It took a visit to a Turkish bath for Claire O’Shea to realize something was wrong with her health. Claire, from Cardiff, went on and off with her GP for almost two years without getting to the root of the problem.

A charity worker who was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome by her GP said: “I knew it wasn’t IBS.” But it wasn’t until she went on vacation to Istanbul with friends and visited a hammam (Turkish bath where you can get a massage) that she started to get answers. “When I was there, the woman stopped the massage and said in broken English, ‘Ma’am, dear?’ thinking I’m pregnant

“I turned white. I knew I wasn’t pregnant, but then it became very obvious to me that the lump was probably in my reproductive organs. And I remember talking to my friends, ‘Oh my God.’ How can a Turkish masseuse tell me what’s wrong with me better than my family doctor?

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Claire was later diagnosed with a rare cancer called leiomyosarcoma of the uterus. Her cancer is stage four and has spread to her liver, lungs and bones. The 41-year-old shared her story at the request of the Senedd Health and Social Care Committee, as she wanted to raise awareness about how the NHS often misdiagnoses women with gynecological cancer. According to data heard by the committee, women feel that their problems are often ignored or minimized and that they can be made to feel like a “neurotic nuisance”.



Judith Rowlands from Anglesey

Judith Rowlands, from Anglesey, went to the doctor when she started having post-menopausal bleeding. She underwent hormone replacement therapy, but when the bleeding continued, she realized the problem was not menopause. Judith was later diagnosed with endometrial cancer and underwent a hysterectomy. But after the operation, he felt terrible pain that started in his stomach and then spread to his leg and he was unable to walk.

I was convinced I still had cancer. His doctors, however, insisted they did not expect the cancer to return. She was referred to a pain clinic but continued to suffer and was eventually referred for an examination after going to the emergency room that day. Tests revealed that the cancer had returned and was now incurable.

Judith was 57 when she died in May, shortly after telling her story to the committee in hopes of preventing other women from going through what she did. In his statement he said: “I have cancer in my pelvis. I have two larger tumors and they are exactly where the pain was all along, right there. “I walked into that hospital healthy except for this cancer that we were going to get rid of, and I walked out and lost everything.”

Linda Drew, from Penarth, didn’t know she had ovarian cancer until she was diagnosed. She believes a lack of awareness prevents people from receiving timely help. “I looked at this list and literally ticked off every single one: bloating, stomach pain, needing to drink more, extreme tiredness,” he said. “If I had seen one of these signs a year ago, I would have at least said to my doctor, ‘Look, can I have this?’ “I think I have ovarian cancer.”

Her symptoms have been confused with irritable bowel syndrome and urinary tract infections, which are common misdiagnoses. Linda was seen by five different doctors during the operation, but a conversation with a friend finally led to her diagnosis.

“I went to dinner with my friend and her husband, who is a surgeon. I explained my symptoms to him and he asked me three or four questions and asked if I could feel my stomach. The next day he said, ‘I’m going to take you,’ and that day he knew something was wrong.”



Linda Drew

Linda, 58, has been cancer-free for 13 years. The operation to remove two large cysts, one measuring 22 cm and the other measuring 17 cm, was a success. Now she shares her story whenever she can to help other women. “They call it the ‘silent killer’ because by the time you’re diagnosed, it’s too late. So whenever I can, I raise awareness about the symptoms… and that it’s not necessary for so many people to die from ovarian cancer because there are symptoms.”

The committee published a report on the treatment of gynecological cancer in Wales. It contains 26 recommendations to the Welsh Government on how to better support women’s health services and how to eradicate “dangerous biases that put lives at risk”. The committee claims to have heard from women who “have had to deal with the transformative consequences of having their concerns repeatedly ignored by health professionals”.

“The committee is honored to hear incredibly powerful evidence from courageous women like Judith Rowlands, Claire O’Shea and Linda Drew,” said committee chairman Russell George, R-Montgomeryshire. “We were impressed by her determination to raise awareness about gynecological cancer and by Judith’s tenacity in making her story heard during her most difficult days. “Through her heartbreaking stories, all the women who shared their stories with us brought to light the reality of these terrible conditions.”

She added: “We’re not saying every woman has a bad experience, but it seems like when things go wrong, they go wrong. Gender bias can affect how healthcare professionals perceive and interact with female patients. Stereotypes and preconceived notions about women’s emotions and pain tolerance can lead to contempt. After all, women know their bodies. They know when something is wrong and it is necessary to listen to these problems and act accordingly.”

The committee calls on the Welsh Government to fund “frequent and comprehensive” public awareness campaigns to raise awareness of the symptoms and encourage women to seek medical help immediately. It should also be noted that cervical screening will not detect other gynecological cancers, according to the report.

Better support for GPs was also among the recommendations. The committee wants to see “more educational opportunities” for GPs to keep up to date with the latest guidelines and for secondary care to help with the assessment and referral of patients with possible gynecological cancers.

The commission was also concerned about the “lack of resources and labor data” dedicated to different types of gynecological cancers. According to the report, this issue must be addressed as quickly as possible to better understand where more resources are needed.

The report and the Welsh Government’s response will be debated at the Sened’s plenary session early next year. A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “It is vital that women’s concerns are heard and taken seriously when they turn to the NHS for help. The experiences of the women in the report will help us improve our services. Cancer is one of six NHS planning priorities and we are committed to improving cancer outcomes. We have introduced targeted support for gynecological oncology services and are providing GPs with tools to help them refer patients with suspected cancer. “We welcome this committee report and will respond to the recommendations in due course.”