Monarch to Broadcast Intimate Statement on Cancer in Television Programme
The Monarch has recorded a first-hand account concerning his battle with cancer, scheduled for transmission as part of this year's fundraising campaign, run by a leading cancer charity and Channel 4.
The royal household said the King would discuss his "healing process" as a cancer patient, in a video message on this Friday at the evening slot.
The message, taped inside Clarence House recently, will stress the importance of routine screenings to ensure more people diagnose the disease at an early stage.
This represents a infrequent public commentary on the health of the Sovereign, who has been undergoing regular treatment since revealing his diagnosis in early last year. Analysts suggest doubtful the King will identify his type of cancer.
Fundraising Primary Goal
The Stand Up To Cancer campaign each year generates donations for clinical trials and therapies and urges people to get screenings to boost the probability of an early diagnosis.
The King's relative openness about his health challenge, and living with cancer, has been intended to promote education and to encourage more people to get tested - and this will be taken a step further with this unique personal contribution.
To date the King's key philosophy to his cancer has been to continue his schedule, maintaining a busy schedule alongside his regular rounds of treatment, and he is understood not to have desired to be overshadowed by his condition.
This year has seen the Sovereign, undertaking several overseas trips, notably to Italy and Canada, and welcoming the largest volume of official guests to the UK for a generation, featuring the German president recently.
The Televised Evening Programme
Friday evening's Stand Up to Cancer broadcast on Channel 4, presented by well-known figures including a team of famous hosts, will encourage people not to be frightened of getting health screenings.
Each presenter have been affected by cancer - one host said last month she had had an operation for breast cancer, while Clare Balding was treated for a thyroid condition more than 15 years ago. Presenter Adam Hills has previously spoken about his father, who had a diagnosis and then later leukaemia.
The show will reach out to the approximate 9m people in the UK who Cancer Research UK says are not current with national health programmes, with an online checker to let people see if they are qualified for screenings for key health indicators.
In an effort to explain health tests and illustrate the benefit of early diagnosis there will be a live broadcast from hospital departments at Addenbrooke's and Royal Papworth hospitals in Cambridge.
"My aim is to remove the anxiety out of cancer screening and show everyone that they are not alone in this," stated one of the hosts.
Available National Services
Currently in the UK, there are a number of publicly available checks - for major health concerns - available to eligible individuals.
A new scheme for lung health is also being slowly rolled out for people at potential risk of developing the disease, specifically targeting people in a specific age bracket, who currently smoke or were former smokers.
Male patients may enquire about specific tests, but there is not a universal scheme currently available.
Ongoing Efforts
The charity initiative, which has collected over one hundred million pounds over the past decade, is funding multiple medical projects involving many patients.
The Monarch, in a message for guests at a event for cancer charities in the spring, had spoken of acknowledging the "daunting and at times alarming reality" for cancer sufferers and their families.
But he noted his experience of managing cancer had revealed that "periods of great challenge of illness can be alleviated by the greatest compassion," as he commended those who cared for cancer patients.
Royal representatives has not made public the specific type of cancer the King has, or the therapies he has received. The King's cancer was detected following he had received a medical treatment.
