The Duchess of York has shared a update after undergoing treatments for breast and skin , sharing that her "outlook is good" although she acknowledges she'll require ongoing checks.
disclosed her initial fear upon receiving her double diagnosis, worrying it was a "death sentence" but credits her recent check-ups and medical interventions with saving her life and is on a mission to encourage the public to never skip their medical appointments.
Several members of the have been hit with poor health in recent months, with cancer diagnosis in January 2024 and The , , revealed the news of her cancer diagnosis in a video statement on March 22. Sarah was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, in January 2024, just a year after her breast cancer diagnosis.
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Sarah recounted her own experience: "When you're told you have cancer, you can't help thinking it's a death sentence. Your mind goes to the darkest places and you wonder what lies ahead and how you are going to share the news with your family.
"I had almost missed the appointment as I couldn't face a journey into central London on a hot summer's day and thought I would put it off. It was only when I mentioned this by chance to my sister Jane, who had called me from her home in , that she went into bossy older sibling mode and insisted I went. That check-up, and the treatment I underwent, saved my life."
Sarah is now urging others to get screened and not put off medical appointments, she said: "I'm living proof of the importance of never skipping screening appointments and always getting symptoms checked out promptly," reports
Sarah is convinced her condition was caused by the fact she was a fair-skinned youngster in the 70s, when the importance of using sun cream was not as encouraged as it is today. Giving an update on her health Sarah confirmed she has undergone a single mastectomy with breast reconstruction, while the malignant melanoma and the skin nearby were excised and other moles tested for any signs of cancer.
Sarah has been told "the forecast is promising" but says her doctors avoid claiming she is "cancer free", she claims the "treatment appears victorious" and all indications are that the cancer hasn't spread or come back.
She said: "I've made peace with the reality that regular health screenings will be part of my life from now on I'm now on a mission to use my journey to highlight awareness."
In the UK, breast cancer touches close to 57,000 women each year. It reigns as the most prevalent cancer across the country and the prime cause of mortality amongst British female adults between 35 to 49 years old. For reasons still not fully understood, the occurrence of breast cancer is ticking up since the early '90s, we've seen about an 18 percent increase. However, the debate around the prevention of breast cancer doesn't seem to be getting the spotlight it deserves.
Sarah Ferguson has teamed up with the charity Prevent Breast Cancer, as a patron and is on a mission to raise awareness about the significance of early detection.
The charity is hoping to raise £600,000 to get a new National Breast Imaging Academy built which aims to train 50 new breast imaging specialists annually. Without breast imaging, we're in the dark on breast cancer. Every woman who has a routine mammogram, or who finds a lump and is checked out, will then undergo breast imaging to detect and diagnose cancer.
Sarah said: "Breast cancer doesn't wait and neither can we. Your support will mean more mammograms, more research and more lives saved."
