CNN Anchor Christiane Amanpour Reveals Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour announced on Monday, June 14, that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The 63-year-old appeared on air to thank her colleagues for covering the past few weeks, which, she admitted, "have been a bit of a rollercoaster for me."
"During that time, like millions of women around the world, I have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer," she explained. "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."
The journalist, who is based in London, 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 the National Health Service in the U.K.
"I'm telling you this in the interest of transparency but in truth really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis," Amanpour 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."
As she still has to undergo chemotherapy, Amanpour anticipates that she will be anchoring Mondays through Wednesdays. She will also be off the air for three weeks for previously scheduled time off at the end of the month.
Coworkers and fans took to social media to send Amanpour well wishes.
"Thank you for being open, it is so important and typical of how strong and brave you’ve always been. Courage and honesty is your trademark. You will beat this too," NBC's chief foreign affairs correspondent and anchor Andrea Mitchell wrote.
"Wishing my colleague and media shero @camanpour the absolute best as she undergoes chemo. You got this, we’re all with you," politican commentator S.E. Cupp shared.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer wished Amanpour "a speedy recovery" and dubbed her "a world class journalist and a wonderful friend."
"I want to applaud Christiane Amanpour for her candor, bravery and always working towards the greater good. As a cancer survivor, I too encourage people to listen to their bodies and get all early cancer screenings available to them. From our CNN family, we wish Christiane the very best for a full and speedy recovery," CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker said in a statement.
