Emma Wilson beat cervical cancer 19 years ago - and “never” thought it would return.

But it did.

In October 2021, the 52-year-old Tauranga woman was shocked and scared after finding out she had stage 4 cervical cancer.

Wilson says her only option now is to prolong her life with treatment.

“I’m just going to fight this as hard as I can and as long as I can,” she told the Bay of Plenty Times.

Wilson is sharing her story ahead of the Dry July campaign - an annual challenge where participants give up alcohol for a month while raising funds for cancer organisations in New Zealand, including Pinc and Steel which has supported Wilson with physiotherapy rehabilitation.

Last July, 7500 Kiwis raised more than $1.2 million for New Zealanders affected by cancer and registrations are now open for this year’s challenge.

Wilson encouraged Kiwis to participate in the “really good cause”.

“Cancer is rife out there ... and it’s not just for the elderly, it’s from young babies, children, every age group.”

About 160 women develop cervical cancer each year in New Zealand and about 50 women die from it, according to the Ministry of Health.

Emma Wilson said her only option now was treatment to prolong her life. Photo / Alex Cairns

Wilson said she was diagnosed with grade 1B cervical cancer in 2004 after a routine pap smear. She was 34.

Of her symptoms, Wilson said she was bleeding in between periods and during sex.

“Alarm bells went in my head ... my gut instinct knew to get onto it ASAP.”

After her diagnosis, Wilson had a “radical hysterectomy”.

“Luckily, I’d had one child by then,” she said of her now 24-year-old daughter.

Wilson was monitored for five years, after which she was told she was “cancer-free”.

“And lo and behold, never ever did I think that it would come back.”

In 2021, Wilson had an MRI scan for pain in her left leg. Cancer was discovered in her lymph nodes in her pelvic area and “speckles” of it in her abdomen and clavicle.

She then found out she had stage 4 cervical cancer in October 2021.

Wilson said she was “very stunned”, shocked and scared, while her husband felt anger that it had come back.

“They told us there was nothing more they could do for me except slow it all down by doing chemotherapy and any other treatment that could help.

“When you’re told something like that, you think, ‘am I going to be here this time next year?’”

Asked what her prognosis looked like, Wilson said she did not know.

“They haven’t told me and I don’t want to know. I’m just going to fight this as hard as I can and as long as I can.”

Wilson underwent chemotherapy for five months, which she responded “really well” to, followed by radiation a few months later.

She said her cancer was “manageable” and she had regular CT scans to monitor it.

Wilson said she had always been “positive” about her diagnosis and was able to live a normal life, working full-time as a sales and customer services manager.

Emma Wilson said she has enjoyed meeting like-minded people through her physiotherapy rehabilitation classes. Photo / Alex Cairns

Wilson had been doing physiotherapy rehabilitation classes, including aerobics, stretching and toning.

Cancer rehabilitation foundation Pinc and Steel paid for her first 10 weeks.

She had continued to pay for the classes as “it’s just so wonderful meeting like-minded people”.

A Dry July New Zealand Trust media release said this year’s funds would support three beneficiaries - Look Good Feel Better, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand and Pinc and Steel, all of which deliver programmes to those affected by cancer.

“Demand for cancer support and rehabilitation programmes has never been higher in Aotearoa, and the funding made possible by the campaign has allowed more New Zealanders to be supported through ongoing complications, personal journeys and the ups and downs that come with a cancer diagnosis,” the media release said.

Since 2012, the Dry July NZ Trust has raised more than $9m for cancer organisations across New Zealand.

Look Good Feel Better general manager Clare O’Higgins said the organisation had been “overwhelmed” by the support shown by New Zealanders for the campaign.

“We’re thrilled to continue with this campaign for another year to help Kiwis face cancer with confidence,” she said.

“From rehabilitation programmes to wellness workshops, each service improves the lives of patients and their whānau”.

To sign up for Dry July, visit their website.

Cervical cancer symptoms

- vaginal bleeding between periods or after menopause

- vaginal bleeding after sex

- pain during sex

- vaginal discharge that is not normal for you

- feeling tired and fatigued

- pain or swelling in the legs

- lower back pain

Often there are no signs of early-stage cervical cancer, which is why doctors encourage regular cervical smear tests.

What causes cervical cancer?

Almost all cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Other risk factors for cervical cancer include:

- not having regular cervical smear tests

- tobacco use

- if you are on contraception (the pill) and also have an HPV infection

- if your mother was given a synthetic hormone (stilbestrol) during pregnancy, used from 1940 to the 1970s. If so, you may need annual check-ups.

Source: Cancer Society New Zealand