Fergie warns people not to skip cancer checks as 'days could make difference'
The Duchess of York is warning people not to skip cancer health checks as “days could make the difference between life and death”.
Sarah Ferguson, 64, has marked Cancer Prevention Action Week by urging people to take action after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer in January. The duchess - mother to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who 'beat breast cancer' last year, said her skin cancer diagnosis of malignant melanoma “came as a shock”.
But she thanked her family for their support and revealed it had been her sister who’d urged her not to put off a routine mammogram. She posted on Instagram : "Days could make the difference between life and death, so please don't skip or put off your health checks and urge your loved ones to go to theirs."
The Duke of York's ex-wife found out less than a year after facing breast cancer. It was discovered because her dermatologist had asked for several moles to be removed and analysed at the same time as the duchess was undergoing reconstructive surgery after her mastectomy.
She later found out one of the moles was cancerous. The news was followed several weeks later by a Buckingham Palace announcement which revealed the King also had cancer. The monarch is receiving regular treatment for an undisclosed cancer, which was discovered while he was in hospital for a procedure on an enlarged prostate.
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The duchess said then: “His Majesty is very dear to me and I think I speak for everyone whenI say he is in my thoughts and prayers.” In a social media post this week, she said she was now focused on using her own encounter with the disease to help others. "I would like to urge anyone who is able to be diligent with their health check ups," she said.
"I'm determined to do whatever I can to help raise awareness by sharing my experience." In a post shared on Instagram, the duchess was pictured in a bright pink outfit shot by fashion photographer Christopher Horne last year. She told followers: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, this year and had it not been for the diligence and care of my physicians my situation could have been so much worse.
“It was a busy 2023 and I almost put off my routine mammogram, but my sister Jane convinced me to go. After undergoing a mastectomy and reconstruction, I could only hope that I was in the clear, which is why a new diagnosis of skin cancer came as a shock. I’m now in the best hands and feeling positive with the support of my family…”
Her post was warmly received on Instagram, with followers praising her bravery. One said: “Thank you for your bravery in sharing your health rollercoaster to encourage others to be more aware of the symptoms. You and the King and your families are in my prayers.”
The duchess told in January of beating breast cancer and how 2023 “hadn't been without its ups and downs, trials, lessons, laughter, miracles and joy”. But she added: “I’m 64 and just getting started.”
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