Princess Kate Middleton is being treated for cancer

[georgina]

I hope it is an easily treatable type. So many abdominal cancers (colon, stomach, pancreas, liver) are difficult to fight successfully. I wish her, and King Charles, all the best during their treatments.

Could be lots of things - also cervical, uterine, ovarian. Sounds like they caught it early which is good.

I had a serious illness when my kids were about the same age. My DS's 3rd grade teacher told me he noticed my DS had become rather withdrawn during my hospitalization. A parent's illness is hard on kids.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I couldn't help but shed a tear when I heard her announcement. Receiving the news that you have cancer makes one feel helpless, vulnerable and can be very overwhelming. Coping with the diagnosis is difficult. What some have put the Wales through is disgusting and cruel.

Prayers for strength, peace and a complete recovery.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Kate Middleton just released a video of HER sitting and talking directly to the camera. She says she did have an abdominal operation back in January and in testing after the operation, the doctors discovered she has a cancer. She has been going through chemotherapy, which is why she has not been seen in public.

She didn't want to tell the public yet as she and William needed time to process it all. Also, she said they have needed the time to be able to explain it to their children in a way the kids can understand and not scare them to death.

Her video is here:

I'm praying she will be cancer free asap. God save the future Queen royal.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I really feel for the Royal Family. It's almost voyeuristic. Three prominent Royals have now fallen prey to cancer, discounting Queen Elizabeth II. Fergie has skin cancer, following breast cancer. The King has cancer. Now the Princess has cancer. It must a be a lot for the children to take in, on top of the entire world looking in...

 

[Disneymadhouse]

One of the BBC news reporters here in the UK has speculated that the Wales children finished school today for the Easter holidays, and that is why the news was released this evening. I think it makes sense. The children will be off school for three weeks, so it keeps them out of the limelight straight after the news was released.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I feel sad for her and her family. I hope and pray she can beat it!

 

[dvcgirl67]

Hoping she'll be ok. My "guess" was that it was possible that she had a bowel resection that needed a colostomy...or that maybe she was being treated for an eating disorder.

I completely get the ask for privacy, as in..."leave us alone, give us some time". I wonder if down the road she will reveal the type of cancer she has, how she found it....etc, as that could be helpful to the public.

I just read a story recently in the Wall Street Journal about the rise in cancer in younger people, specifically stomach cancer in this instance. She was just 26, thought she was just super stressed out from studying for the bar exam and had ended up with an ulcer when she had some bleeding in her stomach. She quickly had her entire life upended with a stomach cancer diagnosis. She had to have her entire stomach removed...chemo....etc. Colorectal cancer is really on the rise with younger people as well.

Kate isn't all that young, at 42, but she obviously has access to all the best care there is....so hoping they caught it early.

 

[snappy]

What a class act she is, the way she waited until her kids were going to be out for Easter break to release this. All the conjecture about why she was keeping the details on her surgery seems really disgusting at this point. Not sure it will deter further speculation, though. I bet she is glad she has that disclosure behind her. I can relate.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Hoping she'll be ok. My "guess" was that it was possible that she had a bowel resection that needed a colostomy...or that maybe she was being treated for an eating disorder.

I completely get the ask for privacy, as in..."leave us alone, give us some time". I wonder if down the road she will reveal the type of cancer she has, how she found it....etc, as that could be helpful to the public.

I just read a story recently in the Wall Street Journal about the rise in cancer in younger people, specifically stomach cancer in this instance. She was just 26, thought she was just super stressed out from studying for the bar exam and had ended up with an ulcer when she had some bleeding in her stomach. She quickly had her entire life upended with a stomach cancer diagnosis. She had to have her entire stomach removed...chemo....etc. Colorectal cancer is really on the rise with younger people as well.

Kate isn't all that young, at 42, but she obviously has access to all the best care there is....so hoping they caught it early.

