It's unclear what type of cancer Duchess Kate has, but oncologists have confirmed what she said in a public statement Friday: another surgery, in this case “major abdominal surgery.” They say it's all too common to find cancer inside. .
“Unfortunately, many of the cancers we diagnose are unexpected,” says a gynecologist at Yale Cancer Center, who has diagnosed many patients with ovarian, uterine, and endometrial cancer. says oncologist Dr. Elena Ratner.
Without speculating about Katherine's surgery, Dr. Ratner explained the circumstances in which women undergo surgery for endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the endometrium is found elsewhere in the abdomen. Dr. Ratner says there is often a misconception that endometriosis manifests in the ovaries and causes benign ovarian cysts. But a week or two later, when examining the supposed benign tissue, the pathologist reported finding cancer.
In a statement, Duchess Kate said she was undergoing “preventative chemotherapy.”
That's also common. In medical practice, it is usually called adjuvant chemotherapy.
Dr. Eric Weiner, director of Yale Cancer Center, said it is hoped that adjuvant chemotherapy will “prevent further problems” and avoid recurrence of the cancer.
And Dr. Michael Biller, director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said this means “we've removed everything” that was visible in the surgery. “Cancer is invisible,” he added. This is because microscopic cancer cells may be left behind. Chemotherapy is a way to attack subtle diseases, he explained.
Other parts of Katherine's statement also struck a chord with Dr. Ratner, particularly her concern for her family.
“William and I have done everything we can to handle and manage this matter privately for the benefit of our young family,” she said, adding: “We have given everything to George, Charlotte and Louis. It took me a while to explain it properly.” It's appropriate for them and to reassure them that I'm okay. ”
These are sentiments that Dr. Ratner hears regularly, she says, and highlight “how difficult it is for women to be diagnosed with cancer.”
“I see situations like this every day,” she said. She said, “Women always say, 'Will you be there for my children?' What will happen to my children?”
“They don't say, 'What happens to me?'