World-renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour has shared an update on her health, revealing that she is once again undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. Speaking on Changing the Ovarian Cancer Story, a podcast from the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Amanpour discussed her ongoing experience of the disease in a deeply personal interview released today (23 October).
“I have it again,” she told host Hannah Vaughan Jones. “But it’s being very well managed — and that’s one of the things people have to understand about some cancers.” Amanpour, who is currently receiving immunotherapy, said the treatment is working well, with her oncologist Dr. Angela George later confirming that her cancer is now in remission.
The conversation explores early detection, treatment and emotional recovery, but much of its impact lies in Amanpour’s honesty about vulnerability and support. “I had never actually asked for help before,” she said, “and when I did, I got it — from my family, from my friends, from my colleagues. It really sustained me, because it’s not just the illness, it’s your state of mind, it’s everything.”
Dr. George, who is the Clinical Director of Genomics at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, explains why ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late and why genetic testing is crucial. “Most women, by the time they get a diagnosis, will have often been going back and forth to the GP for a year or so with abdominal symptoms,” she said.
The discussion also touches on the importance of female medical professionals in Amanpour’s care team. “It ended up being very important because I was completely relaxed and confident in their hands,” Amanpour reflected. “I didn’t seek women out, but I was really grateful — you operate on a very similar psychological plane.”
Throughout the episode, both women stress hope — in science, in progress, and in collective action. “If you can find the switch that turns the cancer on in the first place,” said Dr. George, “we’re getting much better at finding the switch that can turn it off.”
Amanpour adds: “My hope, in this time of deep partisanship, is that we’ll understand we are stronger together — when we unite our professions and share all the knowledge we can.”
Changing the Ovarian Cancer Story is produced by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, which works globally to improve awareness, access to treatment and quality of life for those affected by the disease.
