FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa. — Princess of Wales Kate Middleton hasn't revealed details of the cancer diagnosis she recently addressed in a video to the world.
But a local oncologist is weighing in on Middleton’s condition for those unfamiliar with abdominal cancers.
Dr. Debasmita Saha, a hematologist medical oncologist with St. Luke’s University Health Network, said that while the princess did not reveal exactly which type of cancer she has, there are a few different types that occur in that region of the body.
"It could be gynecologic cancers, like ovarian cancers or uterine cancers, or anything involving the GYN tract, like fallopian tube cancers. Or it could be colon cancer, which would also be an abdominal surgery."Dr. Debasmita Saha, a hematologist medical oncologist with St. Luke’s University Health Network
"It could be gynecologic cancers, like ovarian cancers or uterine cancers, or anything involving the GYN tract, like fallopian tube cancers," said Saha, whose focus is gastrointestinal cancers.
"Or it could be colon cancer, which would also be an abdominal surgery.
“You can also find incidental pancreatic cancers or gastric cancers, but I think mostly it's either colon or gynecologic cancer."
Likely 'early stage cancer'
In her video, the princess detailed how her doctors found cancer while she was undergoing abdominal surgery.
"Cancer surgery is different from regular surgery, even if you're talking about the same organ," Saha said. "So once you get there, you may have to change your approach for the surgery.
"Sometimes you may not even know it during the surgery, but you only find out once that specimen is sent to the lab and the pathologist looks at it and they incidentally find cancer."
"When you say preventative chemotherapy, we're usually assuming that the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body. I think it's an early stage cancer, by early it could be anywhere from stage one to stage three, but it doesn't sound like it's something that's a stage four or metastatic cancer."Dr. Debasmita Saha, a hematologist medical oncologist with St. Luke’s University Health Network
Middleton said she is receiving preventive chemotherapy, which Saha explained is given to reduce that risk of the cancer coming back after the cancer has been removed.
Saha said more people are being diagnosed with colorectal and gynecological cancers at a younger age, so it's important to pay attention to symptoms and seek medical attention.
"When you say preventative chemotherapy, we're usually assuming that the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body,” she said.
"I think it's an early stage cancer, by early it could be anywhere from stage one to stage three, but it doesn't sound like it's something that's a stage four or metastatic cancer."
Preventive measures
Saha talked about some preventative measures that can be taken to help reduce the risk of these and other types of cancer.
“Eating healthy, more fruits, vegetables, less red meat, less processed foods. Exercising regularly are some of the things that you can do, but then we still see patients that eat healthy and are very active that still have cancer.”Dr. Debasmita Saha, a hematologist medical oncologist with St. Luke’s University Health Network
“Eating healthy, more fruits, vegetables, less red meat, less processed foods," she said.
“Exercising regularly are some of the things that you can do, but then we still see patients that eat healthy and are very active that still have cancer.”
Saha explained that there’s been a rise of cancer instances in people under age 50 over the past few years, specifically colon and gynecologic cancers.
Middleton is 42.
Saha stressed the importance of paying attention to symptoms and seeking medical attention if they should arise.
