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Kate Middleton said she is receiving “preventive chemotherapy treatment.”
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, revealed that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is in the “early stages” of treatment. Although it is not known what type of cancer she has, oncologists have said that what she described in her video message—discovering cancer during “major abdominal surgery”—is all too common. In her public statement released Friday, Ella Kate said the diagnosis came after undergoing abdominal surgery in January. Her condition was initially thought to be non-cancerous, but subsequent tests “discovered that she had cancer,” she said. Now, without speculating about Kate Middleton’s procedure, here’s what experts say they know about the UK princess’ cancer.
Talking with him New York Times, Dr. Elena Ratner, a gynecologic oncologist at Yale Cancer Center, described situations in which women undergo surgery for endometriosis, a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found in other parts of the abdomen. Dr. Ratner said it is often assumed that endometriosis appeared in one ovary and caused a benign ovarian cyst. But a few days later, when the supposedly benign tissue has been studied and tested, pathologists report that they have found cancer.
Doctors also noted that Kate said she was receiving “a course of preventive chemotherapy.” This is also common, they said, explaining that in medical settings, this is usually called adjuvant chemotherapy.
Read also | Kate Middleton, third UK royal to face cancer. Here are the other two
According to Dr. Eric Winer, director of the Yale Cancer Center, with adjuvant chemotherapy, “the hope is that this will prevent further problems” and prevent cancer recurrence. It also means “everything” that was visible was removed with the surgery, said Dr. Michael Birrer, director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
You can’t see the cancer because microscopic cancer cells may remain, Dr. Birrer added, according to the Post. Chemotherapy is a way to attack microscopic diseases, he explained.
Separately, speaking with cnnDr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society, explained that preventive chemotherapy is often used after surgery as an “adjuvant” therapy, to weaken the chances of the cancer coming back.
Notably, Kate Middleton had been largely absent from the public eye since her surgery in January, sparking speculation about her health. Furthermore, the shocking diagnosis comes after King Charles III of the United Kingdom was also diagnosed with cancer following an operation to treat an enlarged prostate.