Amanpour says she made her diagnosis public not only for transparency but also to highlight the importance of an early diagnosis and to “urge women to educate themselves on this disease.”

Christiane Maria Heideh Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor on Monday told viewers that she had recently undergone ovarian cancer surgery and will have chemotherapy treatment.

The 63-year-old who was then a war correspondent thanked Bianna Golodryga, senior global affairs analyst of CNN, for hosting the show while she was out. She also told viewers that the past four months she has not appeared on CNN has been a ‘bit of a roller coaster (ride)’.

Because during that time, like millions of women around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, ” Amanpour shared on Twitter.

She also said has recently undergone “major surgery” for ovarian cancer and will face months of chemotherapy treatment.

“I’ve had successful major surgery to remove it and am now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best long-term prognosis,” the veteran journalist added.

Amanpour’s coverage of the 1991 Gulf War which came after Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait propelled her to international TV audiences.

Women and ovarian cancer

Alongside The Emmy Award-winning journalist Amanpour’s ovarian surgery announcement is her message to women.

Amanpour said she made her diagnosis public not only for transparency but also to highlight the importance of an early diagnosis and to “urge women to educate themselves on this disease.

“…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.”Amanpour on a live telecast via CNN International.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that ovarian cancer is fifth in cancer deaths among women, which accounts for more deaths than any other female reproductive system cancer. 

Studies show that about 1 in 78 women has a chance of getting ovarian cancer in their lifetime. The American Cancer Society says that generally develops in older women with about half of those diagnosed being 63 years or older.

CDC  also says ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer in the United States. It accounts for the deaths of over 70,000 women from 2014 to 2018.

Data obtained by Mesowatch showed that an estimated 21,410 new ovarian cancer cases and 13,770 deaths could be reported in 2021. Given this number, some 10.9 in 100,000 women will die from cancer.