Goodbye, cancer.

One woman’s story of survival, in a country where children no longer need to fear cervical cancer.

Meet Baxter. Born in 2017, Baxter's first day in the world was a first for more than one reason – it also made his mum, Kirsty, one of the first women in Australia to have a successful pregnancy and birth without a cervix.

In fact, only a handful of Australian women have delivered babies after having their cervix removed due to cervical cancer and Kirsty's doctors had not treated anyone like her before.

It was two years after her surgery that Kirsty fell pregnant naturally. She and her husband Murray were in complete shock.

They'd been told that it would be harder for women to fall pregnant after having their cervix removed, so not to get their hopes up.

So when the good news arrived, their elation was tempered by caution. What would happen from here?

Not only was it unknown for Kirsty, it was also new for the entire high-risk team.

Someone's made a mistake here, it says you don't have a cervix.

When Kirsty heard her doctor say this, she realised they were stepping into the unknown.

She was terrified.

Just to be safe, her healthcare team scheduled weekly scans, put her on bed rest at 25 weeks and got her to spend the last month in hospital.

In the end, it was all worth it.

Baxter was born early because Kirsty wasn’t allowed to labour. Without a cervix to open, having contractions can be dangerous as it can cause tearing or a haemorrhage.

Leaving hospital with a healthy baby, Kirsty couldn't believe it was true.

The first time she went to mothers' group she burst into tears because she felt like she was watching somebody else’s baby.

Could this child really be hers?

After all she had been through?

Baxter, now five years old, is very much her miracle baby.

A photo of a newborn Baxter with his mum and dad.

How can this be happening to me?

a cartoon version of Kirsty as she visits her cervical cancer professionals

Kirsty was just 26 when she went to see her GP for a routine appointment.

During the consultation, Kirsty asked for a Pap test (now known as a cervical screening test).

Her previous test had shown abnormal results and she wanted more information.

Little did she know that day would begin one of the most challenging periods of her life.

Kirsty will never forget the call from her GP referring her to a specialist.

She just sat there, in total shock. Could this be real?

A few days and several tests later, doctors confirmed Kirsty had cervical adenocarcinoma, a rare and more aggressive form of cervical cancer.

Kirsty needed surgery. There was no time to waste.

But first she had to think about her dreams of becoming a mother.

She was frightened that surgery and treatment would leave her infertile.

To keep her dream alive, Kirsty’s oncologist organised an IVF treatment to harvest and store her eggs before her cancer treatment was to begin.

Kirsty and her doctors opted for a surgery that left most of her uterus intact. This was her best chance of getting pregnant one day if her cancer didn't return.

Everything moved so fast. About eight weeks after the screening, she was in hospital having major surgery. It was so surreal.

Post-surgery, Kirsty couldn’t walk for two weeks and couldn’t do anything physical for a whole month.

But most importantly, the surgery was a success.

If this story raises any concerns for you, or anyone you know, call Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 Information and Support Service.

“If I could give Australian women a message, it would be to know if you have been vaccinated and know when you’re due for a HPV screening test”

What is the HPV vaccine?

HPV can be prevented through vaccination. The potential impact of the HPV vaccine is substantial – with the latest generation HPV9 vaccine providing protection against approximately 90% of cervical cancers in Australia.

As part of the national HPV vaccination program, the vaccine is free for girls and boys aged 12-13. If you weren’t vaccinated at school, talk to your doctor about whether you would still benefit from having the vaccine. For women aged 25 and older, the best protection against cervical cancer is cervical screening.

More information on HPV

What is cervical screening?

The cervical screening test replaced the Pap test in 2017. It detects cancer-causing types of HPV in a sample of cells taken from the cervix.

The National Cervical Screening Program recommends that women and people with a cervix aged 25-74 have a cervical screening test two years after their last Pap test, and then once every five years.

Since 1 July 2022, all Australian women and people with a cervix are able to choose self-collection.

Self-collection is when a woman or person with a cervix takes their own vaginal sample for cervical screening. It is taken with a cotton swab and without a speculum. You will be given instructions on how to collect the sample and offered a private place collect the sample. The test is just as effective at detecting HPV and preventing cervical cancer.

We can eliminate cervical cancer within twenty years.

Even though Kirsty's story has a happy ending, we'd prefer for her not to have a story to tell at all. Australia has led the world in cervical cancer prevention for decades, both in vaccination and screening. In fact, Australia is on track to be the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer.

1980s

HPV identified as the cause of most cervical cancers…

1990s

…leads to Australian researchers beginning the development of a vaccine.