The palace initially said that Kate's surgery was a success and she'd be "back" after Easter. If she'd had a colostomy she'd need more surgery to "reconnect" her um plumbing six weeks after the initial surgery. since the palace didn't mention the possibility of more surgery, I doubt she had a colostomy.

 

[dvcgirl67]

The palace initially said that Kate's surgery was a success and she'd be "back" after Easter. If she'd had a colostomy she'd need more surgery to "reconnect" her um plumbing six weeks after the initial surgery. since the palace didn't mention the possibility of more surgery, I doubt she had a colostomy.

Yeah, I'm not so sure I believe all that we're being told. Not that we deserve to know, but even today's video from Kate has me wondering a thing or two.

I was a critical care nurse for ten years, so I have at least some idea about these things. I can't imagine that her medical team did not know that she had cancer before her surgery. I mean, we don't even do exploratory surgery on dogs these days....we know ahead of time. Typically the person is symptomatic in some way and then further testing and biopsies are performed....then surgery, and either chemo or radiation....or both. Or....hey may have caught something in her lab work during a routine exam that kicked off this whole nightmare for her.

A lot of this just doesn't make sense to me. As for her not having a colostomy....because she would have needed more time to heal, well, again, I don't think the "Easter appearance" was ever going to happen. I think they were buying time. But some patients only need a few weeks before resection can occur.

 

[dizneegirl]

Not that I'm going to give details, but I had a surgery that revealed an unknown cancer. It can happen.

 

[Living42Day]

I shed a tear listening to that video. She is such a great person, it is such a shame she has to go through this. My prayers are with her and the family.

 

[Imzadi]

One of the BBC news reporters here in the UK has speculated that the Wales children finished school today for the Easter holidays, and that is why the news was released this evening. I think it makes sense. The children will be off school for three weeks, so it keeps them out of the limelight straight after the news was released.

It also keeps them away from other kids who may accidentally hear something, especially incorrectly, from their parents and repeating it. Same with teachers talking to each other, who may not realize they are being overheard.

 

[Tuffcookie]

I am praying for Princess Kate! I hope her cancer is treatable and they caught it early enough!

 

[sasywtch]

Yeah, I'm not so sure I believe all that we're being told. Not that we deserve to know, but even today's video from Kate has me wondering a thing or two.

I was a critical care nurse for ten years, so I have at least some idea about these things. I can't imagine that her medical team did not know that she had cancer before her surgery. I mean, we don't even do exploratory surgery on dogs these days....we know ahead of time. Typically the person is symptomatic in some way and then further testing and biopsies are performed....then surgery, and either chemo or radiation....or both. Or....hey may have caught something in her lab work during a routine exam that kicked off this whole nightmare for her.

A lot of this just doesn't make sense to me. As for her not having a colostomy....because she would have needed more time to heal, well, again, I don't think the "Easter appearance" was ever going to happen. I think they were buying time. But some patients only need a few weeks before resection can occur.

There was an oncology doctor on today from the UK that said it is common. His guess was she went in for a mass on her ovary or a hysterectomy. The appearance looked benign but after testing/pathology, they found traces of cancer. He said that was good as it would mean it hasn't spread/noticeable.

 

[tennisfan]

The palace initially said that Kate's surgery was a success and she'd be "back" after Easter. If she'd had a colostomy she'd need more surgery to "reconnect" her um plumbing six weeks after the initial surgery. since the palace didn't mention the possibility of more surgery, I doubt she had a colostomy.

Colostomy reversal is usually longer than 6 weeks. Some can can wait months before being considered for the resection. Also its down to the surgeon at the time of the operation whether it will be temporary or permanent. My dad had surgery last year & was told by the surgeon, he wouldn't take any risks and if he didn't think he would be able to rejoin the section later on, it will be a permanent stoma. It was permanent but my dad is just thankful he is alive & has successfully recovered from surgery & post radio & chemo therapy 12 months after diagnosis.

