Special file: King Charles III identified with cancer

good day everyone we're coming on the air with breaking news in the United Kingdom where King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer Buckingham Palace just confirming the news in a statement but not saying which type of cancer the palace says his medical team identified quote a separate issue of concern while.

He was being treated for a benign prostate enlargement last month the palace also says he will postpone public facing duties while he undergoes treatment it comes less than year since his coronation let's go straight to our chief International correspondent Kier Simmons now he's covered the royal family for years what more can you tell.

Us GE well Lessa this will be a shock to many people because prin King Charles was was in the hospital just last week uh and the understanding was that it was a treatment uh for a benign condition a benign prostate condition so I'm going to read to you that's to some of that statement that Buckingham Palace is is.

Releasing uh right now uh so people can hear what exactly the palace is saying that statement reads during the king's recent Hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement a separate issue of concern was noted subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer his majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments during.

Which time he will he has been advised by doctors to bone public facing duties as you mentioned Lester throughout this period his majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual the statement goes on to say that the king is grateful to his medical team and then repeats again what had been said last week was that he was.

Hoping that others would uh learn from his experience and ensure for example that they get checked well now I I I can imagine that he feels even more so uh that way because that three day three nights in the hospital uh last week uh seemed to be to some extent the end of the matter we were told that he uh would take a month uh to uh slow down a little.

And and to recover a little but but just yesterday we saw him at church with Queen Camila waving to the crowd so there didn't seem to be anything wrong and again as you mentioned Lester we don't know uh What uh type of what form of cancer uh this is so it's difficult to speculate beyond what we've been told by the palace uh but it will be a blow.

For the royal family as you as you mention uh Queen Elizabeth uh dying uh so recently and and King Charles becoming a king just in the the past year uh this after for the royal family after a period let's be honest very difficult times this will be another challenge all right all right kid let me ask you to stand by excuse me as we.

Bring in NBC News medical contributor Dr Natalie AAR Dr AAR we're glad you're here I don't expect you to make a diagnosis based on a a press release but given what he had been treated for this benign prostate condition are there any clues that that might tell you where where this might be well sure you know Lester we've we'.

As you know we've received information really uh by news release only um the presumption is that he had a very standard procedure for prostate enlargement um a common procedure is something called a turp uh transurethral uh reection of the prostate and it is common place and standard of care to look at the tissue.

Under a microscope even if a if a tissue enlargement is considered to be benign they're always going to study it under a microscope and look at the pathology to make sure that in fact there is no detectable cancer in those specimens um my assumption is that it could very well be uh presumably an early stage prostate cancer um but in the procedure as.

They're in the entire genito urinary system if there was any tissue that looked abnormal when they were going in bladder urethra that kind of thing they may have taken a sample from another site Lester and the cancer could be from another organ not the prostate we just don't know at this time and and in terms of uh treatments obviously again not.

Knowing what kind of cancer we're talking about I know you're limited as what you can speculate it about speculate about but if it is prostate cancer what sort of treatments are there yeah so um you know presumably um in this case as they did not obviously um you know suspect a cancer going into the procedure we're going to presume.

That it would be an early stage prostate cancer uh in some cases is just observation could be appropriate in other cases uh a radical prostatectomy or removal of the prostate could be indicated and also different forms of of radiation uh it's unlikely that if it is a prostate cancer that it has extended um beyond the organ beyond the capsule.

Of the prostate at this juncture uh would which would be of course a more concerning diagnosis and prognosis and and would indicate that he would need more aggressive treatment which would include chemotherapy all right doctor thank you we'll ask you to stand by it again we we we don't know what kind of cancer he has been diagnosed with uh.

Let's bring in Emily Nash she's the Royal editor for Hello magazine we're appreciative of you being here uh can you tell us uh is has this been a story that has been out there that there's been speculation or is this a complete surprise to everyone now Lester this has come as quite a surprise this evening in London.

We saw the king out with the queen at church and sandron yesterday looking like he was in very good shape despite his recent procedure um and one thing that I have learned in this very brief period of of time since the news developed is that he has not been diagnosed with prostate cancer that a separate issue of concern has been.

Identified and at the moment the palace aren't sharing any further details on what kind of cancer they have discovered um but and understandably they're asking people not to speculate but they want make it clear that you know this was a benign uh condition that he was being treated for and something else has come up as a result of that.

Procedure and we heard in that press release that he'll be postponing public facing duties how busy is he typically in terms of these public duties well the king Works um furiously I think that's the way to describe it he typically doesn't stop for lunch he is at his desk until sometimes the early hours of the morning keeping up with his.

Correspond respondence and since becoming King he's taken on The Daily red boxes which the late Queen also uh worked on every day it's going to be uh quite the setback for him we know he's um an incredibly busy person very dedicated to his causes and to his new role um which is one that he's been enjoying you know so this will be very.

Difficult for him and for the wider royal family who are also dealing with the Princess of Wales being out of action until at least e the time do you think it was difficult for his majesty to go public with his diagnosis well look I think it would have been difficult and also it would have been a shock to him as well you.

Know he had given us this diagnosis of the benign prostate enlargement um it's something that had been very transparent uh from the palace they had shared more than they have done previously and that was designed to reassure uh so this news is obviously hugely concered to to all involved and to The Wider public um but I think you know he is Keen to uh be as.

Open as as he can be at this moment obviously he's only just received this diagnosis is is our understanding so he probably needs some time to come to terms with that himself and to work out what the treatment plan will involve all right Emily I ask you to stand by I want to bring back our chief International correspondent Kier Simmons as again he's.

Covered the royal family for years I'd like to K if you can pick up on that theme of of the the the palace being so upfront about something so personal is that different than than what we've come to expect sometimes it it is I mean certainly they were very guarded if you'll remember Lester about uh the.

Queen's Health uh in the period before her death uh in this case they have been uh very open uh frankly uh given that it is Buckingham Palace Lester and and really uh for the palace there is this incredibly difficult judgment to make uh the division between public duties and the fact that even a king um has a right to privacy now it's possible and again.

Uh as you have said we have to be careful not to speculate because we honestly don't know what this cancer is and by the way there may be good news here it may be that um in the treatment uh for uh an enlarged prostate they have found something in the early stages and and that may be a really positive thing uh but I think the calculation would.

Have been made in Buckingham Palace that if he is going to need as they are saying that that he's going to need uh treatment uh and that that does mean that he's going to have to step back from uh public duties although they are saying very clearly that in private he will continue to carry out his duties as king there's there's all kinds of parts.

Of his role that are are constitutional for the British British establishment the British government uh so because that that was the case inevitably there would be questions begun to be asked there would be uh people would be looking to see to look for him and and possibly even take photographs and and all of those things would be a risk so I.

Think on the one hand they have chosen to be very open here on the other hand Lester I suspect they feel felt that they had to be all right uh thank you Kure Simmons that concludes this NBC News special report we'll have much Moree on our streaming Network NBC news now online at NBC News and tonight on NBC Nightly News I'm.

Lester Holt in New York thank you for watching everyone good day thanks for watching stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media

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