Sarah Ferguson’s health history revealed – from her ‘scary’ breast cancer diagnosis and mastectomy to ‘disturbing’ melanoma detection

By Liam On Jan 22, 2024

Sarah Ferguson last night revealed her shock skin cancer diagnosis, which comes just a few months after she was treated for breast cancer.

The Duchess of York, 64, had a number of moles removed during breast reconstruction last year. One turned out to be malignant.

The mother-of-two was described as ‘in good spirits’ after the ‘disturbing’ news.

Following her diagnosis with malignant melanoma – the fifth most common form of cancer in Britain – she has urged fans to ‘be diligent’ and check their moles.

Here, MailOnline details the Duchess’s health history.

In June 2023, it emerged that the Duchess had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a successful one-off mastectomy.

Speaking on her podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah, Sarah Ferguson, 64, in July said she didn’t feel she had been ‘brave’ or ‘courageous’

Breast cancer diagnosis

In June 2023, it emerged that the Duchess had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a successful one-off mastectomy at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London.

Her cancer nightmare began in the spring, when a routine mammogram appointment in London revealed something was seriously wrong before the coronation.

The test in early May showed that there was a ‘shadow’ in her chest.

A source close to the Duchess told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Most people usually associate breast cancer with a lump, but that’s not always the case.

The Duchess opened up about how Beatrice and Eugenie had reacted to her breast cancer diagnosis, saying it had been ‘terrifying’ for the whole family

‘A lump can be detected by the patient, but this was a ‘shadow’, which can go unnoticed because it is a wider spread of cancer cells that can be picked up by screening.

‘In Sarah’s case, a biopsy was taken from the shadowy area of tissue and a few days later the results came back to confirm the diagnosis: breast cancer.’

Due to the size of the area affected, a lumpectomy was ruled out and Sarah was strongly advised to proceed with a single mastectomy.

Doctors said a mastectomy would eradicate the shadow of cancer cells on the breast.

The Duchess was said to be devastated but was determined to go ahead with a mastectomy as soon as possible, telling her friends she had ‘no choice’ but to go ahead with the operation.

The Duchess thanked the two incredible surgeons Christina Choy and Stuart James who performed the operation and the entire medical team who worked tirelessly to help her

Christina Choy was the surgeon who performed the mastectomy.

Speaking on her Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah podcast in July, Sarah said she didn’t feel she had been ‘brave’ or ‘courageous’.

Recounting how Beatrice and Eugenie had reacted to her diagnosis, she said: ‘I think it’s scary for every family member out there, you really start to look at your own demise. It’s a wake-up call and you think: how do I deal with this?’

Once the mastectomy was completed, plastic surgeon Stuart James, once praised by Tatler magazine as one of the country’s best breast doctors, took over and performed breast reconstruction using the ‘DIEP flap’ technique.

The special procedure is so complex that only highly skilled surgeons are allowed to attempt it.

The 64-year-old was diagnosed with the disease and underwent a successful one-off mastectomy at King Edward VII’s Hospital in London

It involves making an incision in the abdomen and removing fat from the stomach to form a new breast.

Experts say this can take more than six hours because it involves microvascular surgery, which involves cutting and then rejoining delicate 2mm blood vessels.

After the operation, a friend of the Duchess said: ‘The operation took a very long time – eight hours long – and there was more to it than people think.

“The message she wants to get out today is that she is very grateful to those who saved her and that she feels very lucky to be alive.”

Diagnosis of malignant melanoma

Last night the Duchess revealed she is battling skin cancer.

Several moles were removed during reconstructive surgery after her mastectomy in June.

Only one mole was identified as cancer.

A spokesperson for Sarah, Duchess of York said: ‘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 cancerous.

‘She is undergoing further investigation to ensure this is caught at an early stage.’

Sarah Ferguson has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Pictured: The Duchess of York at the Christmas morning service at Sandringham Church

The spokesperson added that it is “concerning” to be re-diagnosed so soon after breast cancer treatment, but that she remains “in good spirits.”

“The Duchess would like to thank the entire medical team who supported her, especially her dermatologist, whose vigilance ensured that the disease was detected when it occurred,” the spokesperson added.

‘She believes her experience underlines the importance of checking the size, shape, color and texture and the appearance of new moles that could be a sign of melanoma.’

The Duchess will be treated by Dr. Andrew Furness, a medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, and by Catherine Borysiewicz, a dermatologist at the King Edward VII Hospital in London.

What is malignant melanoma?

Malignant melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that starts in melanocytes, cells in the top layer of the skin that produce melanin, which gives the skin its color.

Although it is less common than other types of skin cancer, it is more dangerous because it can spread more quickly to other organs if not treated early.

Symptoms

A new mole or a change in an existing mole can be signs of melanoma.

Melanomas can occur anywhere on your body, but are more common in areas that are frequently exposed to the sun.

Some rarer types can affect the eyes, soles of the feet, palms of the hands, or genitals.

Check your skin for unusual changes. Use a mirror or ask a partner or friend to check areas you can’t see.

In particular, look for:

Birthmarks with an uneven shape or edges
Moles with a mix of colors
Large moles – melanomas are often more than 6 mm wide
Birthmarks that change size, shape or color over time

Causes

Ultraviolet (UV) light is the most common cause of melanoma. It comes from the sun and is used in tanning beds.

Melanoma is more common in older people, but younger people can also get it.

You are also more likely to develop melanoma if you:

Pale skin that burns easily in the sun
Red or blond hair
Blue or green eyes
A large number of freckles or moles
Have had a lot of sun exposure and have been burned many times in the past
Lots of use of sunbeds
A history of skin cancer in your family or you have previously had skin cancer

If you have black or brown skin, you are less likely to get melanoma, but you can still get it.

Prevention

Staying safe in the sun is the best way to reduce the risk of skin cancer (both melanoma and non-melanoma).

Do the following:

Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day (11am to 3pm in Britain)
Keep your arms and legs covered and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that protect against ultraviolet (UV) rays
Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and at least 4-star UVA protection – make sure you reapply regularly
Make sure babies and children are protected from the sun; their skin is much more sensitive than the skin of adults

Therapy

Melanoma skin cancer can often be treated. The treatment you receive depends on where the disease is located, whether the disease has spread, and your general health.

Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma. Sometimes radiotherapy, medications and chemotherapy are also used.

Surgery may involve removing the melanoma and an area of healthy skin around it, swollen lymph nodes if the cancer has spread to them, and other parts of the body if the cancer has spread to them.

If a large portion of skin needs to be removed, a skin graft may be necessary, where relatives can be taken from another part of the body to cover the area where the melanoma was.

Radiation therapy is sometimes used to reduce the size of large melanomas and to control and relieve symptoms.

Targeted medications and immotherapy are used to treat melanomas that cannot be treated surgically or that have spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy, which kills cancer cells, is sometimes used to treat advanced melanoma when it has spread to another part of the body. It doesn’t work as well as other treatments, but can be used if you can’t get it.

How dangerous is it?

General for people with melanoma in England:

almost all people (nearly 100%) survive their melanoma for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed
about 90 in 100 people (about 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis
more than 85 in 100 people (more than 85%) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed

Sources: NHS, the Skin Cancer Foundation and Cancer Research UK