Sarah Ferguson 'resilient and in good spirits' after second cancer diagnosis

Doctors made the discovery while treating her for breast cancer
Robert Dex @RobDexES22 January 2024

The Duchess of York is said to be “resilient and in good spirits” after her second cancer diagnosis in a year.

The 64-year-old, who was treated for breast cancer in June, has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.

A friend of the Duchess told People Magazine the second diagnosis had been “a shock and a blow” but she was “very resilient and in good spirits”.

Sarah, Duchess of York (Jonathan Brady/PA)
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A spokesman for the Duchess, who is said to be recovering at home with her family, said: “Following her diagnosis with an early form of breast cancer this summer, Sarah, Duchess of York has now been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.

“Her dermatologist asked that several moles were removed and analysed at the same time as the Duchess was undergoing reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy, and one of these has been identified as cancerous.

“She is undergoing further investigations to ensure that this has been caught in the early stages.

“Clearly, another diagnosis so soon after treatment for breast cancer has been distressing but the Duchess remains in good spirits.

“The Duchess wants to thank the entire medical team which has supported her, particularly her dermatologist whose vigilance ensured the illness was detected when it was.

“She believes her experience underlines the importance of checking the size, shape, colour and texture and emergence of new moles that can be a sign of melanoma.”

It comes only days after it emerged the Princess of Wales is recovering in hospital after abdominal surgery while the King will be treated for an enlarged prostate this week.

In June, the duchess’s breast cancer was found at an early stage during a routine mammogram and she had an operation at London’s King Edward VII’s Hospital, which has treated the royal family for decades.

The duchess is a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and spoke at a Breast Cancer Foundation gala in 2019.

Her eldest daughter Princess Beatrice is patron of the British Skin Foundation and has worked with skin cancer patients.

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