Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, just months after being treated for breast cancer. Guardian reported. The 64-year-old's spokesperson said the disease was discovered after several moles were removed when she was treated for breast cancer in June.
'Following her diagnosis with an early form of breast cancer this summer, Sarah, Duchess of York has now been diagnosed with malignant melanoma. “Her dermatologist requested that several moles be removed and analyzed at the same time that the Duchess underwent reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy, and one of these has been identified as cancer,” her spokesperson said.
Doctors are currently assessing whether the melanoma has been detected at an early stage. “She is undergoing further investigation to ensure this is caught at an early stage. “Another diagnosis so soon after breast cancer treatment was worrying, but the Duchess remains in good spirits,” her spokesperson added.
The spokesperson went on to say that the Duchess wanted to encourage everyone to remember the importance of checking the size, shape, color and texture and the appearance of new moles. According to the Mayo Clinic, melanoma can be successfully treated if caught early.
Remarkably, the Duchess underwent an eight-hour mastectomy last July after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Mrs Ferguson, who was formerly married to Prince Andrew, is mother to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York. Affectionately known in Britain as “Fergie”, she still shares a country house near Windsor Castle with Prince Andrew. He stepped down from royal duties following a sex abuse scandal linked to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Although the Duchess of York was no longer a royal after her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996, she continues to support private charities through her organization Sarah's Trust.
Meanwhile, news of the diagnosis comes as King Charles prepares for treatment for an enlarged prostate, while the Princess of Wales is recovering in hospital following abdominal surgery.