The Princess of Wales has revealed she is on the mend in a moving family video that marks the end of her preventative chemotherapy treatment.
Kate Middleton, 42, said she is now focused on ‘staying cancer free’ after a ‘tough’ journey showed importance of ‘loving, being loved’.
She revealed in March that she had been undergoing preventative chemotherapy since late February, after her shock cancer diagnosis.
Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to attack tumours and is typically given to treat cancer directly or shrink a tumour in preparation for surgery.
But it can also be used as a preventative option in the hope of stopping cancer coming back — with as much as 46 per cent decrease in returning cases, according to a 2019 study.
In the video released this afternoon, Kate admitted the last nine months have been ‘incredibly tough’ for her and her family.
‘The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,’ she said.
After six months of preventative chemotherapy the princess says she is now ‘cancer free’.
‘Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,’ she added.
Initially the reason for Kate’s surgery was understood to be non-cancerous.
She later revealed subsequent tests had found cancer was present.
Kate was then advised to undergo a course of preventative chemo and described herself as being in the ‘early stages’ of that treatment.
Preventative chemotherapy, also called adjuvant chemotherapy, aims to stop cancer coming back once the main tumour has been removed from the body.
Cancer can spread to other parts of the body, a process called metastasis, where tiny cancerous cells break off the main tumour and take root elsewhere.
These ‘new’ cancers can be hard to detect so medics specialising in cancer treatment, called oncologists, often advise patients to undergo preventative chemotherapy in a bid to eliminate any remaining traces of the disease.
Preventative chemotherapy is most often delivered as an IV drip or tablets where they are then carried throughout the body by the bloodstream.
It’s usually given for about three to six months.
Depending on the type, chemotherapy can be administered in either a hospital or at a patient’s home.
There are over 100 types of chemotherapy drugs, but they all work in a similar way and circulate through the blood.
The drugs are cytotoxic, meaning they are toxic to cells and in particular those that divide rapidly.
As cancer cells divide more than healthy cells, they are more affected by chemo, hence why it is used as a treatment for the disease.
However, other types of fast-growing cells, such as hair, bone marrow, skin and the lining of the digestive system are also damaged in the process.
This leads to some of chemotherapy’s famed side effects, such hair loss or thinning, fatigue, bruising and bleeding more easily, increased risk of infection, diarrhoea or constipation, nausea or vomiting, rashes and more.
Often a patient undergoing chemotherapy also take other medication designed to help mitigate or combat some of these symptoms.
The specific dosage and type of chemotherapy used varies depending on the type of cancer.
In the video released this afternoon, Kate admitted the last nine months have been ‘incredibly tough’ for her and her family
After six months of preventative chemotherapy the princess says she is now ‘cancer free’
Kate pictured behind the wheel as she reads her statement as a voiceover
The Princess of Wales with her children in her Mother’s Day portrait, which now has added significance given her diagnosis
The Princess of Wales said her family (pictured together on December 25) ‘need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment’
The effectiveness of preventative chemotherapy varies considerably from patient-to-patient.
Factors that impact it success include the specific type of cancer, when it was originally treated, the age of the patient and if they have any other health conditions.
The specific type of cancer Kate had has not been revealed.
Approximately 375,000 cases of cancer are spotted in the UK each year, with 167,000 patients also dying from the disease per annum.
Survival rates vary significantly by type of cancer. Overall 50 per cent of cancer patients will be alive 10-years after their diagnosis.
As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment. The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family.
The princess said she is now focused on ‘staying cancer free’ after a ‘tough’ journey showed importance of ‘loving, being loved’
Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown. The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.
With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything. This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted.
Of simply loving and being loved. Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes. I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.
Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life. William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time.
Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling. To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey, I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.
