King Charles cancer: What cancer does the King have? What tests were carried out? How is the King feeling?

The King has apologised after the decision was taken to postpone his forthcoming public duties after his cancer diagnosis.

King Charles III has become one of hundreds of thousands of Britons diagnosed with cancer every year. Here are some questions answered about what is known so far about Charles’ condition, as he apologised following the decision to postpone his coming public duties.

What type of cancer has the King been diagnosed with?

The King has been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. Buckingham Palace said that during Charles’s recent procedure for a benign prostate enlargement, a “separate issue of concern” was noted.

King Charles III during the launch of The Coronation Food Project, to mark his majesty's 75th birthday. Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Further diagnostic tests have identified “a form of cancer”, the Palace said. A Palace spokesperson confirmed that it is not prostate cancer.

What kind of diagnostic tests were performed on the King?

Details of the type of test have not been divulged, but diagnostic tests for cancer can involve blood tests, scans and biopsies. A biopsy is a medical procedure that involves taking a small sample so it can be examined under a microscope to identify whether there are abnormal cells present.

What is being done?

The Palace has confirmed that Charles started “a schedule of regular treatments”. This could involve chemotherapy – a medicine is used to kill cancer cells; radiotherapy – a treatment where radiation is used to kill cancer cells; or targeted cancer drugs that find and attack cancer cells.

He will be treated as an “outpatient”, which means he will not have to stay in hospital while having treatment. The King started his treatment on Monday and “remains at home in London this evening”, a spokesperson confirmed.

How is the King feeling?

The Palace announced that under medical advisement, Charles will be stepping back from public-facing duties. But he is still able to “undertake State business and official paperwork as usual”, officials said.

They said the King “remains wholly positive about his treatment” and “looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible”.

Will the King’s diagnosis raise awareness?

When the King shared his diagnosis of an enlarged prostate, there was a significant increase in searches for the condition on the NHS website.

On the day after the announcement, there were 16,410 visits to the NHS website’s prostate enlargement page compared with 1,414 visits the previous day. Buckingham Palace said the King chose to share his cancer diagnosis to “prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer”.

How many people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK?

According to Macmillan Cancer Support, around 393,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer. When the King was Prince of Wales, he was patron of a number of cancer-related charities.

He often spoke in support of cancer patients, their loved ones and health professionals.