A bowel cancer survivor has suggested that the Royal Family missed a significant opportunity to promote public health awareness by not disclosing the specific types of cancer they were diagnosed with. Julia Lawrence, who successfully underwent treatment for Stage 1 bowel cancer in 2023, believes that greater candour from Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and King Charles could have prompted more people to seek medical advice.
Lawrence shared her own experience, detailing how her openness about her diagnosis on social media led to dozens of people ordering cancer screening tests and one friend undergoing preventative surgery. She contrasted this with the approach taken by the Princess of Wales and King Charles. Catherine revealed in March 2024 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer following major abdominal surgery in January, but did not specify the type. This lack of detail fueled widespread conspiracy theories.
Similarly, King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate, though it was confirmed not to be prostate cancer. Buckingham Palace stated the King decided not to reveal the specific type of his illness on the advice of cancer experts, aiming to speak to those affected by all forms of the disease. However, Lawrence argues that this ambiguity represents a lost opportunity.
"Instead of all those keyboard warriors flooding the internet with their mad musings, they could have been prompting people to check out their symptoms," Lawrence wrote. "Countless conversations just didn’t happen, or were diverted down pointless paths, and from that we can perhaps rightfully assume lives were needlessly lost."
Lawrence cited historical examples where public figures' openness about their health struggles had a tangible positive impact. Former U.S. First Lady Betty Ford's disclosure of her breast cancer diagnosis in 1974 is credited with a surge in breast self-examinations and mammograms. In the UK, reality TV star Jade Goody's public battle with cervical cancer reportedly led to a significant increase in women attending smear tests. More recently, Dame Deborah James's campaigning on bowel cancer awareness before her death in 2022 resulted in a record-breaking spike in NHS cancer referrals, a movement Lawrence believes likely influenced her own timely diagnosis.
Lawrence described her own diagnosis process, which began with a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) ordered by her GP after detecting blood. An urgent colonoscopy revealed a 4cm tumor, which was successfully removed in surgery. She emphasized the quality of care she received through the NHS but noted that the spikes in testing prompted by public awareness campaigns tend to fall off as public conversation quiets.
"I have no idea what either the King or the Princess of Wales have, but just imagine the reaction to a campaign on, say, bowel cancer, headed by Kate, the most demure, feminine person imaginable – or the King detailing the early symptoms of bladder cancer to older men – it would be extraordinary," Lawrence stated. "They have the platform; they have the following. All they need is the guts to speak out."