Chris Evert announced Thursday that she has been diagnosed with stage 1C ovarian cancer.
In an open letter released Thursday, the ESPN tennis analyst stated she got a text—one that was “short, simple and yet so d—” complicated— back on December 7th saying that her pathology report indicated she had a malignant tumor in her Fallopian tube.
“I read the text five times,” Evert said.
The cancer was discovered after a preventive hysterectomy. She begins her first of six rounds of chemotherapy this week. With time for some perspective, she says, “I’ve lived a very charmed life. Now I have some challenges ahead of me. But, I have comfort in knowing the chemotherapy is to ensure that cancer does not come back.”
“As someone who has always had control over my life, I have no idea how I’ll respond to chemotherapy,” Chrissie says. “I have to give in to something higher.”
This is all truly a blessing, because had Evert not found out about the tumor, she would have been in stage 3 or stage 4 in three months as the cancer would have spread to her abdomen according to Dr. Joel Cardenas of the Gynecology and Oncology Department at Cleveland Clinic Florida near Fort Lauderdale.
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“I feel very lucky that they caught it early and expect positive results from my chemo plan,” Evert wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “Thanks to all of you for respecting my need to focus on my health and treatment plan.”
The 67-year-old added she will appear from home at times during ESPN’s coverage of the Australian Open, which begins January 17.
