Christiane Amanpour tells viewers she has cancer
By Jennifer Jett
LONDON – Christiane Amanpour, chief international anchor for CNN, has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she told viewers on Monday (14).
Amanpour, who had been off the air for four weeks because of her illness, shared the news at the start of her nightly interview program for CNN International, which is based in her hometown, London.
“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,” she said.
Amanpour, 63, said she was sharing the news because she wanted to be transparent, but mostly to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis. She urged 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.”
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women, with the lifetime risk of developing it at about one in 78, according to the American Cancer Society. It is also one of the deadliest cancers for women, largely because it is often detected only in its advanced stages. There is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer in women without symptoms, though an annual pelvic exam can be an important tool. Early detection is associated with higher survival rates.
Amanpour said 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,” referring to Britain’s National Health Service.
In a career spanning almost four decades, Amanpour has interviewed scores of global leaders and reported on conflicts all over the world. She joined CNN in 1983 as an entry-level assistant on the international assignment desk at its headquarters in Atlanta, later becoming a reporter for the network in New York and by 1992 its chief international correspondent. After a brief stint at ABC, she returned to CNN in 2012 as the host of ‘Amanpour’, a version of which also airs on PBS.
Friends and colleagues shared messages of support on Twitter.
“Sending love, giant hugs and healing thoughts to you, my friend,” said Judy Woodruff, the ‘PBS NewsHour’ anchor. “You will get through this, we are all out here pulling for you.”
Amanpour’s remarks took up only about the first minute of her show on Monday.
“So that’s my news,” she concluded. “Now let’s get to the news.”
-New York Times