King Charles III, 77, announced he will scale back his cancer treatment next year after an early diagnosis and effective medical intervention. In a recorded broadcast, he urged people in the U.K. to take up cancer screening, noting that at least 9 million are not up to date with checks. The palace has not disclosed the cancer type; officials say it was found after treatment for an enlarged prostate revealed a separate concern. His openness stimulated a rise in public interest in cancer information and screening.
King Charles to Scale Back Cancer Treatment After Early Diagnosis, Urges Wider Screening
Britain's King Charles speaks about his cancer recovery during a prerecorded message filmed in The Morning Room at Clarence House in London, in this handout image released Dec. 12, 2025. / Credit: Tommy Forbes/Bango Studios/PA Wire/Handout via Reuters
King Charles III, 77, said Friday that he will scale back his cancer treatment in the new year after an early diagnosis, effective medical intervention and following doctors' advice. The recorded message was broadcast on British television as part of a campaign urging people to use screening programmes that can detect cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.
Why He Spoke Out
Buckingham Palace revealed last year that doctors had detected cancer in the king. In his recorded broadcast, Charles reflected on the 22 months since he began treatment and used his experience to highlight the importance of early detection.
"Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives," the king said. "I know, too, what a difference it has made in my own case, enabling me to continue leading a full and active life even while undergoing treatment."
He expressed concern that at least 9 million people in the U.K. are not up to date with recommended cancer screenings, calling those "at least 9 million opportunities for early diagnosis being missed." He urged people to take advantage of screening programmes where available.
What Is Known — And What Isn't
Royal sources emphasised that the palace has not specified the type of cancer and that it should not be assumed to be bowel cancer. Officials said the cancer was discovered after treatment for an enlarged prostate revealed "a separate issue of concern."
Public Reaction And Impact
The king's openness prompted a surge in public interest: Cancer Research UK reported a 33% increase in visits to its website in the weeks after the announcement, as people searched for information about the signs and tests for cancer.
The monarch suspended public engagements for about two months to focus on treatment and recovery but continued to carry out state business and retained his constitutional duties. He returned to public-facing events in April with a visit to a cancer treatment centre at University College Hospital in central London, where he met staff and spoke with fellow patients.
During that visit he expressed sympathy for patients undergoing treatment, saying: "It's always a bit of a shock, isn't it, when they tell you," while speaking with a patient receiving chemotherapy.
Health experts cited by the broadcast reiterated the value of early detection: when bowel cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, around nine in ten people live at least five years, whereas late diagnosis dramatically reduces those survival odds.
