Catherine, Princess of Wales, ‘doing what I can to stay cancer free’ after finishing chemotherapy

 

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has said she has completed her chemotherapy and is “doing what I can to stay cancer free,” as she plans to return gradually to public life in the coming months.

Catherine, who revealed in March she has been diagnosed with cancer, said in a highly personal video released Monday that she is entering a “new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”
The princess, known as Kate, has made just two public appearances since her diagnosis, which came after she underwent major abdominal surgery shortly after Christmas.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” said Kate, 42, who is married to the heir to the British throne, 

Prince William.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus,” she continued. “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”

In a video message showing scenes from the English summer, Kate, William and their three children – Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George – are seen walking through forests, picnicking, playing among sand dunes and wading in the sea.

“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family,” she says in the video, filmed last month in Norfolk, on England’s eastern coast. “The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.”

"This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved,” Kate says in the video message.

She said she is looking forward to returning to work and will be “undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can,” keeping a light schedule to allow her to recover fully. She is expected to attend the annual Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in London in November, honoring those who have served in war.

Dr. William Dahut, Chief Scientific Officer of the American Cancer Society, said the first six to 24 months after chemotherapy were usually the “most critical period” for cancer patients “because if signs of the cancer cells were to come shortly after chemotherapy it would imply there was resistance to that form of chemo.”

He also noted that chemotherapy had side effects that depended on the age of the patient and the type of treatment.

“Monitoring long-term side effects, like cardiac issues and neuropathy will certainly be important for her overall health,” he said, adding, “I think the message is, in order to fully recover, she’ll need attention to every aspect of her wellness beyond her cancer.”