How Long Kate Middleton’s Preventative Chemotherapy Treatment Will Last, According to a Cancer Specialist
At the start of 2024, it was revealed that the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) had abdominal surgery, which required a lengthy hospital stay. In the weeks and months following her operation, speculation and wild conspiracy theories spread online before Kate shut that chatter down by announcing she had cancer and was undergoing “preventive chemotherapy.”
In her recorded message on March 22, the princess explained: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
For anyone wanting clarification on what “preventive chemotherapy” is, a cancer specialist has given some details on that and how long the princess’s treatment could last.
Cancer specialist reveals how long Kate will likely receive treatment
Cancer specialist Karol Sikora spoke to the Royal Record podcast about the type of treatment Kate is receiving, which targets residual cancer cells post-surgery to serve as a safeguard against disease recurrence.
He explained: “It’s a time of uncertainty. She’s obviously had an operation for cancer, we were asked not to speculate what it was but it was somewhere in the abdomen. It was an abdominal operation. She’s having preventative chemotherapy, which is usually given for six months.
“The reason preventive, we call it adjuvant chemotherapy, is given is to reduce the risk of the disease returning. So any cells that may have spread there’s nothing to see on the scans. But if we think there’s a risk of the disease returning, we give adjuvant chemotherapy.”
Sikora added: “The actual day of the treatments are usually not too bad. The day after you feel very tired and then it’s very unpredictable.”
The princess talked about ‘good days’ and ‘bad days’ in her recent announcement
One day before Trooping the Colour took place in London, Kate announced that she was going to attend the event, and mentioned those “good days” and “bad days.”
In a post on social media the princess wrote: “I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired, and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well … I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”
On June 15, Kate stood on the balcony after Trooping the Colour with the rest of her family smiling and waving to the crowds below as she watched the flypast.
