Princess of Wales Undergoing Cancer Treatment


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Suzzanah said:
For members of the Royal family medical health has always been a public passtime. From examination for chastity to scrutiny for diabetes there has always been much ado about health. I am grateful that royals get good medical care. In some countries there is no care for the poor, starving and dying. Cancer is horrible! I would wish it on no person. With early detection, prompt medical care people can recover. I wish the family health and long life.
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Yes, the United States is one of those countries where the poor and starving do not have access to medical care. Fortunately, in the UK, there is universal healthcare via the NHS which, its problems notwithstanding, is still much better for the poor and the starving, and indeed for many ordinary families, than for-profit healthcare as in the US.

The Royal Family, of course, has the additional benefit of private healthcare. Both the KIng and the Princess were operated on in a private clinic and, I believe, are also being treated in a private healthcare facility, which is also good for them if they can afford it.

And, yes, cancer is indeed horrible. I have already lost 3 relatives to it and two are undergoing treatment right now. One of those latter two is fighting his second cancer after having beaten another unrelated one years ago. So I can feel what the Royal Family is going through and it makes me very sad.
 
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Given her high profile I would imagine that the tests were 'fast-tracked'. Remember that Charles III's prostate procedure was a couple of days after Catherine's op and he had his cancer diagnosis within a week at the same hospital.

My brother - just an ordinary bloke and in Australia - had his cancer diagnosis within two weeks or so, so a month just doesn't make sense to me.

What I suspect may have happened is that they knew before the service but on the day itself Catherine had a 'bad day' dealing with everything and needed her husband with her.

As someone dealing with a brother with cancer at this point in time I have been known to get a phone call in the morning asking if I can take him to chemo as his wife simply isn't coping emotionally. Fortunately I am able to do so at the drop of a hat (they are planning two weddings and an overseas trip for next year at the same time so she isn't only dealing with a sick husband but with two brides wanting their weddings to be fantastic with their father present ... joint wedding is now the go so that will be less stress for my brother).
 
 
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Nico said:
This is distasteful and innapriopriate, and the fact that some people are still brainstorming about the dos ans donts on the PR front is just appaling.

We must keep in mind that the Princess of Wales was litteraly FORCED in the most disturbing way to make this utmost personnal statement just to feed the rather sordid curiosity of somewhat anonymous people behind their screens.

It speaks volume, IMO, on the state of our society where the basic human decency is just left behind just for the sake of the right to criticize everything and everyone because one feels entitled to do so.

Shameful really.
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Yes, it made me think of earlier times - not that many years ago - when all of this social media nonsense didn’t exist nor was there a 24/7 news cycle. As a retired school counselor, I have seen first hand the emotional damage that is caused by people hiding behind a cell phone spewing whatever they feel like - note to parents: be an unpopular but smart parent by refusing to buy smartphones until high school or later and/or block social media. You would not believe what awful and unhealthy things 4th and 5th grade girls have put out there and how devastating it is to their targets. End of sermonette.

I think that Catherine’s video was very classy, brave, strong, and shows her as the stable adult that she is. I agree that it speaks volumes about the state of our society that she felt forced to do this and also to have to fear that her personal and private medical records would be leaked. Just unbelievable- how would you feel if total strangers were commenting on a member of your family in this despicable way?

This comment will not make me a popular member of the Royal Forums but if I were William, I’d be sorely tempted to work my way out of a job when the time comes so that George, Charlotte, and Louis don’t have to live like this.
 
Regarding William's day-of announcement that he wouldn't be attending King Constantine's Memorial Service -- perhaps Catherine was just having a bad day; perhaps they had a very important meeting w/her doctors. It didn't have to be the "cancer" meeting. Give it a rest people!

She told us. Story over. Go back to other much more interesting conspiracy theories!
 
Iluvbertie said:
Given her high profile I would imagine that the tests were 'fast-tracked'. Remember that Charles III's prostate procedure was a couple of days after Catherine's op and he had his cancer diagnosis within a week at the same hospital.
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Since Catheirne stated herself that at the procedure they didn't thought it was cancer, feels to me that staff thought of a different diagnosis. Initiial test of the tissue didn't confirm their diagnosis, so they did some more testing on the removed tissue. And that's when it came to light. Which would explain the time line.
 
Duchess Sophie said:
Since Catheirne stated herself that at the procedure they didn't thought it was cancer, feels to me that staff thought of a different diagnosis. Initiial test of the tissue didn't confirm their diagnosis, so they did some more testing on the removed tissue. And that's when it came to light. Which would explain the time line.
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More like routine (and then probably additional) testing of the post-surgical specimen revealed cancer when it was previously believed noncancerous, imho. These things do take a little bit of time, with material being sent back and forth and people having to write reports. It’s not instantaneous, unfortunately.
 
