A Leeds woman is warning Brits to ‘check their genitals’ for signs of cancer after her disease was spotted so late, it had spread to other organs and left her needing a life-changing operation to remove her entire genital area.
Pippa Sharp, 49, thought she was experiencing a bad case of recurring thrush for five months when she noticed a sore patch on her vulva — the outer tissue of the female genitalia.
Thrush is a common yeast infection that affects the genitals of both men and women and while usually harmless, it can cause irritation and soreness.
Ms Sharp was prescribed antibiotics by her GP — but four days later, realised the concerning spot wasn’t going away.
Following her dose of antibiotics, and lack of success, Ms Sharp’s family referred her for a biopsy which revealed she had vulval cancer.
Pippa Sharp, 49, thought she was experiencing a bad case of recurring thrush for five months and thought it had caused a sore, hard spot on her left labia
At first, doctors believed the disease was confined to the mass of swollen tissue on her left outer labia.
However, a scan later showed it was even worse than initially thought and the disease had spread to the lymph nodes in her groin, meaning it was now stage three.
She underwent surgery to remove the mass, 50 rounds of radiotherapy and five rounds of chemotherapy.
She also had to soak her vulval wound in a sitz bath — a warm small bath that is placed in a toilet — filled with betadine, an antiseptic.
Once each treatment had finished, Ms 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 that the area had become swollen again.
She added: ‘I spoke to the oncology nurses at my appointment with the consultant.
‘They were so helpful, suggesting a number of things it could’ve been.
‘But, I knew in my heart the cancer was back.’
One month later, a biopsy confirmed her fears.
This time, it had spread to two more areas — Ms Sharp’s right labia, and her ‘back passage’.
After frequent bouts of thrush, Pippa noticed her left labia had developed a small, hard sore patch in August 2022
She initially brushed it off for five months, thinking it was just a symptom of bad thrush. But it was eventually revealed to be vulval cancer
On March 22, 2024, she had a section of her right labia removed.
Ms Sharp said: ‘I was told I’d need 30 radiotherapy sessions and five more chemo sessions.
‘We went ahead with the paperwork, I went to see her again at the planning scan.
‘I told her I was still worried about my right labia and back passage.
‘She put a hold on treatment, and referred me back for biopsies.’
In July, Ms Sharp’s biopsies came back, confirming the cancer had returned in her right labia, despite the procedure.
She had the entirety of it surgically removed, and is currently waiting for the remainder of her results before she starts more treatment.
Sharing her story, she said she wants more women to know more about the deadly disease, so they can catch it at an earlier stage than she did.
Ms Sharp, a former brand innovation and awards co-ordinator, said: ‘I was embarrassed about vulval cancer at first. But now, I can’t shut up about it.
‘It’s a rare cancer, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t know about it.’
Ms Sharp’s ordeal began in August 2022 when she noticed a small, hard sore patch on her left labia, which she initially brushed off as thrush.
In January 2023, a GP suggested it could either be an infected cyst, or cancer.
Despite ‘immediately’ believing it was cancer, Pippa agreed to take a course of antibiotics just in case.
She said: ‘Four days after getting them prescribed, there was no change.
‘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.’
Ms Sharp went back to the GP on January 23, 2023, who performed a biopsy on the sore patch, which eventually led to her diagnosis.
‘It’s become a real focus of mine to get the word out there, while I’m waiting for the news,’ she said.
‘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.
‘Always go to see your GP if you’re worried.’
About 1,400 women are diagnosed with vulval cancer in the UK each year, with women in their 90s the most likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
Only 58 per cent of vulval cancer patients are expected to survive 10 years following their diagnosis with the disease killing almost 470 Brits each year.
About two thirds of vulval cancers are thought to be preventable with 69 per cent estimated to be caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV are common viruses spread by sexual activity that usually don’t cause any symptoms, but some are linked to increased risk of cancers such as vulval and cervical forms of the disease.
This is partly why people in the UK are now offered an HPV vaccine in secondary school.
