Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, the Duchess of York, announced that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone surgery, her representative told People.

“Sarah, Duchess of York, was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening. She was advised she needed to undergo surgery, which has taken place successfully,” the representative said.

Ferguson, 63, the former wife of Prince Andrew and mother of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, speaks openly about her breast cancer story with her cohost Sarah Thomson on her podcast, Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah. Titled “Renewed Perspective and the Beginning of a Journey,” episode 4 is posted below:

After the successful surgery at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, which has served the royal family for more than 120 years, the Duchess was released to recover at home, according to her representative.

“The Duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good. She is now recuperating with her family,” the rep said. ”The Duchess wants to express her immense gratitude to all the medical staff who have supported her in recent days."

The Duchess emphasized the importance of regular cancer screening, as she had no symptoms prior to the mammogram that resulted in her diagnosis.

For related articles, click #Breast Cancer, where you’ll find headlines such as “Shannen Doherty’s Breast Cancer Has Spread to Her Brain,” “Many Younger Women With Breast Cancer Can Safely Have a Baby” and “Mammograms at 40? Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Spark Fresh Debate.”

For more information, visit our Cancer Health Basics on Breast Cancer. It reads in part:

Who gets breast cancer?

 

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, after skin cancer. Nearly 300,000 women are diagnosed with invasive cancer annually, according to the American Cancer Society. Men can also develop breast cancer, but this is rare. People with BRCA mutations are at high risk for breast cancer.

 

Around a quarter of women with early breast cancer will go on to develop metastatic disease. About 15% of breast cancer patients have hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer (a very aggressive form of breast cancer), which is more common among young women and Black women.

 

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, besides being a woman and getting older, other factors that influence the risk of developing breast cancer include:

 

— Genetic mutations (including BRCA1 and BRCA2)

— Family history of breast cancer

— Early onset of menstruation or early menopause

— No full-term pregnancies or first pregnancy at an older age

— Not being physically active

— Overweight or obesity, especially after menopause

— Use of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy

— Previous radiation therapy

— Drinking alcohol.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

 

The most common sign of breast cancer is a lump or mass. A hard and painless mass is most likely to be malignant, but cancerous tumors can sometimes be tender, soft or painful. Other symptoms may include breast swelling, skin irritation or dimpling, breast or nipple pain, nipple retraction (turning inward), redness, scaliness or thickening of the nipples or skin of the breast and discharge from the nipple.