Cancer and Princess Kate: Important screenings to focus on for best health
Kate Middleton’s Friday video announcement of her cancer diagnosis may have shed some light on why she’s been out of the public eye lately — and there's been an outpouring of support for her and the royal family ever since she spoke to the world via video.
In her video message on Friday, Middleton revealed that after her recent abdominal surgery, doctors initially believed her "condition was non-cancerous" — but further testing proved otherwise.
"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," she shared.
Said Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, "The good news is that the word ‘preventative’ was used."
Experts agree that Middleton is under no obligation to reveal the details of her condition.
Siegel also emphasized Middleton’s right to privacy.
"We need to respect her privacy and show compassion and empathy, especially given her young age and young children," he told Fox News Digital.
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"[Medical] records should be sacrosanct," he also said.
Amid these discussions, he and other doctors are also sharing insights about the importance of cancer screenings.
"When should women be screen[ed] for cancers — and what sort of tests should they be asking for?" Fox News' Carley Shimkus asked on Monday during a "Fox & Friends" medical segment with Dr. Siegel.
The doctor noted, to start, the importance of public service awareness of cancer screenings.
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It's a "very big public service" on Middleton's part that she came forward to share her story, he said.
"Women should start with cervical cancer screening at the age of 30 or earlier," he also said.
That means "Pap tests every two or three years." (During Pap tests, gynecologists swab cells near the patient’s cervix and send the sample to the lab to test for any abnormal or precancerous changes to the cells.)
Siegel said women should also make sure they don't have HPV, or human papillomavirus.
"You want to get vaccinated against that when you're in your teens," he said. "That's hugely important."
He added, "But the no. 1 cancer for women is breast cancer."
And "while people might say, well, Kate Middleton is 42 years old — well, we're starting to see cancers in younger and younger women," he said.
He noted, "Our own Dr. Nicole Saphier, one of the top breast radiologists in the country, insists on screening women for breast cancer at [age] 40 and above. I completely agree with that. You use mammograms, ultrasounds," he added.
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And while doctors know about all the important screenings for women as well as men, he said that "patients need to be their own advocates," too.
There may be other important factors to consider as well when it comes to testing and screening, he said, including patients' genetic history and personal background. (SEE the video at the top of this article for more details.)
For example, said Siegel, "Did your mother or father have something very young?"
In that case, he might then send patients for screenings or tests earlier than usual, again depending on each patient's personal background.
Angelica Stabile and Caroline Thayer of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.