‘I thought I had thrush but it turned out to be vulval cancer’
Watch: 'I thought I had a bad case of thrush - it turned out to be rare vulval cancer'
When Pippa Sharp spotted a sore on her left labia, she assumed it was caused by the bad case of thrush she thought she was experiencing, but it actually turned out to be a sign of rare vulval cancer.
In August 2022, after frequent bouts of what she believed to be thrush, the 49-year-old, who lives in Leeds, noticed her left labia had developed a small, hard patch.
She initially brushed it off, thinking it was just a symptom of the "thrush", but during a routine GP appointment on January 6, 2023, Sharp decided to mention it to her doctor, who suggested it could either be an infected cyst, or cancer.
Despite fearing the worst, the former brand innovation and awards co-ordinator, decided to take the prescribed course of antibiotics "just in case".
“Four days later, there was no change," she explains.
“I’m really cautious with health stuff, so I looked at the NHS website because I knew it was trustworthy.
“I had each and every one of the symptoms listed under vulval cancer - from bloody discharge to persistent itching.”
Pippa went back to the GP on January 23, 2023 and underwent a biopsy on the sore patch.
Four weeks later, she was referred to a consultant, who told her she likely had stage one vulval cancer, but doctors wouldn't be able to confirm the full extend of the disease until she'd had surgery to remover the mass, which was planned for March 2023.
“They removed the tumour, and took some lymph node samples to see if the cancer had spread," Sharp explains of the procedure.
“They found it had spread to lymph nodes around my groin.
“I was told I had stage 3a cancer," she continues. "I didn’t want to ask about the prognosis, or survival rates.”
After her surgery, Sharp underwent further treatment including 50 rounds of daily radiotherapy and five rounds of chemotherapy.
She also had to soak her vulval wound in a sitz bath - a warm “bath” which wraps around a toilet and is filled with betadine, an antiseptic.
Once each treatment had finished, Sharp was discharged back to her consultant, who said he’d check up on her in three months.
But in January 2024, she began to feel as if her labia had swollen again.
“I spoke to the oncology nurses at my appointment with the consultant," she says.
“They were so helpful, suggesting a number of things it could’ve been.
“But, I knew in my heart the cancer was back.”
A month later, a biopsy confirmed the cancer had returned.
This time, it had spread to two more areas - her right labia, and her “back passage”.
On March 22, 2024, she had part of her right labia removed and was warned she would need further radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions.
But further treatment was put on hold as doctors waited for the results of biopsies, which confirmed, in July, that Sharp's cancer had returned in her right labia.
She had the entirety of it surgically removed and is currently waiting for the remainder of her results before she starts more treatment.
While she waits for the outcome of her latest tests, Sharp is determined to raise awareness about vulval cancer, so anyone experiencing symptoms can catch it at an earlier stage than she did.
"I was embarrassed about vulval cancer at first but now I can’t shut up about it," she explains.
"It’s a rare cancer - but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t know about it."
Sharp also wants people to know that it isn't just women over 55 who can be affected and believes further mandatory checks should be offered alongside smear tests.
“It’s become a real focus of mine to get the word out there," she continues.
"We talk so much about how we need to check our breasts.
"But we should be checking our vulvas regularly, too.
"It’s a quick check when you go to the toilet, or when you’re laying in bed.
"Feel around for soreness, lumps and bumps - note if you find any unusual discharge.
"And always go to see your GP if you’re worried.
"You may be embarrassed for a few moments, but that 10-minute appointment could be the difference between finding it’s nothing or catching cancer early."
Additional reporting SWNS.
Vulval cancer: the facts
Cancer of the vulva is a rare type of cancer that affects women.
The vulva is a woman's external genitals and includes:
the lips surrounding the vagina (labia minora and labia majora)
the clitoris, the sexual organ that helps women reach sexual climax
the Bartholin's glands, two small glands each side of the vagina
Cancer Research UK explains that as with most cancers, vulval cancer is more common as you get older.
On average each year more than 40 out of 100 (more than 40%) new cases are in women aged 75 and over.
It doesn't mean vulval cancers can't occur in young women, but this is rare.
According to the NHS symptoms of vulval cancer can include:
a persistent itch in the vulva
pain, soreness or tenderness in the vulva
raised and thickened patches of skin that can be red, white or dark
a lump or wart-like growth on the vulva
bleeding from the vulva or blood-stained vaginal discharge between periods
an open sore in the vulva
a burning pain when peeing
a mole on the vulva that changes shape or colour
See a GP if you notice any changes in the usual appearance of your vulva. Though it is unlikely to be cancer, it is important that any changes are investigated.
The main treatment for vulval cancer is surgery to remove the cancerous tissue from the vulva and any lymph nodes containing cancerous cells.
You may also have radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
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