Veteran journalist and CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour revealed on Monday that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The 63-year-old Amanpour shared the news of her cancer battle and surgery with her viewers at the top of the latest installment of her CNN International show.
The veteran journalist also thanked her colleagues for filling in for her absence lately, when she was away for four weeks, saying that time was "a bit of a rollercoaster for me." Amanpour recently underwent surgery for the deadly disease and is still recovering but said that it is just the beginning of a long and difficult battle with the disease.
Fight a Tough Battle
Amanpour faced the camera after weeks following the surgery on Monday but looked quite confident on her return to journalism. "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.
"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 is "fortunate to have health insurance through work and incredible doctors who are treating me."
She also encouraged and urged all women to no take risk and go for diagnosis if they find anything wrong about their health. "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 listen to their bodies and "ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished."
Back with Renewed Vigor
Amanpur said that she is confident about defeating the disease but she still has to overcome a lot of hurdles in order to do so. Monday also 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.
In a motivating tweet, Golodryga later wrote, 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."
Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, and causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This cancer mainly develops in older women. About half of the women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are 63 years or older.
Amanpour is the latest in the long list of big names having diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In her three-decade long career Amanpour has covered some of the major news and crisis in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea.
She has also won a range of awards for her courageous television journalism, including 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards and four Peabody Awards. She has been with CNN off and on since 1983.
Amanpour started her career as an entry-level desk assistant at CNN and rose 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. However, she left for ABC in 2010, where she anchored the popular show, This Week, only to return to CNN in 2012.