1991

National screening program reduces cervical cancer rates by 50%...

1992

…leading to a 50% drop in mortality.

2005

Prof Karen Canfell’s team begins investigating how to improve the cervical screening program further.

2007

National vaccination program introduced.

2017

Cancer Council research leads to major change to the national cervical screening program, with 5-yearly HPV screening introduced to replace 2-yearly Pap smear tests.

2018

Cancer Council researchers predict Australia will eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem within 20 years, thanks to the combined effect of HPV vaccination and screening.

2019

Further research predicts 13.4 million cases of cervical cancer could be prevented globally by 2069 through increased HPV vaccination and screening…

2020

…leading to WHO launching global strategy for elimination of cervical cancer.

2022

Australia offers all women and people with a cervix the option of HPV screening by self-collection, giving them more choice and control in their own health.

Self-collection will save lives

Drag the pink slider to see the difference cervical self-collection will make.

a graph showing projected mortality rate dropping to less than two women per million with the benefit of

a graph showing projected mortality rate of about ten women per million

projected mortality without self-collection

projected mortality with self-collection

lives saved

Graph shows age adjusted mortality rate per 100,000 women

Cancer Council NSW researchers have played a big role in informing changes to the national cervical screening and vaccination programs.

You can support life-saving cancer research and support programs by making a donation today.

Making sure no one is left behind

While Australia has one of the lowest rates of cervical cancer globally, and we are well on our way to eliminating it, there are many women and people with a cervix that our screening program is still missing.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women face barriers to screening including access, awareness and the continued impacts of colonisation.

However, there are ways we can increase all women’s access to HPV screening to truly eliminate cervical cancer for good.

Offering self-collection to all women

Self-collection is when a person collects their own sample. It’s quick, simple and accurate and gives women choice and control.

Removing inequities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander women

We must continue to dismantle barriers to quality screening and cancer care, to ensure we truly eliminate cervical cancer for all.

“To live in a country that has innovated to the point where we could potentially completely prevent this disease is so exciting.”

Kirsty, cancer survivor and peer-support volunteer

We can all play a part in ending cervical cancer – please share this story to help others learn about the importance of vaccination and screening.

Common questions about cervical cancer

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer begins when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix grow uncontrollably.

Cancer most commonly starts in the area of the cervix called the transformation zone. It may then spread to tissues around the cervix, such as the vagina, or to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs or liver.

Learn more about cervical cancer.

What are the symptoms?

Precancerous cervical cell changes usually have no symptoms. The only way to know if there are abnormal cells in the cervix that may develop into cancer is to have a cervical screening test.

If symptoms occur, they usually include:

vaginal bleeding between periods, after menopause, or during or after sexual intercourse
pelvic pain
pain during sexual intercourse
a change to your usual vaginal discharge, e.g. there may be more discharge or it may have a strong or unusual smell or colour
heavier periods or periods that last longer than usual.

Read more about cervical cancer symptoms.

What is screening?

The cervical screening test replaced the Pap test in 2017. It detects cancer-causing types of HPV in a sample of cells taken from the cervix.

The National Cervical Screening Program recommends that women and people with a cervix aged 25-74 have a cervical screening test two years after their last Pap test, and then once every five years.

Since 1 July 2022, all Australian women and people with a cervix are able to choose self-collection.

What causes cervical cancer?

Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by an infection called human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the name for a group of viruses. It is a common infection that affects the surface of different areas of the body, such as the cervix, vagina and skin. There are more than 100 different types of HPV.

Read more about what causes cervical cancer.

Who gets cervical cancer?

Anyone with a cervix can get cervical cancer – women, transgender men and intersex people. Each year about 910 Australian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women over 30, but it can occur at any age.

Read more about who gets cervical cancer.

Who gets cervical cancer?

Getting diagnosed

If you have symptoms of cervical cancer or a screening test suggests that you have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer, your GP will refer you to a specialist for tests.

If the tests show that you have cervical cancer, the specialist will work out how far it has spread. This is known as staging.

After a cervical cancer diagnosis, you are likely to see a range of health professionals, who will all play a part in your treatment.

Many people feel understandably shocked and upset when told they have cervical cancer. If you need support, call Cancer Council 13 11 20. 

Learn more about cervical cancer diagnosis.

Treatment

The treatment recommended by your doctors will depend on the stage of the cancer; your age and general health; and whether you would like to have children in the future. You may have more than one treatment, and treatments may be given in different orders and combinations.

Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy. chemotherapy, targeted therapy or combination of two or more of these.

Learn more about cervical cancer treatment options.