A woman who waited years to be diagnosed with cervical cancer says she has “lost trust in doctors.”

Jessica Mason went back and forth to her GP and hospital after complaining of vaginal swelling, bleeding and pain, but said she was “held back” before she could “beg” for a scan that revealed cancer that required urgent treatment.

The 44-year-old believes she was only referred for an MRI because her doctor “broke down in tears”, adding: “I knew something was wrong.”

Senedd health committee report Gynecological cancer researchers have revealed that women are “disappointed by the Welsh Government’s inaction”.

The Welsh Government said it is working with the NHS to improve outcomes for gynecological cancers.

Jessica, from Penarth in the Valley of Glamorgan, had been experiencing pain and vaginal bleeding which became severe in 2019.

“I knew something was wrong,” she said.

She said her doctor performed an ultrasound and found no problems, and she was also given various diagnoses, including cysts, endometriosis, and a prolapsed uterus, and was advised to do pelvic floor exercises.

“I was so confused because I trusted my doctors and thought if it was something serious they would know.”

Jessica said a smear test taken six months before her diagnosis showed nothing.

She broke down in tears when she went to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff in May 2022 to get her ultrasound results.

“I was told there was something in my uterine lining, but it didn’t seem to be a problem,” Jessica said, adding that she felt “not believed” and begged for more to be done to find out the cause of her symptoms.

“At that point, they offered me an MRI,” she added, saying it was offered as a way to give her “peace of mind.”

The results came back a few weeks later in June 2022.

“To be honest, cancer didn’t even cross my mind. I thought it was some kind of infection. I didn’t think it would be that serious.”

In fact, her doctor told her that she had stage 1 B3 cervical cancer and needed to start treatment immediately.

Jessica began a five-week chemotherapy and radiation therapy program in August 2022.

Jessica said she had to abandon plans to have another child because the treatment took a toll on her 13-year-old son and pushed her into early menopause.

“I couldn’t cook, I couldn’t clean, I couldn’t iron my son’s uniform, I couldn’t take him to school,” she said.

Jessica believes she should have had an MRI scan sooner.

“The cost of an MRI is probably the same as the amount spent on treatment, GP and doctor visits,” she added.

But Jessica’s ordeal didn’t end there, as a further MRI in February 2023 revealed the tumor was still present, requiring a hysterectomy in July 2023.

“I lost trust in doctors,” Jessica said.

“This is scary. Obviously I’m not a medical expert so I have to believe them, but I always question them.”

Jessica said she used to work full time, but now she can only work three days a week.

“It’s taken over our lives. My body is battered from everything I’ve been through, but mentally so too, friends, family, home life, everything revolves around it.”

Jessica said the situation was “open-ended”, saying she still had occasional bleeding and would need further biopsies.

“I always have this worry in the back of my mind: What if they miss something again and this time I don’t survive?”

She accused the health board of “dragging its feet” over sharing medical records while considering whether to take legal action against it.

“Many of the issues specific to women are just not recognized. [quickly] sufficient. They just dismiss it as ‘your time of the month’ or ‘women’s issues,’” she added.

A spokesperson for Cardiff University and Vale University Health Board said: “We are saddened to learn of Jessica’s experience while receiving our care and recognize the challenges associated with her cancer diagnosis.

“It would be inappropriate to comment on individual patient cases and due to ongoing legal proceedings we are unable to comment further.”

The Senedd Health Committee’s recent report into gynecological cancer care in Wales found that women “remain disappointed with the Welsh Government’s inaction”.

The report found that a number of recommendations made in December 2023 as part of a landmark report that identified “significant failures” have not been implemented.

Despite accepting the majority of the committee’s 2023 recommendations, the Welsh Government said it had not allocated any extra funding for gynecological cancer services or published measurable NHS targets to improve outcomes.

It also found waiting times were insufficient in Wales, with only 41% of patients starting treatment within the 62-day target for October 2025.

Cancer charity Tenovus said: “We are deeply concerned by the stark clarity of how little progress has been made.”

The Welsh Government said: “We are committed to working with the NHS to improve access to timely diagnosis and treatment for women with gynecological cancer.”

“We are making changes to support early referral and investing in new equipment and new treatments to improve outcomes for women.

“Current performance against the 62-day target is woefully inadequate and must improve.

“The Women’s Health Plan is driving real change in women’s health care in Wales.”