Health
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Had Surgery for Breast Cancer
![Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Had Surgery for Breast Cancer](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/26/world/26xp-duchess/26xp-duchess-facebookJumbo.jpg)
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and ex-wife of Prince Andrew, the disgraced son of Queen Elizabeth II, underwent a single mastectomy after a breast cancer diagnosis, she said during an episode of her podcast that was released Monday.
She received the diagnosis after a routine mammogram, she said during the episode of “Tea Talks With the Duchess & Sarah,” a new weekly podcast that she hosts with the entrepreneur Sarah Thomson. Ms. Ferguson did not say when the operation occurred but noted that the podcast was being recorded the day before it was to take place. Ms. Ferguson displayed no symptoms and did not find a lump, according to the podcast.
“It’s very important that I speak about it,” said Ms. Ferguson, 63, noting that both her father and stepfather died from cancer.
“I’m telling people out there because I want every person listening to this podcast to get checked,” she said.
Britain’s National Health Service offers routine mammograms to women beginning at age 50. In the United States, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which issues guidelines about preventive care, recommended this year that all women start routine breast cancer screening at 40. The previous recommendation had been 50.
Ms. Ferguson’s surgery was successful and her prognosis is good, a spokesperson told The Associated Press. Ms. Ferguson was released from King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, which has long treated members of the British royal family.
Ms. Ferguson has long been involved with the Teenage Cancer Trust, an organization in Britain that aims to help young people with cancer. Ms. Ferguson opened the trust’s first specialist cancer unit in a London hospital in 1990, according to the organization’s website.
She said she was inspired to become involved with cancer charities after her stepfather died when he was 50.
Ms. Ferguson married Prince Andrew in 1986 at Westminster Abbey in London. They divorced a decade later but continue to live together in Windsor. They have two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and three grandchildren.
Nicknamed “Fergie,” Ms. Ferguson has long been a fixture in Britain’s newspapers, which have pored over her weight, her love life, her divorce and her exclusion from the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Since then, she has made what can be described as a comeback, publishing historical novels, a children’s book and starting her podcast.
She said on Monday’s episode that she was focused on getting fit and healthy after her recent diagnosis.
“There’s no choice, I can’t make another excuse,” she said. “I have to go through this operation and I have to be well and strong.”
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Health
Ask a doctor: ‘Is it ever OK to take someone else’s prescription medication?’
![Ask a doctor: ‘Is it ever OK to take someone else’s prescription medication?’](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/pass-pills.jpg)
Most of us have, at some time or another, asked a friend or family member for some over-the-counter medicine to treat a headache or an upset stomach, as the dosage and directions are fairly universal.
But is the same protocol appropriate when it comes to taking someone else’s prescription medication?
The resounding answer from medical doctors is an emphatic “no.”
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There are specific reasons why.
“Taking someone else’s prescribed medication can be very harmful,” LaTasha Perkins, M.D., a family physician at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.
Doctors agreed that sharing prescription medications with others is a bad idea. (iStock)
“You need to take only your own medicine and not someone else’s, because so much goes into figuring it out.”
Numerous considerations are involved in prescribing medication to a patient, Perkins said — including health status, medical history and blood work — which can be completely different from one person to the next.
Even if you take the same medication as someone else, the other person may be on a different dose of it, the doctor noted.
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“A lot of medications also look and sound the same, so you have to take what was specifically prescribed to you,” she cautioned.
![Prescription medications](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/1200/675/opioids.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Numerous factors go into prescribing medication to a patient, including health status, medical history and blood work, according to doctors. (iStock)
Drug interactions present another concern.
“If you’re taking vitamins or any other medication that may interact with a prescription medicine, that should be taken into account when tailoring your prescription,” Perkins said.
Allergies are yet another key consideration, the doctor warned, as some people are allergic to the additives in medications.
“There’s a reason the medication is prescribed — because it’s personalized to each individual based on a variety of health factors,” Perkins said.
![Taking antibiotics](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/03/1200/675/antibiotics.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The consequences of sharing prescription medication — which is never a good idea — can range from severe allergic reactions to medication interactions and overdosing, one doctor warned. (iStock)
Chad Weston, M.D., a physician with Novant Health Oceanside Family Medicine & Convenient Care – Brunswick in Shallotte, North Carolina, agreed that taking a medication prescribed to a different individual, even for seemingly similar symptoms, can be harmful and have unintended consequences.
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“These consequences range from severe allergic reactions to medication interactions and overdosing, causing damage to organs such as the liver and kidneys,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Instead of seeking symptom relief by taking someone else’s medication, you should see a doctor to get an accurate medical diagnosis and prescription, Weston advised.
![doctor with patient](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/07/1200/675/teen_hospital_istock.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Instead of seeking symptom relief by taking someone else’s medication, you should see a doctor to get an accurate medical diagnosis and prescription, a doctor advised. (iStock)
In the event that you’re traveling and don’t have your medicine with you, Perkins said the best thing to do is call your doctor.
“If you don’t have your medicine, we can call it into a pharmacy wherever you are,” she said.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
“This is why it’s so important to have a family physician,” she said.
“Having a relationship with your doctor can help you navigate situations like this.”
Health
12 Best Stylish Summer Sandals for Women Over 50 With Arch Support, Cushioning + More
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Health
TikTok’s #Watertok Trend: How the Tasty Twist on Drinking Water Boosts Weight Loss
![TikTok’s #Watertok Trend: How the Tasty Twist on Drinking Water Boosts Weight Loss](https://www.womansworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/DIG-RL-tonya-spanglo.png)
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