'Personal blessing': King Charles reveals cancer treatment can be scaled back

Charles, 77, had been receiving treatment after he was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last year.

A man waves

King Charles made the announcement during a televised address. Source: AAP, AP / Hollie Adams

King Charles said on Friday that his doctors can reduce his treatment for cancer in the new year, describing the moment as a "blessing" and testament to remarkable medical advances.

Charles, 77, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last February, and made the latest announcement in a televised broadcast as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in Britain.

"I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors' orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year," he said.

"This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years."

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said his medical treatment will now "move into a precautionary phase" but doctors will continuously monitor his health.
The public remarks about his experience of cancer and his health condition are unusual for the royal family, which traditionally does not reveal much about the personal lives of its members.

The Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the advice from the cancer experts is that "it is preferable that His Majesty does not address his own specific condition but rather speaks to those affected by all forms of the disease".

Tests detected his cancer after a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace said in February 2024. At the time, the palace said it would not provide regular updates on his treatment, and did not give details about the cancer.
After some time away from the spotlight, Charles, who ascended to the throne in 2022, returned to public duties in April this year with a busy schedule of ceremonies, appearances and foreign trips.

In March, Buckingham Palace said Charles was briefly hospitalised after suffering side effects from his cancer treatment, which were not specified.


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Source: Reuters



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