In revealing a cancer diagnosis March 22, Kate Middelton said the cancer was detected following a surgical procedure — something oncologists say they encounter frequently.
"In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous," the princess of Wales said in a public statement. "The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present," she said, adding that she has begun a course of preventive chemotherapy, as recommended by her medical team. It is not known what type of cancer she has.
Following the news, oncologists told The New York Times that discovering cancer during another procedure has become all too common.
"Unfortunately, so much of the cancer we diagnose is unexpected," Elena Ratner, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Conn., told the news outlet.
The physician did not speculate on Ms. Middleton's procedure, though Dr. Ratner said she has seen instances in which women undergo surgery for endometriosis under the assumption that the condition has caused a benign ovarian cysts, with tests later showing the tissue is actually cancerous.
News of the princess' diagnosis comes as cancer rates rise among younger adults. The American Cancer Society projects the U.S. will see more than 2 million new cancer diagnoses in 2024 — a record high. Over the years, national data has shown diagnosis rates are rising among people younger than 50. From 2000 to 2019, the rate among this group jumped nearly 13% to 107.8 per 100,000 population.
"We need to focus on the messaging that young people need to be aware that they are also at risk," Fola May, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at Los Angeles-based UCLA Health, told The Washington Post. "It's not only older people anymore."