King Charles shares 'good news' that cancer treatment will be reduced in 2026

Britain's King Charles III, who has broken royal taboos to talk openly about battling cancer, has revealed the "good news" that his treatment will be pared back next year.

In a rare and "personal message" filmed for an annual TV fundraising campaign for cancer research, the monarch also urged Britons to take advantage of UK screening programmes.

"Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to 'doctors' orders', my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year," Charles said.

The 77-year-old king announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer the previous month.

"I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming," the king acknowledged in his video message shown on Channel 4 television as part of the national Stand Up To Cancer campaign.

"Yet I also know that early detection is the key that can transform treatment journeys, giving invaluable time to medical teams - and, to their patients, the precious gift of hope."

Charles did not reveal what kind of cancer he is being treated for, nor did he specify what kind of treatment he is receiving.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X that "early cancer screening saves lives".

He added that speaking "for the entire country" he was "glad" that Charles's treatment will be reduced in the new year.

The king said he had been deeply troubled to learn that "at least nine million people in our country are not up to date with the cancer screenings available to them".

"That is at least nine million opportunities for early diagnosis being missed," he stressed, as he also praised "advances" in cancer treatments and care.

He highlighted how when "bowel cancer is caught at the earliest stage, around nine in 10 people survive for at least five years. When diagnosed late, that falls to just one in 10".

Royal sources said it should not be assumed the king was being treated for bowel cancer.

The king's willingness to talk about his illness is a marked departure from the reign of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose health was for decades a closely-guarded secret.

Fundraisers and celebrity challenges have been taking place throughout the week leading up to Friday's show.

Stand Up To Cancer says to date it has raised more than £113 million ($151 million) to aid research into more than 20 different types of cancer.

'Best of humanity' 

Charles's cancer was detected in January 2024 during treatment for a benign prostate condition for which he had surgery. The palace has said he does not have prostate cancer.

Just six weeks after Charles announced his diagnosis, his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed she also had cancer and had begun chemotherapy. The mother of three young children has also never discussed what kind of cancer she was suffering from.

In January, the princess, also known as Kate, announced she was in remission and cancer-free, after what her husband, heir to the throne Prince William, admitted had been a "brutal" year and the "hardest" of his life.

The king suspended his public duties for a few weeks before resuming them in April 2024.

He has stepped up his activities over the past year, making many trips around Britain, hosting world leaders such as US President Donald Trump, and visiting places such as Canada and the Vatican.

He was briefly hospitalised in March after experiencing "side effects" from his ongoing cancer treatment.

In a candid written message during a reception in April at Buckingham Palace for cancer campaigners, the monarch acknowledged that every cancer diagnosis is "daunting and at times frightening."

"But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity," he said.
Agence France-Presse