Prinsara said:
More like routine (and then probably additional) testing of the post-surgical specimen revealed cancer when it was previously believed noncancerous, imho. These things do take a little bit of time, with material being sent back and forth and people having to write reports. It’s not instantaneous, unfortunately.
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Exactly, this process can take weeks.
 
Why are people still arguing about the timeline? Really distasteful. She gave her statement. The End. Some of you folks aren't discussing, you're trying to catch the Palace or Catherine out on her timeline for God knows what reason and prove you're right. About what? I have no idea... It looks like some of you are trying to show there's some mysterious something still going on and in my opinion, it's really, really gross, in the worst kind of way.
 
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kalnel said:
No, not weeks. Maybe one week -- or two at the most -- but not longer, especially for a high-profile patient. Kate was in the hospital for two weeks, and I'd be very surprised if she left without the cancer diagnosis.
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My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2019. She'd had a routine CT scan of her lungs (she was a heavy smoker) in December of 2018. So, it took them a couple of months and several other tests to confirm that what they saw in the scan was a tumor and not just a nodule or something else like it. Granted, my mother wasn't the Princess of Wales, but yes, it can sometimes take weeks, if not months, to confirm a diagnosis.
 
Suzzanah said:
For members of the Royal family medical health has always been a public passtime. From examination for chastity to scrutiny for diabetes there has always been much ado about health. I am grateful that royals get good medical care. In some countries there is no care for the poor, starving and dying. Cancer is horrible! I would wish it on no person. With early detection, prompt medical care people can recover. I wish the family health and long life.
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Nope. Again IIRC very little information was released about King George VI’s health. And also IIRC several times both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were in the hospital and very minimal information was released.
 
tihkon2 said:
Why are people still arguing about the timeline? Really distasteful. She gave her statement. The End. Some of you folks aren't discussing, you're trying to catch the Palace or Catherine out on her timeline for God knows what reason and prove you're right. About what? I have no idea... It looks like some of you are trying to show there's some mysterious something still going on and in my opinion, it's really, really gross, in the worst kind of way.
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Thank you, the voice of reason. My sentiments exactly. I can't believe what I've been reading in this thread, people who keep harping on about things that are none of their business.
 
kalnel said:
No, not weeks. Maybe one week -- or two at the most -- but not longer, especially for a high-profile patient. Kate was in the hospital for two weeks, and I'd be very surprised if she left without the cancer diagnosis.
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You can't possibly make an assertion like that without knowing the type of cancer she has. Some cancers are much harder to determine than others and I'd question the ethics of a doctor informing a patient they have cancer without knowing its exact nature.
 
Archduchess Zelia said:
You can't possibly make an assertion like that without knowing the type of cancer she has. Some cancers are much harder to determine than others and I'd question the ethics of a doctor informing a patient they have cancer without knowing its exact nature.
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Pathology tests don't take longer than a week or two at most, regardless of the kind of cancer.
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
Exactly and I find it hard to believe that the tests after the OP took one month to find out the tissue was cancerous. That is a very long time. Even if you double or triple check it.
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Sorry, I completely disagree with you on this point. Sometimes pathology is clear, and sometimes it isn't and requires more time, more examination, and sometimes, the review of people who are more expert. I have experienced this delay myself. Of course it shouldn't matter to us the general public. She received the diagnosis, started treatment (which usually has to wait some weeks until post-surgery healing) and then she broke the news.
 
I have to throw my hat in that even knowing Catherine has cancer is not enough to get people, even here, to stop speculating on how and when she discovered this — which is a private matter.

There is no conspiracy, we’re not being misled, they all deserve privacy, we don’t need every detail, and we certainly don’t need it right now. A little empathy and detachment would go a long way.
 
Two things that stick out from Catherine's statement, one is that she could not immediately start the cancer treatment due to needing to recover from the abdominal surgery, secondly that they wanted to be able to explain to their children what was happening.

I can believe that for some conditions it can take weeks to get a definitive diagnosis, however even if the Wales knew shortly after Kate's surgery that cancer was found, there were still uncertainties that required time to sort out in order to be able to explain to their children what was going on, and as Kate stated, to be able to reassure them that she will be OK.
 
caethi said:
Sorry, I completely disagree with you on this point. Sometimes pathology is clear, and sometimes it isn't and requires more time, more examination, and sometimes, the review of people who are more expert. I have experienced this delay myself. Of course it shouldn't matter to us the general public. She received the diagnosis, started treatment (which usually has to wait some weeks until post-surgery healing) and then she broke the news.
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Agreed. But I don't think there was a month delay; she couldn't start treatment until she was recovered from the surgery and she would have to have additional testing, i.e. full bloods, CAT, MRI scans, personalised treatment plan etc post diagnosis. She had surgery mid January and started treatment late February - 6 weeks post surgery, meaning she would have known sooner rather than later.

