The Kate Middleton effect: Visits to cancer advice websites and NHS advice page ... trends now
The Princess of Wales revealing her cancer diagnosis has led to soaring enquiries on NHS and charity websites.
Visits to the NHS website's cancer page rose by nearly five-fold following the announcement, while Cancer Research UK and Macmillan also reported a surge in clicks.
In an emotional video issued on Friday evening, the Princess told how she was diagnosed with cancer last month, having spent a fortnight in the private London Clinic for abdominal surgery in January.
By following in the footsteps of the King, experts hope Kate's message of hope will encourage more people living with disease to reach out for support.
Figures show in the 24 hours after revealing she is undergoing treatment, there were 2,840 visits to the NHS page, up 373 per cent on the same period the previous week.
New figures from NHS England show that in the 24 hours after the princess revealed she was undergoing treatment last week, there were 2,840 visits to the page on cancer
Some 4,172 people – the equivalent of one person every three seconds - looked at the cancer symptoms page in the three hours after her recorded television message.
The page had 1,922 visits during the same timeframe a week earlier.
Meanwhile, Cancer Research UK had more than 200,000 visitors to its support pages and Macmillan close to 100,000 by the end of Sunday – the highest weekend figures since the first national Covid in March 2020.
In her television address, Kate spoke of taking time to tell their children to 'reassure them I am going to be ok'.
Gemma Peters, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support said many cancer patients would relate to her words.
She said: 'We hear from people every day who are worried about how cancer will affect their loved ones, and how best to support each other through it.
'In sharing her news, the Princess of Wales has raised awareness of these worries and will be helping to encourage others who have concerns, to visit their GP and seek support.'
She added: 'Many will be relating to the Prince and Princess of Wales at this time.
'Some of the first thoughts parents have after being diagnosed with cancer are how it may affect their children, and whether talking to them about it will make them worry but it is important to give them the chance to talk openly about their fears.'
Similarly, Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said online traffic increased by more than a 15 per cent on Friday.
She said: 'These figures show how high-profile cancer cases can act as a prompt to encourage people to find out more or think about their own health.
'If people spot something that's not normal for them or isn't going away, they should check with their GP. Spotting cancer at an early stage means treatment is more likely to be successful.'
