What is Preventive Chemotherapy? Kate Middleton's illness timeline explored

In a rare video address, the Princess of Wales revealed that she was undergoing ‘preventive chemotherapy.’

Coming out of her private corner to put all conspiracy talk to rest, Kate Middleton released a statement with an accompanying video addressing the revelations that came to light after her abdominal surgery. On March 22, the Princess announced that she was “in the initial stage of a preventive chemotherapy course.”

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has revealed that she has cancer

Although chemotherapy is widely recognised as the drug treatment used to treat cancer and terminate fatal cells, Kate specifically underlined the type of procedure she was undergoing.

The same video also sheds light on the considerable timeline of her disease's discovery. In January 2024, Middleton underwent a major abdominal surgery in London. At the time, her condition was deemed non-cancerous, with the surgery successfully wrapping up. “However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” added the Duchess, who was then advised to undergo the preventive chemotherapy course.

What is Preventive Chemotherapy?

Kate shone the light on the treatment she was undergoing, but she didn't specify the type of cancer she had.

Dr. Ben Ho, Park Vanderbilt School of Medicine's director of precision oncology, told Today.com that preventive chemotherapy isn't a technical or clinical term. But it can be traced to a treatment description that follows after an initial procedure, like surgery to curb the effects of cancer. Replacing Kate's term for it, Park claimed that a suitable medical term to understand her case better would be “adjuvant chemotherapy.”

He explained that the stage/type of the cancer, and sometimes even the patient's age, determine whether chemotherapy is the appropriate step ahead. In preventive chemotherapy, the surgeons supposedly eliminate everything they can spot, but it could still leave behind some cancer cells in the body. If these are left untreated, cancer “may come back later (and) is then incurable.”

Kate's illness is still shrouded in mystery, but Dr Park believes that the treatment she is receiving is “trying to maximise" the positive effects doled out by the procedure she's already undergone.

Kate Middleton cancer diagnosis: Illness timeline

Dr Park clarified that the most common types of cancers associated with abdominal surgery are urinary, genital and gastrointestinal. Yet, Kate has stayed mum on what type of cancer she's been diagnosed with.

Here's the brief timeline that addresses her illness:

January 17: Kensington Palace announces Kate's “planned abdominal surgery” was successful and that she's expected to remain in hospital for about two weeks. The initial plan of action stated that she would resume her royal duties after Easter.

January 29: KP again issues another statement about the Princess' return to Windsor as she continues to recover from her surgery. “She is making good progress,” said the official notice.

March 10: A heavily edited Mother's Day portrait of the family - Kate, and her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis - seemingly released online by the Palace to silence rising speculations and conspiracy theories about her absence. However, it all backfires when the ‘Photo Gate’ scandal blows out of proportion. The photo was marked as an “altered photo/video” on social media, with several other media sites ‘killing’ it.

These doctored manipulations fan the fire and raise even bigger questions about Kate Middleton's well-being and what the Palace was hiding from the public.

A day or more later, Kate releases a rare apology statement, admitting that she'd experimented with the photo.

March 11: Princess Catherine steps out with Prince William, accompanying him in a blue vehicle; is pictured outside Windsor. The Prince attends the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey alone. Kate reportedly heads the other way for a “personal appointment". The March 11 picture doesn't catch Kate's face, and more swirling rumours jump in to speculate that the snapped woman isn't Middleton at all.

March 18: First visual of Kate Middleton surfaces since the surgery - She's spotted “happy, relaxed and healthy," strolling in the local supermarket, Windsor Farm Shop, with Prince William.

March 22: Princess of Wales comes out to announce that she's been diagnosed with cancer and started preventive chemotherapy.