Hannah Fry diagnosed with cervical cancer, now cancer-free

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 15 Nov, 08:56 · Archive

Mathematician Hannah Fry was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020 and has now received a five-year clear.

Hannah Fry was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020 after putting off a cervical screening examination for several months. Once she attended the screening, cancerous cells were discovered.

Fry told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that after the initial screening, results took weeks to return. She was then called back for another test and a biopsy. When doctors found the cancer in her lymphatic system, she said, "that was when it really started to come down."

She was told that her survival chances depended on whether the cancerous cells had spread to her lymph nodes. If the cancer had not entered any lymph nodes, her odds were favourable with a good chance of survival. However, if it had spread to one lymph node, survival chances dropped to 60 per cent, and if two nodes were affected, the odds fell to 40 per cent.

Fry underwent a hysterectomy to treat the cancer, describing the experience as "horrific". Despite the difficulty of the procedure, she said it "had a full stop at the end of the sentence"—meaning it provided definitive treatment.

She has now received a five-year clear, marking a significant milestone in cancer recovery. Speaking on Desert Island Discs, Fry expressed feeling "unbelievably lucky" about her outcome. The 42-year-old recently appeared on the second season of The Celebrity Traitors, where she was voted out in the fourth episode after being unmasked as a Traitor.

How it is being reported

• Hannah Fry feels 'unbelievably lucky' after 'terrifying' diagnosisThe Celebrity Traitors star feared her life was about to endThe Mirror · 15 Nov, 08:41
• Hannah Fry feels 'unbelievably lucky' after cervical cancer treatmentThe presenter says she has received a 'five-year clear' after having a hysterectomy in her thirties.BBC News · 15 Nov, 00:09
• Hannah Fry feared ‘horrific end of my existence’ after cancer diagnosisThe mathematician and broadcaster, 42, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020.Evening Standard · 15 Nov, 00:01

In this story: Hannah Fry · BBC Radio 4 · The Celebrity Traitors

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