In October of 1999 I sat across from my doctor and heard the most terrifying words possible - "You have cancer."

Every year I had a full physical, including a Pap smear - although I wasn't sure what it was for; the doctor insisted. The short and painless procedure consisted of a small cell sample being taken from the cervical canal, the sample being sent off for analysis.

But then suddenly this year I had an abnormal result. Instead of scheduling a follow-up Pap smear in a few months, she decided to refer me to a gynecologist. While abnormal results aren't common, there is no firm guarantee that you have cancer based on a single test - thus, the follow-up or alternative treatment.

The gynecologist performed a colposcopy - a procedure involving an instrument equipped with a magnifying glass and a light. This way he could see further into my cervix.

Startlingly enough, he found a small cyst which he removed and sent away for testing.

A scant week later he was on the phone, requesting that I come into his office as soon as possible.

Then he said it. The "C" word.

I looked at my mother who was sitting beside me, both of us shocked into silence.

"But..." I glanced at her for confirmation. "There's no cancer in our family. Nothing; either side." Mentally I spun through the family rolodex, searching for any history or even a hint of scandal that had the "C" word.

The doctor nodded and looked down at his papers. "Well, it's a moot point, at best. I want to schedule you in for a LEEP procedure in two weeks; right now I need blood tests, an ultrasound ..."

My mind began to blank out what he was saying; focusing in only on the main word: Cancer.

I couldn't have Cancer. I'm in my mid-thirties; engaged to be married in a year and faithful to a fault - boring, in other words. I didn't smoke, hardly drank and staying up late to hear the news was a wild party for me.

So what had happened?

My journey into the frightening world of cervical cancer began that day as I stumbled home in shock and not a little pain from the tests to log onto the Internet and scan the pages frantically; looking for answers.

Hours later I was no further along than before - but understood one thing - that Cervical Cancer is a silent killer that doesn't have to be.

The first line of defense is a Pap smear - the very result that started me on the way to proper and fast treatment; yet millions of women each year decline or refuse this simple procedure.

And many of them die for their refusal.

Each year over 15,000 new cases of cervical cancer are found and diagnosed, with 5,000 women dying of the disease. But research found that almost ALL of these deaths can be prevented by getting a yearly Pap smear as well as other factors, such as not smoking and practicing safe sex. As long as the cancer is caught before it spreads outside of the cervix, there is almost a 100 percent cure rate.

You don't have to be sexually active to have cervical cancer; you don't have to be a happily married woman or a busy girl about town. Any woman is at risk for this disease regardless of your medical history and your lifestyle - although certain aspects do play a part in increasing your likelihood of becoming susceptible.

I was lucky.

A week later I was undergoing a simple office procedure called a LEEP; where the cancerous tissue is removed within an hour and further analysis undergone. I was awake during the entire time and was only uncomfortable for a few days afterwards - the usual aftereffects of this treatment.

In November I had a cone biopsy to make sure that the entire lesion had been removed; an outpatient hospital procedure that had me home within six hours of entering the hospital. Within a week I was back to work, feeling fine mentally and physically. As a result of the biopsy the doctor determined that the cancerous cells had been removed totally from my body and that I would be fine.

And as of this date I am still cancer-free - pending checkups and follow-ups every few months.

But it could have been quite different.

Women need to understand that a Pap smear is not just a bothersome procedure the doctor trots out to pad his/her bill - it's a vital and potentially life-saving test that can literally make the difference between life and death - if caught early enough cervical cancer can be treated with a minimum of invasive surgery.

If not then the cancer will spread; leaving to possible hysterectomy and further infection of internal organs.

All for a few minutes on the doctor's table.

So the next time you hear your girlfriend shrug off the usefulness of a Pap smear or question the odds that she might be infected, hand her a copy of this article.

And tell her that cancer is cancer and that a small discomfort is worth it.

After all, it could save her life.