CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, 63, reveals she's been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent surgery followed by chemotherapy

  • Christiane Amanpour shared news of her cancer battle during her CNN International show on Monday 
  • Amanpour said she had successful surgery to remove the tumor and was undergoing chemotherapy 'for the very best possible longterm prognosis'
  • Veteran CNN correspondent and anchor thanked her UK doctors and urged women to listen to their bodies and get all regular screenings 
  • Ovarian cancer is the eighth-most common cancer for women
  • American Cancer Society estimates that more than 21,000 women in the US will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer this year 

By Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour revealed on Monday she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. 

Amanpour, 63, shared news of her cancer battle at the top of the latest installment of her CNN International show. 

'I've had successful major surgery to remove it, and I am now going through several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible longterm prognosis, and I am confident,' the veteran reporter said matter-of-factly into the camera. 

CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour revealed on Monday she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer

CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour revealed on Monday she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer

Amanpour said she had successful surgery to remove the tumor and was undergoing chemotherapy 'for the very best possible longterm prognosis'
Amanpour is 63 years old

Amanpour said she had successful surgery to remove the tumor and was undergoing chemotherapy 'for the very best possible longterm prognosis'

Amanpour, who lives in the UK, said she was fortunate to have health insurance through work and offered words of praise for doctors treating her through the UK's 'brilliant' National Health Service.  

'I am telling you this in the interest of transparency, but really as a shout out to most early diagnosis,' Amanpour said, urging women to get all 'regular screenings and scans,' listen to their bodies and 'ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished.'

Monday marked Amanpour's first day back in the anchor's chair after a four-week absence from her CNN show. She thanked her colleague Bianna Golodryga for filling in for her.

Amanpour, pictured delivering a keynote address at the 2019 James W. Foley Awards at the National Press Club, urged women to get all 'regular screenings and scans'

Amanpour, pictured delivering a keynote address at the 2019 James W. Foley Awards at the National Press Club, urged women to get all 'regular screenings and scans'

Amanpour is an award-winning journalist who's been at CNN, off and on, since 1983. She is pictured with her Directorate Award during the 2019 International Emmy Awards Gala

Amanpour is an award-winning journalist who's been at CNN, off and on, since 1983. She is pictured with her Directorate Award during the 2019 International Emmy Awards Gala

Golodryga later tweeted at Amanpour, saying: '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. It’s been a privilege helping you and your extraordinary team.'

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Amanpour has covered major crises in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea.

She has won a range of TV journalism awards, including 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards and four Peabody Awards. 

She has been at CNN off and on since 1983, beginning as an entry-level desk assistant and rising through the ranks to become the cable news network's chief international correspondent ,as well as the anchor of a self-titled daily interview program. 

In 2010, Amanpour left CNN to ABC News, which tapped her to anchor This Week, but she returned to CNN in 2012.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Amanpour has covered major crises in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Amanpour has covered major crises in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea

In 2018, PBS announced that Amanpour permanently would replace Charlie Rose, who left amid allegations of sexual misconduct. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been hosting her PBS show Amanpour & Company from her home in London. 

Amanpour has a grown son, Darius, with her former husband, American diplomat and journalist James Rubin. The couple divorced in 2018 after a 10-year marriage. 

Ovarian cancer is the eighth-most common cancer for women. American Cancer Society estimates that more than 21,000 women in the US will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer this year, and more than have will die from it. 

This cancer mainly develops in older women. About half of the women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are 63 years or older.

A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 78. Her lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about 1 in 108. 

WHAT IS OVARIAN CANCER AND WHAT ARE ITS SYMPTOMS?

Ovarian cancer is a cancer of the ovaries, which are part of the female reproductive system that contain their eggs. There are two ovaries and both are attached to the womb. Cancer on the ovaries can spread to the nearby bowel and bladder.

It is the eighth most common cancer among women, and is most common in women who have had the menopause but it can affect women of any age. 

About 66 per cent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in the more advanced stages of the disease.

At the time of diagnosis, 60 per cent of ovarian cancers will have already spread to other parts of the body, bringing the five-year survival rate down to 30 per cent from 90 per cent in the earliest stage.

It’s diagnosed so late because its location in the pelvis means the symptoms can be vague and difficult to recognise, particularly early on.

They're often the same as symptoms of less serious conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).

The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

  • Feeling constantly bloated 
  • A swollen tummy
  • Discomfort in your tummy or pelvic area 
  • Feeling full quickly when eating, or loss of appetite 
  • Needing to pee more often or more urgently than normal

See your GP if:

You've been feeling bloated most days for the last three weeks 

You have other symptoms of ovarian cancer that won't go away – especially if you're over 50 or have a family history of ovarian or breast cancer, as you may be at a higher risk 

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CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, 63, reveals she's been diagnosed with ovarian cancer

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