The Princess of Wales is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy after post-operative tests following her abdominal surgery in January discovered cancer present
The Princess of Wales is being treated for cancer with preventative chemotherapy.
Kate, 42, announced on Friday that she is currently undergoing a course of chemotherapy after post-operative tests following her ‘successful abdominal surgery’ in January found she had cancer. The future queen said in her emotional and heartfelt televised statement that the difficult news came as a ‘huge shock’.
Kate said her medical team advised that she should “undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy” and she is in the “early stages of that treatment”. Kensington Palace has confirmed that the Princess is in high spirits and will return to official duties when cleared by her medical advisors.
What is preventative chemotherapy?
When cancer is diagnosed, it is common for a patient to have a course of chemotherapy treatment, where medicine is used to kill cancer cells. The chemotherapy stops the cells from reproducing, which prevents them from growing and spreading in the body.
While Kate has not disclosed what type of cancer she has, she did tell the public that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy. Also called adjuvant chemotherapy, preventative chemotherapy aims to stop cancer from coming back once the main tumour has been removed from the body.
Cancer can spread through the body through a process called metastasis. This is where the tiny cancer cells break off from the main tumour and these can be harder to detect.
Medics specialising in cancer treatment, officially known as oncologists, will often advise patients to undergo preventative chemotherapy in a bid to eliminate any remaining traces of the disease. This can be done through an IV drip or tablets, which are carried through the body via the bloodstream. Treatment can be carried out in either the patient’s home or hospital.
According to the NHS, chemotherapy may be used if cancer has spread or there’s a risk it will. The NHS website explains chemotherapy can be used to “try to cure the cancer completely (curative chemotherapy)” or “make other treatments more effective”. It can be combined with radiotherapy or used before surgery, or used to “reduce the risk of the cancer coming back after radiotherapy or surgery”.