As for William citing personal reasons for missing King Constantine II memorial; if her first treatment was during that week, she may have had an averse reaction - a lot of people have side effects from intraveneous chemo, like high fever, seveer fatigue etc. Like my colleague who went through similar to Catherine, this is exactly what happened to him during his first intraveneous treatment and his doctor switched him to oral chemo. He couldn't start his chemo until 8 weeks post surgery as his recovery took longer (he is older than Catherine).
 
The reveal of HRH The Princess of Wales's cancer diagnosis shows how universal cancer is. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, old or young, aristocratic or working class. It doesn’t matter where you were born, who you marry, or who you’re descended from. Nearly everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer, and many have unfortunately lost those people. I can’t imagine what TRH The Wales are going through, especially with three small children whose earliest defining moments will now be the concurrent cancer battles of their mother, grandfather, and great-aunt.

Speaking of HM The King, one of the good things about this happening all at once is that they can support each other through their chemotherapy. Of course, they have a large, loving family that they can lean on, but only they would understand the perils that come with chemotherapy better and can therefore accurately commiserate together.

Finally, I was always uncomfortable with the post-Easter deadline, afraid that HRH The Princess of Wales would be forced back into her duties before she was physically ready. I’m glad that she specifically said that she will be back when she’s ready, with no deadline. (Technically, post-Easter doesn’t mean immediately afterwards, but it does imply within a month afterwards rather than several months or more afterwards).
 
In a statement, the Prince and Princess of Wales thanked the messages of support from around the world.
"The Prince and Princess are hugely touched by the warm messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness's announcement. Very touched by the warmth and support from people, They are grateful for your understanding of their request for privacy at this time".
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www.dailymail.co.uk

Kate Middleton 'extremely moved' by reaction to cancer diagnosis

Messages of support have come from all over Britain and across the world, with Kensington Palace declaring Princess Kate and her husband William are 'enormously touched' by the public's kindness
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
www.hola.com

Nuevo mensaje de los príncipes de Gales 24 horas después del anuncio de que Kate Middleton tiene cáncer

A través de un comunicado desde el Palacio de Kensington, han hecho saber que están 'profundamente conmovidos y agradecidos' por el apoyo recibido de todas las partes del mundo
www.hola.com
 
I thought this article summarized pretty well. The writer sort of (?) makes a comparison between Kate and Meghan which I thought unnecessary, but that is not at all the focus of the article - it’s about privacy.

www.nytimes.com

Opinion | The Real Royal Scandal Is on Us

What will it take for a culture sick with its own wolfish appetite for self-exposure to try to get better?
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
HenRach Dominion said:
The reveal of HRH The Princess of Wales's cancer diagnosis shows how universal cancer is. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, old or young, aristocratic or working class. It doesn’t matter where you were born, who you marry, or who you’re descended from. Nearly everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer, and many have unfortunately lost those people. I can’t imagine what TRH The Wales are going through, especially with three small children whose earliest defining moments will now be the concurrent cancer battles of their mother, grandfather, and great-aunt.

Speaking of HM The King, one of the good things about this happening all at once is that they can support each other through their chemotherapy. Of course, they have a large, loving family that they can lean on, but only they would understand the perils that come with chemotherapy better and can therefore accurately commiserate together.

Finally, I was always uncomfortable with the post-Easter deadline, afraid that HRH The Princess of Wales would be forced back into her duties before she was physically ready. I’m glad that she specifically said that she will be back when she’s ready, with no deadline. (Technically, post-Easter doesn’t mean immediately afterwards, but it does imply within a month afteirwards rather than several months or more afterwards).
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When the initial January announcement was made it stated that the PoW would not return to public duties before Easter. The end. For me that was very clear.
I did not interpret that as meaning that Kate would have an engagement on April 1st....the day after Easter Sunday.
I was pretty disgusted at the attitude online. It seemed to be....ok...Easter is around the corner! Will HRH be appearing at Windsor? Why hasn't KP announced the big day?
"After Easter" could mean as early as April or as late as May 1st.
Or any day NOT BEFORE EASTER.
Forty or 50 years ago it would have been sufficient and acceptable to announce that HRH would undergo an undetermined period of rest and recuperation for health reasons, following surgery.
The End
Few in the press or public would have dared challenge or probe.

But...unfortunately, times have changed. Society, public opinion...whatever you like to call it...willnever again be so well mannered and deferential.
 
I agree with most of the posters that it's distasteful to focus on the timeline of diagnosis. Even if modern medicine could find out if tissue is cancerous within 24 hours, it doesn't mean the Princess of Wales is obliged to disclose it to the public immediately! Like many of you here, I also have family members with cancer. It takes time for patients and their closed loved ones to be emotionally ready to share with others. The Princess of Wales never disclosed when the diagnosis was revealed or when the tissue was sent to the lab for testing. And I don't think any members of the public are required to know these details. It has nothing to do with public interest
 
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