Princess of Wales' Cancer Diagnoses Sparks Calls for Prevention, Awareness

Siddiqi_bushra-30_print

The Royal Family has announced that the Princess of Wales (formerly Kate Middleton) is currently undergoing cancer treatment, sparking concern and support from the public. 

In a video statement made last week, the Princess of Wales shared that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy, although specifics regarding the type and stage of cancer have not been disclosed. This news follows King Charles' disclosure earlier this year regarding his own ongoing battle with cancer. 

Princess Kate underwent abdominal surgery earlier this year on Jan. 16, which led to the discovery of cancerous cells. Since her last public appearance on Christmas Day last year, she has remained out of the public eye, causing speculation about her health. 

Reacting to the news, Bushra Siddiqi, MD, medical director of the OhioHealth High Risk Cancer Clinic, emphasized the life-changing impact a cancer diagnosis can have. 

"No one is immune to cancer," she shared with anchor and reporter Kyle Beachy of NBC4. "Cancer can hit anybody at any age. We have to focus on cancer prevention. And unfortunately, you know, there hasn’t been much public education and emphasis on whether cancer can be [preventable or not.] But cancer can be prevented.” 

Dr. Siddiqi stressed the need for proactive measures to combat the disease. 

“Screenings are really important,” she said. “People don’t pay attention to that. But it’s very important that they get age appropriate, routine cancer screenings because screenings do save lives.” 

She also urged individuals not to dismiss any concerning symptoms. 

“Symptoms might be very simple and it’s not necessarily that it might be cancer,” Dr. Siddiqi said. “It might be some other medical concern. You might just have food poisoning … You’ve been having abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, but it’s going on for months, that’s not likely food poisoning so, you know, get that checked out.” 

While acknowledging the importance of other prevention methods such as eating healthy, frequent exercise, and avoiding smoking, Dr. Siddiqi cautioned that there are no guarantees against a cancer diagnosis. 

"Most common cancers that occur are out of nowhere," she said. “And, you know, unfortunately, nobody knows who’s going to get cancer when. But the best thing that we can do is prepare ourselves." 

To learn more about OhioHealth's cancer care, click here.