CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour has revealed she is being treated for ovarian cancer and had recently undergone surgery for the condition.
The 63-year-old then revealed she will undergo chemotherapy for a period of weeks as she continues to battle the disease.
Her announcement today came after she was noticeably absent from her hosting duties for her program for CNN’s international outlets in recent weeks.
‘I’ve had successful major surgery to remove it and I’m now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible long-term prognosis, and I’m confident,’ Amanpour said on her London-based show, according to metro.co.uk
The anchor, who had been off the air for the past four weeks due to the diagnosis pointed out that ovarian cancer is all too common, affecting ‘millions of women around the world.’
She added that she felt ‘fortunate to have health insurance through work and incredible doctors who are treating me in a country underpinned by, of course, the brilliant NHS (the UK’s National Health Service).’
After speaking about her surgery and chemotherapy, Amanpour added: ‘I’m telling you this in the interest of transparency but in truth really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis.’
The reporter explained she wanted to ‘urge women to educate themselves on this disease; to get all the regular screenings and scans that you can; to always listen to your bodies; and of course to ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished.’
Amanpour has become one of the best-known journalists in the world, after years of fearless coverage of multiple international conflicts.
Amanpour started working at CNN in 1983 an entry-level assistant on the international assignment desk at CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta.
*Culled from Metro.co.uk