HEALTH – Six months of treatment, and a (first) piece of good news. Princess Kate Middleton, who has been battling cancer since the beginning of the year, announced on Monday, September 9, that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.
Kate Middleton on the cover of Tatler magazine, her portrait sparks indignation among Internet users
In a very personal video, filmed in the countryside with her husband William and their three children, she specifies however that everything is not finished. Although I have completed chemotherapy, my road to healing and full recovery remains long, and I have to keep taking each day as it comes,” she said after announcing.
This caution in terms is classic at this stage of the disease. “The word cure is rarely part of a doctor’s vocabulary when talking to patients being treated for cancer.”explains the National Cancer Institute website. Indeed, while the end of chemotherapy is a key step in the healing process, it does not necessarily mean that all cancer cells have been eliminated.
In the face of the risk of recurrence, surveillance continues
Some of them may persist in the body undetectable for a period of time, before starting to multiply again in the weeks, months or years following the end of treatment. This is called recurrence.
In the coming weeks, the Princess of Wales will therefore continue to undergo regular examinations to check for signs of recurrence. These examinations usually take the form of blood tests or various scans. Doctors often wait several years without signs of recurrence before talking about “complete remission” for a patient.
The word ” healing “ is thus very rarely used by health professionals about cancer, except in one particular case: medical statistics. You may have already read that one in two cancers is cured today, whereas this was the case for only one in three cancers thirty years ago. In this case, “The use of the word cure translates into ordinary language a notion called “the 5-year relative survival rate” ” explains the National Cancer Institute.
A return to public life “in the coming months”
While the princess gives top priority to her health, she also announced: “I am, however, looking forward to returning to work and undertaking public activities in the coming months when I am able.” It goes without saying that her schedule will be light, and she will continue to work from home for the most part at first. It is possible that she will be present at several commemorative events in November or for her annual Christmas carol concert, notes the BBC.
After announcing her cancer in late March, Kate made her first public appearance on June 15 at Charles III’s birthday parade. She waved to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the royal family, and was warmly cheered by the audience.
In a statement, Prince William’s wife had nevertheless declared that she was not “not out of the woods yet” and that she had had “good days and bad days”. Kate had explained that she “was making good progress”but that his treatment would continue for a few more months.
Her last public appearance was at the beginning of July, at Wimbledon, where she presented the trophy to the winner of the tennis tournament, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. There again, she was applauded at length. “We were truly touched by everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion,” she said in her latest video, thanking everyone who supported her.
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