History
Jo's Trust Fighting Cervical Cancer
Jo Maxwell died on May 3rd, 1999 from cervical cancer, leaving behind her husband, James and their three young children Thomas, Lucy and Alexander. She was only 40 years of age.
Jo felt that her diagnosis was due to a combination of factors; her admission to having little knowledge about the causes and symptoms of cervical cancer, her reluctance to challenge medical advice as well as inadequate screening and medical advice.
Initial symptoms
Jo had her third child, Alexander in 1992. Two years later she began to experience bleeding in-between periods. Following consultations with her NHS GP, Jo was advised to give up coffee.
Some weeks later with the bleeding continuing but accompanied now with headaches and significant abdominal pain, Jo was referred to an eminent private gynaecologist. He recommended that she came off the Pill.
There was no appreciable improvement in her condition so Jo and James concluded that the unnaturally black moods experienced during her periods were latent post-natal symptoms so did not challenge the medical advice.
Diagnosis and surgery
In July 1995 Jo, at a friend’s insistence made an appointment with another private gynaecologist Mr Ian Fergusson, in London. He recommended that Jo have a scan.
On receiving the result Mr Fergusson explained to James and Jo with great care and skill that she had cervical cancer in primary form. Further tests were required to ascertain whether the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
It had. This meant that there was a risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body via the lymph nodes.
Mr Fergusson referred Jo to Dr Raju at St Thomas’s Hospital in London who performed a radical hysterectomy two weeks after diagnosis, and removed the affected lymph nodes.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy
Following surgery Dr Raju recommended a programme of radiotherapy to the pelvic region, and a course of chemotherapy in an attempt to destroy all traces of the cancer.
After three months of radiotherapy, and three months of chemotherapy, Jo became well enough to lead a normal life. This sense of well being lasted twelve months.
In July 1997, she began to experience severe back pain which she initially thought was due to tearing a muscle whilst carrying suitcases on holiday.
Terminal prognosis
At this stage, Jo endured four months of pain because she was not scanned properly. To ascertain the cause of her persistent back pain, Jo was referred to an Irritable Bowel Specialist in November 1997 who carried out a scan.
The results were devastating. The cancer had spread to Jo’s lungs and liver. It was also found in her spine and was the cause of her severe back pain.
She was then referred to Dr Peter Harper, a senior oncologist (chemotherapist) at Guy’s Hospital in London. He confirmed that Jo’s cancer was metatastic. This meant that it had spread from the original cervical site, through the lymph nodes and into her bloodstream and could manifest itself anywhere, at anytime. He told James and Jo that there was no cure for the disease at this stage and that it was terminal.
When asked how long Jo had left, he replied: “At the outside, 12 months.”
James spent many hours “surfing the Net” for information about cervical cancer, case histories, and hope. Information in the UK was scant and only patchy information was available on American web sites.
Jo and James celebrated Christmas 1997 in the firm belief that it would be her last, and that she would not live for many months after it. However, in January 1998, James was put in touch with Dr Charles Young, a leading gynaecological cancer specialist in New York.
Taxol/Carboplatin
Reviewing Jo’s medical history, Dr Young recommended that Dr Harper try an experimental treatment not available then on the NHS. This involved the intravenous administration of of Taxol and Carboplatin (combined) given in a mild dose, on a weekly basis, Dr Harper agreed to the course of treatment and persuaded BUPA to fund it.
It worked brilliantly.
Jo enjoyed a partial remission with almost immediate effect following the administration of the Taxol/Carboplatin combination.
By March 1998 Jo was able to travel abroad on holiday and by May was leading an almost complete life with her husband, children and family. This continued until November 1998, when she became allergic to the Carboplatin element of the treatment, leaving the Taxol to work on its own.
By Christmas 1998, the cancer had returned and during January 1999 Jo had further radiotherapy to her chest and back.
Jo’s health deteriorated rapidly between the end of February and April 1999. By then the cancer had spread to her liver, and she became jaundiced. During these latter stages of her life she had good palliative care (pain control) from Dr Harper and the nurses at The London Bridge Hospital and The Trinity Hospice at Clapham in South London.
On April 25th 1999 Jo was given three weeks to live.
Thankfully, the end came quickly; she was sitting in her garden surrounded by family and friends on Friday April 30th but by Saturday evening May 1st Jo’s courageous battle was nearly at an end and she died peacefully in the early hours of Monday May 3rd, of liver failure.
The District Nurses of Tooting and Wandsworth supported and cared for Jo superbly during her final three days of life.
She suffered little pain, relatively little discomfort and was lucid almost to the end. It was a beautiful death at home surrounded by her very close family during those precious final days.
Jo's tips
Become informed. Learn - using every resource available (especially the Internet) to gain more information about your type of cancer, its symptoms, the most up to date treatments available and prognosis and if going on a clinical trial could contribute to a better outcome. Find out what to expect and what is best for you to cope during your cancer journey.
Challenge medical advice. If your symptoms persist, do not “brush them under the carpet”, but investigate further. Latterly Jo said that she had learned so much about how her body worked and now knew it very well and so sensed when something was wrong.
Do not always assume the worst but neither pretend nothing is wrong. If you are experiencing pain, discomfort or feel you do not understand or are unhappy with the medical advice given - challenge it, there is no shame in being worried about your health.
Woman should have a smear test at least every three years. Having a smear test regularly can save your life as early detection and treatment of cervical cell abnormalities has proven to be very successful in preventing the development of cervical cancer.
Last Updated: 19 Jan 2007
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