TOLEDO, Ohio — With January being Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a survivor is crediting early detection for saving her life.
She says it's a perfect time to remind everyone not to put off those exams for fear of COVID-19.
Krysta Roth never had any serious medical issues, until her fiancé convinced her to go get a check-up.
She was shocked when her test results for cervical cancer returned positive.
"I came in for the biopsy and the results came back and it was cancerous," said Roth. "So (my doctor) had made the suggestion to set me up with these folks here (at ProMedica) and it was off to to the races."
Her cancer was found at an early stage but she had to have a hysterectomy to stop it from spreading.
"Cervix is to the bottom of a woman's uterus and cervical cancer is an abnormal proliferation or abnormal growth of cells of a woman's cervix," said Courtney Payne, a physician assistant with Gynecology/Oncology at ProMedica.
The majority of the cases are caused by the human papillomavirus, which is transmitted sexually.
Although about 12,000 people a year will get diagnosed with cervical cancer, it is very preventable. ProMedica notes that there is a human papillomavirus vaccine approved and recommended for men and women ages 11 to 45. They say it is very effective and safe. And, it's recommended even if you've already had HPV.
Anyone with a cervix should be screened regularly beginning at age 25 and get an HPV test every five years, according to The American Cancer Society.
"Had it not been for the cervical cancer and the screening that I had for cervical cancer, we probably would have never found the thyroid cancer, which would probably would have been a much bigger issue," said Roth.
Roth credits her visit to the doctor with saving her life.
Experts agree if caught quickly, it can make a huge difference.
"If not caught early, those cells have a tendency to keep growing and spreading to other organs like the rest of the cervix or the bladder, in which a woman may need to undergo chemo or radiation," explained Payne, "and even then, sometimes it's not curable and can be fatal."
For Roth, it means no longer having children as she had planned but she says it doesn't define who she is and she'll continue to plan for her upcoming wedding.
"It could be tragic, but it really wasn't, and I've had great care, I've recovered well, my prognosis is good," said Roth.