#CNN’s Christiane Amanpour reveals ovarian cancer diagnosis

Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor, told viewers on Monday that she has 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,” Amanpour said at the top of her TV show.

The 63-year-old correspondent thanked her colleagues for filling in for her while she was away the last four weeks, saying that time was “a bit of a rollercoaster for me.”

“During that time, like millions of women around the world, I have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer,” she said.

Amanpour, who is based in London, said she felt “confident” about her prognosis and “fortunate to have health insurance through work and incredible doctors who are treating me.”

“I’m telling you this in the interest of transparency but in truth, really, mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis,” she said.

She urged women to “educate themselves on this disease to get all the regular screenings and scans that you can” and “to always listen to your body, and of course, to ensure your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished.” 

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer in the US, and causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.