Christiane Amanpour reveals she has ovarian cancer

Christiane Amanpour, 63, opened up to her viewers about her diagnosis and revealed that she had "major successful surgery to remove it". The surgery will now be followed by several months of chemotherapy. 

This news came after the reporter had been off the air for four weeks, reports BBC.

Amanpour has spent many decades traveling around the world to report on a wide range of conflicts and crises.

In Monday's announcement, she said she was sharing the news as "a shout out to early diagnosis".

 Since millions find themselves under the same circumstances, Amanpour urged women to educate themselves on the disease, get regular screenings and "ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished".

 Oftentimes, ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose due to symptoms like a bloated, swollen or painful stomach which are easily mistaken for less serious health problems.

 It is the seventh most common cancer in women worldwide, according to the World Cancer Research Fund. Ovarian cancer is usually fatal and is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in women across the globe.

 Amanpour said she was "confident" in her prognosis, adding that she was fortunate to have health insurance in her treatment, "underpinned by the brilliant NHS".

 The award-winning journalist plans to anchor her CNN programme from Monday to Wednesday weekly as she faces months of chemotherapy treatments, CNN said. She also has three weeks of previously scheduled time off, according to the network.

 She hosts CNN's flagship global affairs programme as well as a weeknight programme for PBS.