CNN star reporter Christiane Amanpour surprised audiences Monday when she announced her doctor had discovered cancer in her ovaries, and she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment and major surgery to treat the health emergency.
Amanpour had previously been absent for four weeks to recover from her surgery, she told viewers in her announcement.
She said she had the “very best possible long-term prognosis” and was confident that her cancer treatment would be successful.
“For the CNN News channel, I’m back in the seat from London,” Amanpour’s announcement, made live on-air in her opening monologue, began. “I want to first thank Bianna Golodryga and the whole team for holding down the fort for the past four weeks, which have been a bit of a roller coaster for me. Because during that time, like millions of women around the world, I have 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,” she said.
Amanpour also made a dig at U.S. health insurance during the monologue.
“I’m also fortunate to have health insurance through work and incredible doctors who are treating me in a country underpinned by, of course, the brilliant NHS,” she said, a reference to the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.
“I’m telling you this in the interest of transparency but, in truth, really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis,” she said. “To 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.”
“So, that’s my news,” she concluded before launching into her nightly show.
https://twitter.com/camanpour/status/1404491523073392640
“I want to applaud Christiane Amanpour for her candor, bravery and always working towards the greater good,” CNN President Jeff Zucker said in a statement.
“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.”
The Horn editorial team