Sarah Ferguson Urges Fans to Prioritize 'Health Checks' After Her Second Cancer Diagnosis in 1 Year

Sarah Ferguson is using her cancer battle to advocate for health care, and the Duchess of York is being candid about the emotional toll her two cancer battles have had on her. The former royal took to Instagram on Tuesday, February 20, to share her health woes in honor of Cancer Prevention Action Week.

"I would like to urge anyone who is able to be diligent with their health checkups. I’m determined to do whatever I can to help raise awareness by sharing my experience," Ferguson wrote in a caption. "I was diagnosed with b------ cancer in 2023 and melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, this year and had it not been for the diligence and care of my physicians, my situation could have been so much worse."

The author had a mastectomy last summer, and she leaned on her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, and their daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, during her recovery.

"It was a busy 2023 and I almost put off my routine mammogram, but my sister Jane convinced me to go," she added. "After undergoing a mastectomy and reconstruction, I could only hope that I was in the clear, which is why a new diagnosis of skin cancer came as a shock. I’m now in the best hands and feeling positive with the support of my family."

Ferguson currently has over 600,000 followers on Instagram, and she is using the platform to educate fans on the disease.

"Days could make the difference between life and death, so please don’t skip or put off your #healthchecks and urge your loved ones to go to theirs," the mom-of-two concluded.

OK! previously reported the famous redhead revealed her condition on Thursday, February 22.

“I have been taking some time to myself as I have been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, my second cancer diagnosis within a year after I was diagnosed with b----- cancer this summer and underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery,” Ferguson wrote in a social media post.

“It was thanks to the great vigilance of my dermatologist that the melanoma was detected when it was," she continued.

Although Ferguson considered the news "a shock," she admitted that she was in “good spirits and grateful for the many messages of love and support.”

“I am resting with family at home now, feeling blessed to have their love and support,” she concluded.

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Aside from her wellness journey, Ferguson continues to support Andrew after he was accused of assaulting another minor in connection to Jeffrey Epstein's court case. Currently, the former flames still reside together in the Royal Lodge despite their divorce being finalized in 1996.

"Even though they're not married, she is very much on hand nonstop to just keep him going," royal editor Charlotte Griffiths told GB News.

"There are some basic things that you can do if you're a posh royal living in the country, and actually he's been socially outcast from even some of those," she continued. "So he certainly can't do any charity work or any royal work of any kind. Especially now in the light of this second batch of documents."