DR MARTIN SCURR: Getting a serious diagnosis when you're fit and healthy is devastating. Here's what to do - and why Kate's words will make a difference...

Sometimes nan wellness problems that afflict america tin beryllium down simply to bad luck.

Clearly we tin — and should — do everything we tin to minimise nan consequence of sick health: eat a balanced diet, return exercise; get capable sleep; and each nan different ‘right things’, according to what nan medics show us. No 1 wants to get ill, aft all.

But that’s not needfully going to beryllium rewarded by bully health. I am, of course, reasoning of some nan Princess of Wales, and nan King.

Let maine accent that nary of america should beryllium speculating astir nan quality of her cancer, nor that of nan King’s. There is simply a celebrated rule successful psychiatry known arsenic nan Goldwater rule, which states that psychiatrists should not ‘diagnose’ nationalist figures. The aforesaid is existent for aesculapian doctors, and that includes trying to conjecture nan quality of an undisclosed illness.

But I consciousness I tin opportunity that nan caller news, that tests aft her room revealed nan beingness of cancerous tissue, is profoundly shocking — and astir of all, naturally, to nan Princess and her family.

These kinds of test are a bolt retired of nan bluish for anyone, but possibly arguably moreover much truthful for personification who has a patient manner and who appears to person ever done each that they tin to stay successful bully health, and who is besides truthful young.

We’ve each publication stories of centenarians who property their agelong life to a regular tipple aliases declare to person smoked since adolescence – but we each cognize these are nan exceptions, alternatively than nan rule: looking aft yourself is important. However, it is not a guarantee.

Clearly nan Princess of Wales had symptoms that lead to her surgery: and nan findings, detected station operatively connected nan ground of laboratory analysis, person revealed immoderate malignancy. As I’ve seen connected truthful galore occasions, nan clip a diligent spends waiting for results is simply a clip of awesome anxiety, buoyed up by hope: life seems put connected hold.

Why does it return truthful agelong to get nan results? It is because laboratory studies tin beryllium complex, and often a number of experts are involved, multi-disciplinary squad discussions are held — each very basal to guarantee accuracy successful presenting what will beryllium life-changing accusation to nan diligent and their family.

Along pinch dealing pinch nan worry and fearfulness of nan test itself, location is besides nan worry and fearfulness of coming to position pinch life not arsenic you’d planned. Suddenly nan automatic presumption that 1 will person galore agelong and patient years up is eroded.

And a crab test is thing much and much of america are going to person to face. As a aesculapian student 50 years agone I was taught that 1 personification successful 5 of america will create crab successful immoderate style aliases shape astatine immoderate stage. 

Now arsenic galore arsenic 1 successful 2 will get immoderate shape of this disease, according to nan NHS — and while we thin to deliberation of crab arsenic a illness of older age, younger group are progressively processing it (and though diet, manner and biology factors are being linked to this, it’s really not astatine each clear what’s going on).

Set against this worry, however, are nan outstanding changes successful crab curen pinch highly blase radiotherapy to target coagulated tumours, highly effective chemotherapy and, successful much caller times, nan stunning advances of immunotherapy, harnessing our ain immune systems to eliminate crab cells.

So location is overmuch affirmative news to cheer.

But if taking attraction of yourself isn’t a guarantee for preventing cancer, I judge it’s important to effort to promote anyone diagnosed pinch nan illness to make manner changes that alteration them to heighten their ain immune responses, and minimise immoderate side-effects of treatment.

This intends trying to exercise, moreover thing arsenic elemental arsenic a gentle locomotion if that’s each you tin negociate — investigation progressively shows that workout tin trim nan consequence of recurrence, and nan side-effects of chemotherapy specified arsenic nausea. Eating good and trying to get capable remainder and slumber will besides help.

Another cornerstone we should not hide is affectional support — a superior test tin beryllium life-changing and, successful my view, seeing a counsellor tin beryllium very adjuvant successful coming to position pinch what it intends for your life now. Or you mightiness for illustration to talk to family and friends.

Whatever your choice, nan important point to cognize is that you’re not unsocial — nan very words nan Princess of Wales herself utilized successful her broadcast.

As she has faced her ain superior diagnosis, she has shown fortitude and resilience beyond measurement and nan illustration she has group — astatine a clip erstwhile she has had to header for weeks pinch nan load and fearfulness of her test on pinch nan trauma of starting and enduring chemotherapy — will beryllium therapeutic to galore who are going done akin experiences. What she has achieved is incalculable.