PETALING JAYA, June 15 — CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour has opened up about her battle with ovarian cancer.
Amanpour shared the news yesterday at the beginning of her daily TV programme, calling the past four weeks of her life “a bit of a rollercoaster.”
“Like millions of women around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“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,” said Amanpour.
Some personal news from me: pic.twitter.com/D5noRnfXfA
— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) June 14, 2021
The 63-year-old, best known for her hard-hitting coverage of international conflicts, has not appeared on air for the past four weeks due to her diagnosis.
Speaking from her home in London, Amanpour thanked her colleagues and CNN's senior global affairs analyst Bianna Golodryga who helped fill in for her in the interview programme Amanpour while she focused on getting better.
Amanpour said she feels "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 United Kingdom.
She also underscored the importance of early diagnosis and encouraged women to learn more about ovarian cancer, get regular health screenings, and advocate for themselves when seeking medical help.
“I'm telling you this in the interest of transparency but in truth, really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis.
“I 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.”
Golodryga retweeted a video of Amanpour’s segment yesterday and commended her for her resilience in the fight against cancer.
“You’re not only one of the best journalists in the business, you’re also one of the toughest.
“Wishing you a speedy and healthy recovery in the weeks ahead. No doubt you’ll end up on top,” wrote Golodryga.
In a statement, CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker wished Amanpour a speedy recovery on behalf of the whole CNN team.
As a cancer survivor himself, Zucker agreed that early diagnosis is crucial to ensure the best outlook for those living with the disease.
“I want to applaud Christiane Amanpour for her candour, 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.”
