Sophie Kinsella, author of the “Shopaholic” book series, revealed on Wednesday that she has been undergoing treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Kinsella, whose real name is Madeleine Sophie Wickham, announced on Instagram on Wednesday that she was diagnosed in late 2022.
“I’ve wanted for a long time to share with you a health update and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so,” the 54-year-old wrote.
“I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal’,” she wrote.
“I have been under the care of the excellent team at University College Hospital in London and have had successful surgery and subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which is still ongoing,” she wrote. “At the moment all is stable and I am feeling generally very well, though I get very tired and my memory is even worse than it was before!”
According to the National Brain Tumor Society, glioblastoma is the most common and the deadliest of malignant brain tumors, killing an estimated 10,000 Americans each year. Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma have a median survival rate of eight months, and a 5-year survival rate of just 6.8%.
Symptoms vary based on where in the brain the tumor is present, but may include seizures, headaches, difficulty speaking, loss of memory and vomiting.
“I am so grateful to my family and close friends who have been an incredible support to me, and to the wonderful doctors and nurses who have treated me. I am also so grateful to my readers for your constant support. The wonderful response to ‘The Burnout’ has really buoyed me up, during a difficult time,” Kinsella wrote.
“To everyone who is suffering from cancer in any form I send love and best wishes, as well as to those who support them. It can feel very lonely and scary to have a tough diagnosis, and the support and care of those around you means more than words can say,” she wrote.
Story via TMX