 

[focusondisney]

I was a critical care nurse for ten years, so I have at least some idea about these things. I can't imagine that her medical team did not know that she had cancer before her surgery. I mean, we don't even do exploratory surgery on dogs these days....we know ahead of time. Typically the person is symptomatic in some way and then further testing and biopsies are performed....then surgery, and either chemo or radiation....or both. Or....hey may have caught something in her lab work during a routine exam that kicked off this whole nightmare for her.

Respectfully disagree. I was an RN for 44 years, over 30 in women’s health care. Cancer is not always known ahead. It certainly is possible to have gynecological procedures & find previously unknown cancer. Cancer can be found after hysterectomies or oophorectomies being for other reasons. Biopsies would not be done pre op if the surgery was being done for other reasons & cancer wasn’t suspected. Last year my own husband had the same situation as King Charles, had surgery for prostatic hypertrophy and days later had a cancer diagnosis. Cancer was not suspected before surgery. Thankfully, sometimes cancer is found early because of what was expected to be a routine procedure.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Respectfully disagree. I was an RN for 44 years, over 30 in women’s health care. Cancer is not always known ahead. It certainly is possible to have gynecological procedures & find previously unknown cancer. Cancer can be found after hysterectomies or oophorectomies being for other reasons. Biopsies would not be done pre op if the surgery was being done for other reasons & cancer wasn’t suspected. Last year my own husband had the same situation as King Charles, had surgery for prostatic hypertrophy and days later had a cancer diagnosis. Cancer was not suspected before surgery. Thankfully, sometimes cancer is found early because of what was expected to be a routine procedure.

Yes, totally agree on gynecological cancers. And other surprises are found sometimes in that department. I had terrible endometriosis...so, during the procedure I had for that they found that one of my filopian tubes was completely blocked...they took that one, left the other one which they said might give us a chance at pregnancy without assistance...it didn't. That was supposed to be a 45 min procedure, but took 3 hours and I was sent home that day. I felt like I'd gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson.

Another myomectomy (full abdominal "c-section" scar for those who may not know)...bought me 24 hours in the hospital. I mean, kidney transplant cases are discharged in 3-5 days here.

So, my mind goes to them saying "abdominal surgery and two week hospital stay". I suppose I need to reorient my mind to....she's the future queen of England so they won't boot her out of the hospital after 2-3 days. But, Kate literally delivered her three children and was in the car on the way home within hours. She's not a baby....can take some pain. I'm just wondering if it was something related to her digestive tract.

With Charles...I'm betting they caught something in his lab work before the BPH procedure. Didn't they say that it was not prostate cancer...but something else?

 

[focusondisney]

So, my mind goes to them saying "abdominal surgery and two week hospital stay". I suppose I need to reorient my mind to....she's the future queen of England so they won't boot her out of the hospital after 2-3 days. But, Kate literally delivered her three children and was in the car on the way home within hours. She's not a baby....can take some pain. I'm just wondering if it was something related to her digestive tract.

Yes, I was thinking an intestinal issue as well. She seems to have lost weight over the last few years. Something like Crohn’s disease can affect weight & require intestinal surgery. You wouldn’t necessarily suspect or find cancer before surgery but could find it with pathology studies afterwards.

With Charles...I'm betting they caught something in his lab work before the BPH procedure. Didn't they say that it was not prostate cancer...but something else?

Yes, I think they eventually did. My point was just even today, unsuspected cancers can show up in pathology after otherwise routine surgeries.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Yes, I was thinking an intestinal issue as well. She seems to have lost weight over the last few years. Something like Crohn’s disease can affect weight & require intestinal surgery. You wouldn’t necessarily suspect or find cancer before surgery but could find it with pathology studies afterwards.



Yes, I think they eventually did. My point was just even today, unsuspected cancers can show up in pathology after otherwise routine surgeries.

I thought Crohn's too. And point taken .