Sarah Ferguson Honors Cancer Prevention Action Week With a Special Message (& Brief Health Update)

Sarah Ferguson wants you to think twice before putting off your routine health checkups.

On Instagram, the Duchess of York marked Cancer Prevention Action Week by encouraging her fans to prioritize their health. She shared a stunning photo of herself in a chic pink suit and wrote, "I would like to urge anyone who is able to be diligent with their health checkups. I’m determined to do whatever I can to help raise awareness by sharing my experience."

The 64-year-old royal went on to explain how her own cancer diagnosis was a wake-up call. She said, "I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, this year, and had it not been for the diligence and care of my physicians, my situation could have been so much worse."

She continued, "It was a busy 2023, and I almost put off my routine mammogram, but my sister Jane convinced me to go. After undergoing a mastectomy and reconstruction, I could only hope that I was in the clear, which is why a new diagnosis of skin cancer came as a shock."

In case you missed it, the duchess was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2023. Then, in January 2024, Ferguson's rep confirmed a second cancer diagnosis. The statement (obtained by People) read, “Following her diagnosis with an early form of breast cancer this summer, Sarah, Duchess of York has now been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.”

Since then, the royal has been raising awareness and sharing personal updates, urging her fans to stay "diligent" when it comes to signs of melanoma.