A 20-year-old Bexleyheath woman is battling deadly cervical cancer after doctors dismissed her symptoms as growing pains.

Kirstie Wilson was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in May 2012 after she refused to believe severe stomach cramps she was experiencing were growing pains. 

After she was dismissed by her GP three times she begged to be referred to a specialist.

Only then did she receive the crucial smear test that detected abnormal cells. 

Her cancer has now spread to her liver and spleen and chemotherapy is no longer working to shrink her tumours.

But instead of giving up, Kirstie has searched for a medical trial in a desperate bid to save her life - which she started last month.

Kirstie said: "It took me four months of going back and forth to my GP before I was given a smear test.

"I had all the symptoms of cervical cancer but because I was 17-years-old at the time doctors ignored my concerns.

"I was bleeding in-between periods and I was in agony but doctors diagnosed me with thrush and growing pains. 

"I wish I had been given a smear test when I first visited my doctor as it might have saved my life."

When first diagnosed with cancer, Kirstie underwent a radical trachelectomy to remove her cervix, and was cancer free for nearly two years.

However by April last year her stomach became abnormally bloated.

She said: "I looked about eight months pregnant and I was struggling to breathe.

"I knew something was really wrong when I couldn't keep up and dance with my friends on a night out.

"Me and my best friend, Amy, went to A&E the following day as I was in agony and struggling to walk.

"The cancer had returned and despite several clear check-up smear tests, it had spread to my liver and spline."

Three months of chemotherapy followed, but a CT scan revealed Kirstie's tumours weren't shrinking.

There was no other treatment available for Kirstie on the NHS and she was told to make a list of things she wanted to do before she became too ill.

Kirstie said: "I was devastated but I needed to stay focused on how to beat cancer rather than a bucket list. I wasn't ready to give up."

She spent a month without having any treatment before a medical trial at the University College London Hospital became available to her.

She said: "Doctors have made it clear that my treatment plan may not cure me but it will prolong my life.

"I'm just hoping for a miracle."

Throughout Kirstie's cancer battle she has raised over £6,000 for Cancer Research and Macmillan alongside friends and family. 

She added: "I hope other young women read my story and look out for cervical cancer symptoms."