'We're sisters diagnosed with cervical cancer weeks apart – one thing saved us'
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When Mai Elin Wehn, 41, found out her sister had cervical cancer in the summer of 2023, she had no idea she would be told the same devastating news just weeks later - two months after giving birth to her third child. Vera Henriksen, 47, also a mum, shared the news with her family straight away, and reassured them that everything was going to be fine. Meanwhile, Mai Elin was at the time on holiday in Liverpool with her family – and although she felt some nerves about her own recent cervical screening test, also known as a smear test, she was mostly worried about her sister.
Then Mai Elin, who lives in Oslo, Norway, got the text message she never thought would come. They had found abnormal changes in her cervix. Instead of sharing the news with those around her, including her own family who were dealing with her sister's diagnosis, she decided to keep it a secret.
Speaking to The Mirror for Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, Mai Elin explained: "I was very anxious when I received the message. I'd been told that same week that my sister had cervical cancer. But I also had a strong urge to keep things going as normal, especially as I had a baby, who was only two months old, and two other children.
"I also didn't want those around me to worry unnecessarily. Despite being anxious, I thought it most likely wouldn't be cancer. Because what are the odds of two sisters getting cervical cancer at the same time?". The most common cause of cervical cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV), which is not hereditary, but can be passed on through any type of sexual contact. The most common strains, HPV 16 and HPV 18, are responsible for 70% of all cases of cervical cancer. These don't usually have any symptoms, which is why many people don't realise they have the infection.
