World News | King Charles Speaks out About Daunting, Frightening Aspects of Cancer Diagnosis

London, May 1 (PTI) Britain's King Charles III hosted a special reception at Buckingham Palace in London to celebrate the work of the country's cancer charities and spoke of his own cancer diagnosis while addressing the gathering.

The 76-year-old monarch, whose treatment for an unidentified form of cancer is ongoing, said it had given him a deeper appreciation of the “extraordinary work” undertaken by the organisations and individuals who care for the estimated 390,000 people in the UK every year with a cancer diagnosis.

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“That is over 1,000 new cases every single day. Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones,” Charles said at the reception on Wednesday evening.

“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… it has reinforced what I have long observed during these visits – that the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion,” he said.

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The royal event was aimed at spotlighting the work that community-based organisations do to support those living with cancer and to raise awareness of preventative actions people can take to avoid the disease.

Speaking on behalf of himself and his wife, Queen Camilla, Charles said they have been repeatedly struck by the profound impact of human connection shown by specialist nurses, hospice volunteers and support groups.

“These moments of kinship create what I might call a ‘community of care', one that sustains patients through the most difficult of times," he said.

He expressed heartfelt appreciation to everyone contributing to the cause — from researchers and volunteers to fundraisers.

"Your commitment to early diagnosis, evermore successful therapies and truly holistic care represents the very best our country can offer,” he added.

It came as the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) said it had become the first in Europe to offer a new cancer injection for more than a dozen types of the disease.

The injectable form of immunotherapy, Nivolumab, means patients can receive their fortnightly or monthly treatment in five minutes instead of up to an hour via an IV drip.

The NHS said its new “super-jab' can be used to treat 15 cancer types, including skin cancer, bladder, and oesophagus, and it is estimated around 1,200 patients in England per month could benefit.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “Immunotherapy has already been a huge step forward for many NHS patients with cancer, and being able to offer it as an injection in minutes means we can make the process far more convenient.

“This treatment is used for 15 different types of the disease, so it will free up thousands of valuable clinicians' time every year, allowing teams to treat even more patients and helping hospital capacity.”

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