Best known for her powerful portrayal of Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown and as Bruce Willis’ wife in The Sixth Sense, British actress Olivia Williams has recently made a heartbreaking revelation—she will never be “cancer-free.” Her disclosure sheds light on the devastating impact of delayed cancer diagnosis, particularly with rare cancers like pancreatic VIPoma.

In an emotionally candid interview with The Times UK, Williams, now 56, opened up about the prolonged and frustrating journey that led to her pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2018—four years after her symptoms first began. Her story, though deeply personal, echoes a broader systemic problem that continues to affect countless lives across the globe.

Williams’ ordeal began in her early 40s with seemingly unconnected symptoms: chronic diarrhea, limb aches, and relentless fatigue. These vague signs were chalked up by different doctors to conditions like perimenopause, lupus, IBS, and even psychological stress.

“I went to about 21 doctor visits,” she said. “One doctor even referred me for a psychiatric assessment.” This type of medical gaslighting, where patients (especially women) are told their symptoms are imaginary or exaggerated, remains alarmingly common.

It wasn’t until she consulted a physician in Los Angeles that she was correctly diagnosed with a VIPoma—a rare pancreatic tumor that produces excessive vasoactive intestinal peptide, leading to severe watery diarrhea and imbalanced electrolytes. Unfortunately, by the time the tumor was found, it had metastasized to her liver.

Living with a Chronic Cancer Diagnosis

Once the tumor had spread to the liver, Williams’ prognosis shifted dramatically. “That’s the worst news in the cancer world,” she shared. She now lives with metastatic cancer and undergoes ongoing treatments like microwave ablation, which she described as “playing whack-a-mole every time they appear.”

She’s also received four rounds of Lutathera, a targeted radiotherapy treatment that involves injecting radioactive material into the body. “It’s supposed to buy me maybe a year, maybe two or three years, of freedom from treatment,” she said. “In the best-case scenario, it would have made the metastases disappear—but that didn’t happen.”

Why Pancreatic Cancer Often Goes Undetected?

Pancreatic cancer has long been dubbed a "silent killer" because its early symptoms are vague and non-specific. According to experts, only 20% of pancreatic cancer cases are caught at an operable stage. The average survival rate across all stages is just 5% after five years, a figure that has barely changed in decades.

Typical early signs—fatigue, unexplained weight loss, abdominal or back pain, jaundice—are frequently mistaken for more benign issues, delaying proper diagnosis. Williams’ experience mirrors this: symptoms were minimized or misinterpreted, even as the disease quietly advanced.

How Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Occurs?

A delayed cancer diagnosis isn’t just an individual tragedy—it’s a systemic healthcare failure. Research shows that patients with pancreatic cancer make an average of 11 visits to their general practitioner before getting a diagnosis. Williams’ case involved nearly double that number.

Misdiagnoses and overlooked symptoms often mean that by the time cancer is found, it is already in an advanced, incurable stage. The consequences are not just physical but emotional, too, as patients are left feeling ignored and invalidated.

Williams didn’t mince words: “If someone had f---ing well diagnosed me in the four years I’d been saying I was ill... then one operation possibly could have cleared the whole thing, and I could describe myself as cancer-free—which I cannot now ever be.”

Despite her ordeal, Williams isn’t sharing her story for pity. Instead, she hopes to drive awareness and urgency around early cancer detection. Her call to action is clear: we need affordable, accessible early testing—especially for cancers that are currently difficult to detect.

“What could change that is early detection with a test that could be as simple as breathing into a bag at your GP,” she explained. “We’re incredibly close—we just need to get it over the line.”

What is VIPoma?

VIPoma is an extremely rare type of neuroendocrine tumor that affects about one in 10 million people. It produces excessive levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), which can cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, and imbalances in potassium and sodium levels.

Due to its rarity, many healthcare professionals may never encounter a case in their careers, contributing to the high rate of misdiagnosis. Treatment typically involves surgery, medications to manage symptoms, and in advanced cases like Williams’, targeted therapies such as Lutathera.

Williams’ experience underscores a vital takeaway for the global medical community: trust and listen to patients. Dismissal of patient-reported symptoms, especially when persistent and unexplained, can lead to delayed diagnosis with life-altering consequences.

Every year on 25 April, World Malaria Day is observed to raise awareness about one of the deadliest yet preventable diseases. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 263 million malaria cases and 5,97,000 malaria deaths across 83 countries in 2023. The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. As per the numbers, this Region was home to 94% of the malaria cases, accounting for 246 million and 95% of malaria deaths. Children under 5 accounted for about 75% of all malaria deaths in the Region.

Ahead of World Malaria Day, WHO also called for renewed efforts at all levels - from global policy to community action to accelerate progress towards eliminating malaria.

World Malaria Day 2025 Theme

This year, WHO has joined the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and other partners in promoting: "Malaria Ends With US: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite". This is a grassroot campaign that aims to re-energize efforts at all levels, from global policy to community action, to accelerate progress towards malaria elimination.

World Malaria Day History

World Malaria Day was first celebrated internationally in 2008, building upon the earlier "Africa Malaria Day", which had been observed b African countries since 2001. The date, April 25, was established by WHO in 2007 during the World Health Assembly. In 2007, it was the 60th session of the World Health Assembly where the proposal to rename Africa Malaria Day to World Malaria Day was made to acknowledge the global presence of malaria.

World Malaria Day Significance

The day has a strong significance in healthcare as it brings attention to the disease that still continues to take so many lives, especially in low-income and tropical regions. It also serves as an important reminder to continue spreading awareness about the disease as well as promoting its prevention, treatment and continuous international cooperation to fight against it.

What Is Malaria?

