Former “ER” and “Doctor Who” star Alex Kingston has shared the “sneaky” symptoms that led to a “shock” diagnosis of uterine cancer.
Kingston spoke to the British newspaper The Independent in a story published on Oct. 10 about the 2024 diagnosis that led to her having a hysterectomy and undergoing radiation therapy.
“Your body does try to warn you,” Kingston said. “It just depends on whether you can read the warning signs.”
Kingston, 62, has since recovered well enough to participate in the current season of “Strictly Come Dancing,” a United Kingdom reality competition akin to the United States’ “Dancing With the Stars.”
What Were Alex Kingston’s Symptoms of Uterine Cancer?
The longtime television actor, who also appeared on “Law & Order: SVU” in 2009-10, said she first assumed her health issues were just part of aging.
“I thought, ‘OK, this is what it’s like to be in my sixties,'” she said. “But a lot of how I was feeling was to do with my illness.”
She said she had been experiencing persistent bloating and aching for years.
Kingston then found blood in her urine, but thought it was the result of something else.
“I never went down the cancer road in my head,” she said. “It was a shock, because I have a very positive outlook on life in general. Even though my body was telling me there was something very seriously wrong, I kept thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got a bad UTI or fibroids.’”
Kingston also experienced a frightening symptom in public. She was performing in a play at the Chichester Festival in England when she started hemorrhaging onstage. She finished the show after stuffing pads down her dress.
Alex Kingston (left), who starred on “ER” in the 1990s, shared that she has been treated for womb cancer. NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
“That was really shocking,” she said.
She didn’t undergo any further tests at the hospital until the six-week run of the play ended.
Kingston was ultimately diagnosed with cancer in her fallopian tubes, but it had not spread to her ovaries. She then underwent a hysterectomy. She shared that her treatment concluded at the end of 2024.
“Despite having gone through all of that — and any cancer is really tough to accept, to steel yourself to go through all of the necessary procedures to get back into health — the minute I had the operation, I suddenly felt like myself again,” Kingston said.
What Are the Symptoms of Uterine Cancer?
Symptoms of uterine cancer include the following, according to Mayo Clinic:
- Vaginal bleeding between periods and before menopause
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting after menopause
- Abdominal pain or pelvic cramping
- Thin white or clear vaginal discharge post menopause
- Prolonged, heavy or frequent vaginal bleeding when you’re older than 40 years old
There are two forms of uterine cancer: endometrial cancer, which is common, and uterine sarcoma, which is rare. Treatment for both often includes a hysterectomy.
Alex Kingston’s Advice for Other Women
The actor advises women not to ignore their symptoms when something doesn’t feel right.
“Womb cancer is really tricky because it is so sneaky,” she said. “What I would say is, the body does know — and that was the body saying to me, ‘Help! There’s something really wrong.’ It’s so important to seek advice and have a check-up.”
