Carmel Wood was on holiday when she started fainting and losing her appetite.

“Initially I ignored the symptoms, assuming they were caused by an existing overactive thyroid condition,” she says.

When she got home, Carmel visited her GP, who reminded her she was overdue a cervical screening test. Two weeks after her screening, Carmel received a letter saying abnormal cells had been found on her cervix and she needed laser treatment.

“The warning came just in time as, during the laser procedure under local anaesthetic, they discovered pre-cancerous cells had spread over 75 per cent of my cervix,” says Carmel, 29, of Bradford.

“They suggested I come back for further laser treatment under general anaesthetic to make sure all malignant cells were removed. All I could think was, ‘get rid of them’. I pleaded with them to continue the treatment, even though I’d only had a local anaesthetic and it would probably be painful. I just wanted those cells out of my body.”

Carmel endured an agonising wait for the results. “I didn’t dare think about the future, especially the possibility that I may not be able to have children,” she says. “Fortunately, all the cells had been removed and I was given the all-clear.”

For Carmel, the emotional impact is still felt. “I don’t yet know if I’ll be able to have a family, which has been the hardest thing to cope with,” she says.

As Carmel discovered, cervical screening can be a life-saver. That fact is at the core of Cervical Screening Awareness Week, running this week.

Twenty per cent of British women don’t attend cervical screenings, or smear tests, putting themselves at risk of becoming one of the 2,828 women developing cervical cancer annually in the UK.

A survey conducted by the Eve Appeal, formerly the Gynaecology Cancer Research Fund, identified a common misconception; 56 per cent of women incorrectly believed screening can also pick up signs of ovarian cancer.

Jane Lyons, of the Eve Appeal, said: “Our hopes are that increased awareness around the importance of regular screening, along with further understanding as to what the screening is set out to detect, will help dispel myths and encourage women to attend their cervical screening promptly.”

The charity behind the awareness week, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, is highlighting the message that cervical cancer is largely preventable by routine screening which, it is estimated, saves 4,500 lives a year.

Cervical cancer was highlighted last year when Big Brother star Jade Goody, 27, died from the disease. The mother-of-two’s death led to a 12 per cent rise in the number of women having smear tests, but the ‘Goody effect’ is now thought to have diminished.

Robert Music, director of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, says there are worries about the number of women missing tests. Around one in three under 35 don’t attend screenings, despite awareness posters in bars and nightclubs.

“The numbers are close to pre-Jade levels,” he says. “Cervical cancer is largely preventable, it’s just trying to get that message across so women will take steps to reduce their risk. We’re talking a few minutes for a test that could save your life.”

Factfile

* The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are unusual bleeding from the vagina, particularly after sex or after the menopause when periods have stopped, and a persistent vaginal discharge that is blood-stained or smells unpleasant.

* Around 300,000 UK women have abnormal smears every year, and will usually be recalled for a colposcopy, where a doctor sees if further treatment is needed. Depending on the severity of the abnormality, the cells may be treated there and then, or a biopsy may be taken to ascertain whether the cells are cancerous, in which case surgery may be the next step.

* Treatment after abnormal cells are detected is very successful, with more than 90 per cent of patients returning to normal smears.

* Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), transmitted through sexual contact.

* In England, cervical screening starts at the age of 25, with three-yearly smears until 49, when the frequency becomes five-yearly.

* For more about screening, visit jostrust.org.uk.