Keely Shares Her Cervical Cancer Journey, a “Cautionary Tale” for Others

Keely McDowell says her story is a “cautionary tale,” and one she hopes will help other women.

Keely said for a long time, she dismissed her symptoms. She wasn’t initially worried about the abnormal bleeding she was experiencing, but she now understands it may have been a sign something was wrong.

Tracey Flum, MD, a medical gynecologist at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH), says persistent or irregular bleeding can be a sign of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, for Keely, that was the case.

According to recent reports, cases of cervical cancer are on the rise. Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 44, according to the American Cancer Society.

Keely said her diagnosis was like a whirlwind. She made an appointment with her OB/GYN who referred her to Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) for further diagnostic testing. That same day, she was admitted and started treatment for cervical cancer.

“We heard the word cancer, and I don’t think I heard anything after that,” she said. “I just started crying.”

Keely began an aggressive treatment plan. She underwent both chemotherapy and radiation.

“My oncologist was incredible,” she said. “I had confidence in the treatment plan. My oncologist said, ‘we are going to hit it and we’ll hit it and hit it hard.’ It was almost too late. I don’t know what would have happened if I would have waited longer, but he said I was going to be fine.”

At VMFH, cancer specialists take a multidisciplinary team approach to treating gynecologic cancers. Keely’s team consisted of experts across several specialties, including gynecologic surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, pathologists, care navigators, and other experts, who worked closely to design a personalized treatment plan just for her.

Most cervical cancers are caused by HPV, a common and prevalent virus. It’s estimated that 90% of sexually active people are exposed to the virus.

“The good news is we have very effective ways of preventing cervical cancer, caused by the HPV virus,” said Dr. Flum. “Even with no signs or symptoms of an HPV infection, someone can still have the virus.”

Dr. Flum says screening for cervical cancer is incredibly important because there are often no signs of precancerous changes.

“Prevention is the best way to reduce your risk of cervical cancer,” said Dr. Flum. “We can catch precancerous lesions before they become cancerous. Pap smears are screening tools that help us raise a flag so we can pay attention and discover abnormalities we can then treat. It is also recommended that both boys and girls get the HPV vaccine before they are sexually active–between 9 and 11 years old.”

For Keely, the vaccine wasn’t available when she was a girl. She says she didn’t understand the importance of regular check ups, but is now an advocate for others.

“Getting the vaccine at a young age is important because the vaccine isn’t as preventable once the virus has come in contact with the cervix,” said Dr. Flum. “The vaccine is a really powerful tool in our toolbelt. The vaccine prevents cancer.”

Today, Keely is in remission and doing well. She finished her treatment at VMMC, and now sees her oncologists just for follow ups. Her future is bright, and she says she hopes her story will help others.

“For a long time, I put off getting checked out,” said Keely. “Life got in the way, and I told myself I was too busy. I don’t want my story to become another person's.”