Patient Praises New Womb Cancer Test at Ipswich Hospital
A patient expressed that women's health was being taken seriously by Ipswich Hospital after it began trialling a new, less invasive test for womb cancer.
Angela Ransby, 56, from Ipswich, who has suffered from endometriosis for 20 years, recently visited Ipswich Hospital following an episode of post-menopausal bleeding.
Anticipating painful and invasive procedures, she was pleasantly surprised to learn the hospital was trialling a new test called WID-easy, which is similar to a smear test.
Trial Expansion and Clinical Leadership
The WID-easy test is also being trialled at Colchester Hospital. Dr Wendy MacNab, clinical director for gynaecology at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), expressed her delight at the teams "doing good" by introducing this innovation.
Patient's Medical History and Experience
Ransby described her endometriosis as causing "debilitating" and "indescribable" pain over the years. She underwent a partial hysterectomy and bowel resection, with the condition spreading to various parts of her body, including her lungs.
She had been on hormonal treatment but experienced post-menopausal bleeding about a year ago.
During her hospital visit, doctors informed her they would offer the WID-easy test.
"If you'd have come in a week ago or two weeks ago, we wouldn't have been able to offer you what we can offer you now, which is this new swab," the doctor told her.
Ransby recalled, "That's when she explained that Ipswich had been selected to do this kind of test... she was saying, 'This is incredible for women', and what an asset it was for Ipswich."
Significance of the WID-easy Test
ESNEFT is the first trust in the East of England to trial the WID-easy test, which can provide results within days rather than weeks.
"It's not my experience to go to women's health in the NHS and Ipswich Hospital, and come out thinking, 'Bloody hell, that was good, that was even tolerable'," Ransby added.
When asked if the experience gave her confidence that women's health was being taken seriously in the area, she stated,
"It genuinely does."
"I couldn't believe it," she added.
"I'm telling everybody, going, 'Oh I'm a real champion of it now', because I think it's hard enough as a patient who requires that level of treatment.
"But I think that if you're also a practitioner giving it and when you're seeing multiple women that you're hurting, that's tough."
Clinical Perspective on the New Testing Method
Dr Wendy MacNab, who is also a consultant gynae-oncologist at the trust, explained that previously women would first undergo ultrasound scans, which could lead to false positive results.
This often resulted in many women undergoing unnecessary invasive procedures.
Instead, the WID-easy test involves a swab taken from the vagina and behind the cervix.
Results are processed within three to five days, and if no cancer is detected, there is a very low risk of the patient developing cancer.
If cancer is found, further tests are arranged, allowing more patients to be seen more quickly.
"I felt it was really important because why would I want to offer, as a gynaecologist, a less effective service?" MacNab said.
"When I can offer something that's quicker, less invasive, more accurate, less uncomfortable to go through."
She added that she could "see all the knock on benefits" and described it as a "no brainer".
"It's been a really busy few months setting it up, but it's also been a real pleasure to introduce something that seems to have such a positive response.
"It's not just because of the positive response, but lots of people in other departments have said, 'Doesn't that sound like such a good thing to be doing'.
"There's a little positive glow we've all got from it."
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