Calls For New Law After Sunderland Cancer Death

12 January 2017, 06:00

The brother of a Sunderland woman, who died from cervical cancer at the weekend, is campaigning to bring in a new law that would allow women under 25 to be smeared.

Amber Cliff lost her battle on Sunday, aged 25, but first went to her GP about potential symptoms as a teenager.

Despite fearing she had the disease, the then 18-year-old was told there was nothing major to worry about.

However, three years later she went for a private smear test, which detected tumours.

Doctors believe they'd been growing for up to four years.

Her brother, Josh, now wants to introduce Amber's Law, which would give younger women the option to have a smear test, if they have worries or symptoms.

He told Capital:
"The problem is your battling against time with cancer."

"25 for a mandatory smear is fair enough, but to be told you can't have a smear, even though you may have symptoms, until you're 25 is ridiculous."

"Amber was 25 when she died."

"If she'd got that at 18 or 19, they'd have caught that tumour early and there would have been a very high chance they'd have got rid of it." 

Josh admits he knows giving all teenagers smear tests does bring complications, but says having that option will save lives. 

"If Amber had been given that option we may be sitting in a different situation." 

Tens of thousands of people have also signed a petition set up by Josh, backing Amber's Law.