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Christiane Amanpour, chief international anchor for CNN, revealed she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The journalist made the announcement to viewers on her show last night (June 14) after returning from a four-week hiatus, The New York Times reports.
She began her message by thanking her team for “holding down the fort the last four weeks, which have been a bit of a roller coaster for me,” before sharing her cancer diagnosis, which she said affects “millions” of women globally. The news anchor added, “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, who delivered the message from London, said she was “fortunate to have health insurance through work and incredible doctors who are treating me in a country underpinned by, of course, the brilliant NHS,” referencing the UK’s National Health Service.
After disclosing her diagnosis and treatment, Amanpour told viewers she was opening up about her health in hopes that it could help others. “I’m telling you this in the interest of transparency but in truth really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis,” she said, adding that 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.”
According to CNN, Amanpour will likely anchor Monday through Wednesday while she undergoes treatment for her illness. She will also be taking time off at the end of the month, which was previously scheduled and will last three weeks.
Amanpour first started at CNN in 1983 as an assistant, and eventually worked her way up to chief international correspondent by 1992. Since then, she’s risen to be one of the most accomplished and recognized broadcast journalists today, leading her eponymous show Amanpour on CNN since 2012.
Watch Amanpour’s full announcement from yesterday’s show in the video above.
