CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour tells viewers she has ovarian cancer

CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour revealed this week that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Amanpour, who is one of the world's most renowned journalists, told viewers about her diagnosis on Monday after being off-air for the last four weeks. 

"I've had successful major surgery to remove it, and I'm now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible long-term prognosis, and I'm confident," the 63-year-old said from her home in London. 

The legendary international correspondent and host of "Amanpour" said she feels "fortunate" to have health insurance through work and commended her doctors with the National Health Service in the U.K. 

She also encouraged other women to get screened for the disease. Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer among women.

"I'm telling you this in the interest of transparency, but in truth really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis," she said. "To urge women to educate themselves on this disease; to get all the regular screenings and scans that you can; to always listen to your bodies; and of course, to ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished."

After her announcement, she went on to interview former foreign minister of Israel Tzipi Livni and NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

The longtime CNN journalist is known for her work covering war-torn hotspots throughout the world and for her interviews with world leaders. She was also a part-time "60 Minutes" correspondent from 1996 to 2005. 

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