‘We are here for quality of life’: King Charles visits Australian cancer institute and a professor opens up on his treatment

King Charles didn’t want his reign to start like this. No sooner had he sat on the throne than health trouble began. A procedure for an enlarged prostate in Jan. 2024 led to a three-night hospital stay, with doctors making the chilling discovery that he’s suffering from cancer.

Since then details have, understandably, been thin on the ground, with Buckingham Palace keeping information on his health strictly confidential. Just about the only things we know is that Charles is not suffering from prostate cancer, that he’s been receiving treatment for the condition, and that he’s able to briefly pause said treatment to make an official visit to Australia.

This visit hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride, with Charles’ health restricting the length of his appearances and protests from Indigenous representatives who see him as a symbol of colonialism. At least the latest stop on his tour has been less dramatic, with Charles making a trip to the Melanoma Institute Australia, where researchers are working on cures for the disease and new forms of treatment.

A key part of the visit was meeting researcher and co-medical directors Professor Richard Scolyer and Prof. Georgina Long, the current Australians of the Year. Scolyer has first-hand experience with cancer after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2023, but is now in remission after undergoing an experimental surgery, and praised Charles for his decision to go public with his diagnosis:

It’s courageous of the King to go public with his cancer journey. Everyone’s different about how they feel about a cancer diagnosis. Some people are happy to go public with it, but it’s not the same for all patients, and I think we should respect that.

Professor Georgina Long was quizzed on her opinion as to whether it’s safe for Charles to pause cancer treatment to make this trip. She explained balancing treatment with enjoying life means difficult choices for every cancer sufferer:

 “This is a common discussion I have with patients, and my view, and that of my colleagues, is that we are here for quality of life, and so you squeeze things in, you make it happen for people. That’s what our goal at the Melanoma Institute Australia is. So it’s very reasonable to fit things in if you’re feeling well enough. But what’s really fantastic is the King’s well enough to come and be with us today.”

Charles also met melanoma survivor Adam Brown, who was given a year to live after being diagnosed in 2015. Brown, his wife Kristy, and their two children were honored to meet the King, who congratulated him on his survival (but also queried why the children weren’t in school).

As for Charles’ condition, all we can do is speculate. If he’s well enough to make an official visit to Australia he clearly isn’t at death’s door and appears relatively healthy. Even so, he’s clearly not out of the woods yet, and it’s easy to read between the lines when he makes speeches referencing “the sands of time” quickly running through the proverbial hourglass.