, I really felt well taken care of,” said Tanya.
After seeing what her mother went through, Kyanna now understands the importance of cervical cancer screening and is participating herself. “It was really hard to hear that my mom had cervical cancer, there was a lot of shock”, said Kyanna. “I didn’t think this could happen to us, you never think this kind of thing can happen to your own mom, but it did. My advice would be to never think you are too young or too old for cancer – get screened so you have better treatment options.”
The Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) recommends screening for cervical cancer with a pap test every three years if you have a cervix, are between the ages 25 to 69, and are, or have ever been sexually active.
For more information on this important test, talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about cervical screening, or visit bit.ly/3HWZory.