CNN Anchor Christiane Amanpour Reveals Her Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour told viewers on Monday that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The 63 year-old international news veteran told viewers she had had “major successful surgery to remove it” and will now undergo several months of chemotherapy, adding that she was “very confident”.
Amanpour, who works in CNN’s London studio, said she feels “fortunate to have health insurance through work and incredible doctors who are treating me in a country underpinned by, of course, the brilliant NHS,” referencing the UK’s National Health Service.
After four weeks off, she said in Monday’s announcement, “I’m telling you this in the interest of transparency but in truth really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis.” Pointing out “millions of women around the world”, she added that she wanted to “urge women to educate themselves on this disease; to get all the regular screenings and scans that you can; to always listen to your bodies; and of course to ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished.”
Amanpour has decades of experience reporting around the world, covering a wide range of conflicts and crises.
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death in women diagnosed with gynaecological cancers. It is also the fifth most frequent cause of death in women, in general. The symptoms, such as bloated, swollen or painful stomach, are easily mistaken for less serious health problems, making diagnosis difficult. Most cases are only diagnosed at an advanced stage, leading to poor outcomes. Existing screening tests unfortunately have a low predictive value.
Standard care treatment includes surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy; however, anti-angiogenic bevacizumab and Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are gaining ground in the treatment of this disease.
Source: BBC News
