ASCP Patient Champion Shares How Laboratory Testing Detected Her Cervical Cancer

Danielle Sepulveres was 24 when she was diagnosed with high-risk HPV and pre-cancerous cells in her cervix. January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and ASCP highlights Danielle as one of our Patient Champions, who shares her story of how the laboratory plays a vital role in cervical cancer prevention and helps save lives. 

When she first received the diagnosis, Danielle felt very scared and alone. “I only heard the word “cancer” not the “pre” in front of it,” she says.

Danielle underwent two cryosurgeries, a procedure in which freezing gas is used to remove pre-cancerous cells on the cervix. However, her lab tests showed that the pre-cancer was still there. She then underwent a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) which removes abnormal tissue from the cervix and vagina to both diagnose and treat cervical disease with the help of a wire loop heated by electric current. After two years, three procedures, and many lab tests she finally received the Pap results she had been hoping for: all normal. “Without laboratory testing I would not have known that I had pre-cancerous cells in my cervix," Danielle says. "I'm afraid to think of what my life would be like without laboratory testing, because it's highly likely that I wouldn't even be here to ponder the question.”

Today, she has been cancer free for 14 years. She became an ASCP Patient Champion to support others who are going through the same experience. “I have met so many people who have dealt with similar situations,” Danielle says. “Today, labs have much more accurate testing, with much more rapid results, that are helping to save lives. The lab tests were incredibly important and essential to my journey.”

Learn more about ASCP Patient Champions by clicking here.  Watch Danielle’s video here.