What Type of Cancer Does Kate Middleton Have?

Kate Middleton.

Kate Middleton's cancer news shocked the world—and the Princess of Wales said that the news was a "huge shock" to her and Prince William as well.

In a video released on March 22, Middleton said she was still recovering from the "major abdominal surgery" she underwent in January, but that cancer was detected after the procedure.

"My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment," she said.

"At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer," Middleton added. "For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone."

In January, Kensington Palace announced that Middleton had undergone planned abdominal surgery and wouldn't make public appearances again until after Easter.

Here's what we know about the Princess' cancer battle so far about what type of cancer Kate Middleton has.

Related: Kate Middleton Health Updates

What type of cancer does Kate Middleton have?

So far, neither Middleton nor Kensington Palace have revealed the specific type of cancer with which Middleton was diagnosed.

A source told Us Weekly that William and Middleton found out she had cancer in late February, the day William abruptly canceled his attendance at his godfather's memorial service.

"They wanted to wait to tell the world the news until their children were off school for the Easter break so they could have time to process the news before the whole world was talking about it," the insider said. "They aren't revealing what type of cancer it is."

In an interview with TMZ, Dr. George Crawford, a surgeon who hasn't treated Princess Kate, speculated that Middleton may have one of two types of cancers: uterine cancer or ovarian cancer.

Related: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Kate Middleton

He explained that often with cancers of the female reproductive system, especially uterine cancer and ovarian cancer, patients may undergo surgery for what's initially believed to be cysts or fibroids.

Dr. Crawford said that doctors often can't tell patients exactly what these masses are until they've been removed and examined for further testing.

"I'm guessing what probably happened is they were doing just that—assuming they were removing just a cyst or removing her uterus for something benign, [and] when they sent it for evaluation, it came back [as having] cancer," Dr. Crawford said. He said that with the likelihood of getting a quick biopsy result, her care team may have changed the course of her surgery as it was happening.

Dr. Crawford noted that Middleton likely required at least four to six weeks of recovery after her surgery before her preventative chemotherapy could begin, as starting chemo too soon could be too much for even an otherwise healthy person's body and immune system to handle.

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