Health
Actress ignored subtle cancer symptom for years before onstage emergency
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Alex Kingston, known for her roles on hit shows like “ER” and “Doctor Who,” revealed her battle with uterine cancer in a recent interview.
In the first sign that something was wrong, the actress began hemorrhaging onstage in 2024, then ultimately carried on with the show. It wasn’t until six weeks later that doctors diagnosed her with cancer.
“Your body does try to warn you,” the star, 62, told The Independent. “It just depends on whether you can read the warning signs.”
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“I had assumed that the way I was feeling was old age, and I just sort of accepted it,” Kingston went on, noting that she had experienced bloating and achiness for years.
Kingston brushed off the telltale signs of uterine cancer as typical aging, a mistake experts say can cost women their lives.
Alex Kingston, known for her roles on hit shows like “ER” and “Doctor Who,” revealed her battle with uterine cancer in a recent interview. (Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)
Uterine cancer, sometimes referred to as “womb cancer,” is a general term describing cancer that forms in the uterus. It most often develops after menopause, according to Cleveland Clinic.
There are two forms: endometrial cancer and uterine sarcoma. Endometrial is one of the most common reproductive cancers, while uterine sarcoma develops in the muscle wall of your uterus. Uterine sarcomas are very rare, the above source stated.
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About 3% of women will receive a diagnosis of uterine cancer at some point during their lives. Each year, about 65,000 women are diagnosed.
Symptoms to watch for
Symptoms of uterine cancer can resemble other conditions, which could be why it can go undetected or even ignored, as in Kingston’s case.
About 65,000 women receive a uterine cancer diagnosis annually, with 3% of women affected during their lifetime. (iStock)
Symptoms can include the following, according to Cleveland Clinic.
- Vaginal bleeding between periods before menopause
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting after menopause
- Lower abdominal pain or cramping just below your stomach
- Thin white or clear vaginal discharge for postmenopausal women
- Prolonged, heavy or frequent vaginal bleeding after 40
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Risk factors
Researchers aren’t sure of the exact cause of uterine cancer. The condition occurs when cells in the uterus mutate and multiply uncontrollably, which can form a mass called a tumor, Cleveland Clinic states.
Many uterine cancer risk factors are associated with hormonal imbalances — such as obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), both of which can increase estrogen exposure.
Other factors include age (most cases occur after age 50), diet (a high-fat diet can increase cancer risk), and family history of the disease. People who haven’t been pregnant also have a higher risk, experts say.
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There are a range of treatment approaches for uterine cancer. In Kingston’s case, she underwent radiation therapy and a hysterectomy. Chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy may also come into play during treatment.
Kingston ignored bloating and achiness for years before a diagnosis forced her life-saving surgery, she shared. (Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi/BAFTA via Getty Images)
During a hysterectomy, surgeons often perform procedures to remove ovaries and fallopian tubes. Most people need this extra step to make sure all cancer gets removed, per Cleveland Clinic.
Doctors may also perform a procedure to remove lymph nodes and determine whether cancer has spread.
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Early intervention
While uterine cancer can be fatal, an early diagnosis means potentially faster treatment and better outcomes.
Those experiencing any symptoms should speak with a healthcare provider and undergo a pelvic exam, experts recommend.
Uterine cancer symptoms include irregular bleeding and pelvic pain, but early diagnosis through medical evaluation can lead to better treatment outcomes. (iStock)
A provider may also use a combination of blood tests and imaging scans to confirm a diagnosis.
“Uterine cancer is really tricky because it is so sneaky,” Kingston told The Independent.
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“What I would say is, the body does know — and that was the body saying to me, ‘Help! There’s something really wrong.’ It’s so important to seek advice and have a check-up.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Kingston’s representative for comment.
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As “superbugs” continue to surge, the World Health Organization is now warning that one in every six bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics.
WHO also called for antibiotic medications to be used more responsibly, according to a press release published by the agency on Monday.
Based on data from more than 100 countries between 2016 and 2023, the health agency determined that resistance to antibiotics rose in approximately 40% of infection samples.
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The report includes eight common bacterial pathogens: Acinetobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
The most dangerous type of infection, according to the report, is caused by drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria — particularly E. coli and K. pneumoniae, which can lead to sepsis, organ failure and death.
As “superbugs” continue to surge, the World Health Organization is warning that one in six bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics. (iStock)
Antibiotics are part of a wider group of medicines called antimicrobials, which also include antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics.
When bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, that leads to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which increases the risk of severe illness, disability or death, according to WHO.
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“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement accompanying the report. “We must use antibiotics responsibly, and make sure everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostics and vaccines.”
“Antimicrobial resistance is outpacing advances in modern medicine, threatening the health of families worldwide.”
More than one million deaths each year are directly linked to antibiotic resistance, according to a study by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project.
In some cases, AMR can occur naturally as germs mutate over time — but WHO cautions that it can also stem from people’s “misuse and overuse” of antibiotics and other antimicrobials.
WHO has called for antibiotic medications to be used more responsibly. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said that WHO’s latest report is “particularly worrisome.”
“These are aggressive bacteria that are more and more difficult to treat,” he told Fox News Digital. “Carbapenem resistance, in particular, is very tough to treat, as is multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis.”
Carbapenems are considered “last-line antibiotics” that are used to treat serious multidrug-resistant infections, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Siegel agrees that a primary contributor is overuse of antibiotics, both for common upper respiratory infections as well as more serious hospital-borne bacteria that live on hospital equipment.
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“Antibiotics are also not very profitable for drug companies to devise, because they are only used when a person has an infection (episodic rather than daily use) — and so we mostly rely on antibiotics that have been around for decades,” he added.
Artificial intelligence could present one potential solution, according to Siegel.
Based on data from more than 100 countries between 2016 and 2023, the health agency determined that resistance to antibiotics rose in approximately 40% of infection samples. (iStock)
“AI can invent new antibiotics more quickly and less expensively with machine learning, as well as better sanitation and more judicious use in fighting infections,” he said.
To combat the issue, WHO calls for greater surveillance of AMR and antimicrobial use through the agency’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS).
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“Countries must commit to strengthening laboratory systems and generating reliable surveillance data, especially from underserved areas, to inform treatments and policies,” the report stated. “WHO calls on all countries to report high-quality data on AMR and antimicrobial use to GLASS by 2030.”
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