Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York refuses to describes herself as a breast cancer “sufferer” because she wants to be seen as a “fighter”.
Sarah Ferguson has spoken candidly about being a cancer survivor
The 64-year-old royal underwent a single mastectomy after being diagnosed with the disease in 2023 and Sarah has revealed she’s very careful about the language she uses when referring to her health battle because she is proud to be a “survivor”.
She told HELLO! magazine: “I’m a patient of breast cancer. I don’t want to say ‘sufferer’ because I am not a sufferer. I am a fighter and I’m a great survivor, and I love the fact that I’m here … being a voice to help save lives.”
Sarah was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer just months after she went public with her breast cancer fight, but she has now put her treatment behind her and earlier this month she revealed she marked her 65th birthday by reflecting on an “extraordinary” year.
In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “Thank you for all of your wonderful birthday wishes! I’m feeling incredibly grateful to be here every day, to smell the flowers, to read and write, and to be able to see my daughters and my grandchildren.
“It has been an extraordinary, full year – a year of recovery and of growth – and I just feel so lucky. Thank you again to all of you who made it so and who took the time to send me birthday wishes. [sic]”
Sarah previously admitted she feared her cancer diagnosis was a “death sentence” when her doctors first told her the news.
Writing for The Sun newspaper, she explained: “When you’re told you have cancer, you can’t help thinking it’s a death sentence.
“Your mind goes to the darkest places and you wonder what lies ahead and how you are going to share the news with your family.
“That was certainly the case for me last year when a routine mammogram detected breast cancer, something I had always dreaded.
“I had almost missed the appointment as I couldn’t face a journey into central London on a hot summer’s day and thought I would put it off.”
The Duchess almost missed the appointment because she couldn’t face the trip to the clinic, and revealed the “life-saving” moment only came about at the behest of her sister Jane.
She added: “I’m living proof of the importance of never skipping screening appointments and always getting symptoms checked out promptly.”