Someone is told they have cancer every two minutes in the UK, and Buckingham Palace have disclosed that King Charles is among the thousands who have begun 2024 with a diagnosis.
The discovery came during Charles’s recent treatment for a benign prostate enlargement, when a “separate issue of concern” was noted. Although Buckingham Palace has not revealed what form of cancer the king has been diagnosed with, it is understood not to be prostate cancer.
The concern that first raised the alarm among doctors at the London Clinic, an exclusive private hospital in Marylebone, prompted a series of further diagnostic tests that then identified “a form of cancer”, the palace said.
Details of the type of tests Charles underwent have not been disclosed, but such checks for cancer can involve blood tests, scans and biopsies. Biopsies are medical procedures that involves taking a small sample to be examined with a microscope to see if there are any abnormal cells present.
With one in two people likely to develop cancer during their lifetime, a diagnosis is not surprising. Age is the biggest risk factor for most cancers, and Charles is 75.
The increase in lifetime risk to one in two is because more people are now surviving into old age, when cancer is more common.
Every year more than a third (36%) of all cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over, according to data reviewed by the Guardian.
Overall, there are nearly 400,000 cancer cases diagnosed in the UK each year – equating to more than 1,000 every day. The most common cancers among men aged 75 and over in the UK are prostate, lung, bowel and bladder cancer followed by melanoma skin cancer.
Cancer is serious and can be deadly, with 167,000 dying from the disease every year in the UK. Figures show that it remains the leading cause of death in the UK, causing 25% of all deaths.
However, half of people diagnosed with cancer in England and Wales survive their disease for 10 years or more. Survival is improving and has doubled in the last 50 years in the UK, due to a combination of earlier detection, better treatment and research advances.
The palace has not disclosed what treatment Charles will be undergoing, only saying that he has begun “a schedule of regular treatments”.
This could involve: chemotherapy, when a medicine is used to kill cancer cells; radiotherapy, which utililses radiation to kill cancer cells; or targeted drugs that find and attack cancer cells.
It is understood that the king will be treated as an “outpatient”, which means that he will not have to stay in hospital while having treatment. However, under advice from his doctors, he will step back from public-facing duties. Officials said he will still be able to “undertake state business and official paperwork as usual”.
They added that the king “remains wholly positive about his treatment” and “looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible”. Maintaining a positive attitude will be crucial for him to cope with the news.
People with cancer are often encouraged to be positive but it is not always easy. Living with cancer and its treatment can be frightening. However, it is clear that the king hopes his diagnosis may raise greater awareness of the disease.
Buckingham Palace said he chose to share his cancer diagnosis to “prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer”.
Despite the fact that so many will develop the disease like Charles, not everyone is fully aware of the signs and symptoms.
They include changes in bowel habits, bloating, bleeding, lumps, moles, unexplained weight loss, indigestion or heartburn, itchy or yellow skin, tummy or back pain, and feeling tired or unwell.
Although it’s unlikely to be cancer, it’s important to speak to a GP about anything unusual so that they can investigate. The earlier cancer is found, the easier it is to treat.