The WHO describes malaria as a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes, mostly found in tropical countries. However, they are preventable and curable.

WHO notes: "Malaria is spread to people through the bites of some infected anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusion and contaminated needles may also transmit malaria. The first symptoms may be mild, similar to many febrile illnesses, and difficult to recognize as malaria. Left untreated, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.

There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat. P. falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. P. vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa. The other malaria species which can infect humans are P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi."

What Are The Symptoms?

The early symptoms are fever, headache and chills, which can usually start within 10 to 15 days of getting bitten by an infected mosquito.

Some types of malaria can cause severe illness and death. Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women, travellers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk. Severe symptoms include:

• extreme tiredness and fatigue
• impaired consciousness
• multiple convulsions
• difficulty breathing
• dark or bloody urine
• jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
• abnormal bleeding

A new AI-powered blood test that can detect 12 types of cancer is to be tested on NHS patients. Using this test, experts would now be able to detect cancerous cells in people much before the symptoms appear. The trial, conducted on 8,000 patients, will analyse blood samples for tiny fragments of genetic material released by tumours.

The test called miONCO-Dx, was created using data from 20,000 patients. Initial tests have produced promising results, having shown that it can detect 12 of the most lethal and common cancers, including bowel cancer, at an early stage, with over 99% accuracy. With no other trial currently working in the same way, this is a world-leader and will support in placing Britain at the forefront of revolutionising healthcare. Notably, the UK government has awarded £2.4m to run the trial of the genetic test, which was developed by the University of Southampton and the biotech startup Xgenera.

How Does It Work?

The test was created by Xgenera, in collaboration with the University of Southampton. As little as 10 drops of blood are all that's needed to detect up to 12 common cancers. The test works by measuring the microRNA in a blood sample and using AI to identify if cancer is present and, if so, where it is located in the body.

What Cancers Will It Detect?

Lung, gastric, prostate, oesophageal, liver, bladder, ovarian, bowel, pancreatic and breast cancers–as well as bone and soft tissue sarcoma and a type of brain tumour. The Department of Health said the test was now ready for the "validation and verification" stage.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said: "This blood test has the potential to help us detect bowel cancer earlier and reduce the need for invasive tests, and the next step in this trial will now be vital in gathering further evidence on its effectiveness and how it could work in practice."

How Is A Blood Test Conducted?

A blood test is a simple medical procedure used to check various health conditions. Here's how it is typically conducted:

1. Preparation: Depending on the test, you may be asked to fast for 8–12 hours. The healthcare provider will explain any specific instructions.

2. Collection: You’ll usually be seated or lying down. A healthcare professional will tie a tourniquet around your upper arm to make the veins more visible. The inside of your elbow is the most common site for drawing blood.

3. Cleaning: The area is cleaned with an antiseptic to reduce the risk of infection.

4. Drawing Blood: A sterile needle is inserted into the vein, and blood is collected into one or more vials or tubes.

5. Post-collection: Once enough blood is collected, the needle is removed, and a cotton ball or bandage is applied to stop any bleeding.

6. Processing: The blood samples are then sent to a lab for analysis.

Novovax, the maker of the only protein-based COVID-19 vaccine available in the US announced that its shot is on track for full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is an important development for the company. It has sent its stock soaring up to 21% on Wednesday morning for trading. It is said that this will also ease the fears of political interference that may have caused delay in the process.

Vaccine For Emergency Use Only

While the other mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have received full FDA approval for specific age groups, Novovax's vaccine still awaits the approval. It is only authorized for emergency use.

The emergency use authorization or the EUA allows vaccines to be distributed during public health emergencies. However, once the emergency ends, the FDA can remove them from the market unless full approval is granted.

Why Did The Delay Happen?

The FDA originally planned to approve Novovax's vaccine by April 1. However, as per the inside sources, the process was paused at the direction of Dr Sara Brenner, the FDA's acting commissioner. The delay has also raised concerns, especially after Dr Peter Marks, the FDA's longtime vaccine chief, reportedly left his post due to disagreements with the Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is a known vaccine skeptic.

What Makes Him A Vaccine Skeptic?

In the past, RFK Jr. has worked closely with many anti-vaccine activists who work for his nonprofit group Children's Health Defense. While in his recent speech, he said that he has "never been anti-vax and have never told the public to avoid vaccination", his track record shows otherwise.

In a podcast interview, he said, "There is no vaccine that is safe and effective" and told FOX News that he still believes in the now long-debunked idea that vaccines can cause autism. In another 2021 podcast, he urged people to "resist" CDC guidelines on getting their kids vaccinated. "I see somebody on a hiking trail carrying a little baby and I say to him, better not get them vaccinated," he said.

His non-profit also led an anti-vax campaign sticker and he appeared next on the screen to a sticker that read: "If you are not an anti-vaxxer you are not paying attention," reports AP.

What Does The Vaccine Need For Approval?

The FDA recently asked Novavax to outline a plan to collect additional clinical data from people who have received the vaccine. Novavax says it is “engaging with the FDA expeditiously” and hopes to secure full approval as soon as possible. Full FDA approval is considered the gold standard, as it reflects a higher level of scrutiny and confidence in a product’s safety and effectiveness.

How Is This Vaccine Different From Others?

The COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available in the US teach the immune system to recognize the virus' spike protein, which is its outer coating. the Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccine deliver genetic instructions that help the body create a temporary version of spike protein that trigger an immune response. In contrast, the Novovax's shot contains lab-grown copies of the spike protein itself, which are then combined with a substance that boosts the immune response.

This traditional approach—called a protein-based vaccine—has been used for decades in vaccines for diseases like hepatitis B and shingles. For people who are hesitant about mRNA vaccines, Novavax offers an alternative that uses a well-established method.