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.
“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.
