Sarah Ferguson feels grateful for the support she’s received after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
On Monday, the Duchess of York, 64, shared an Instagram post saying she was “taking some time for herself” following the “shock” diagnosis, which came months after she announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last June.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Sunday, Fergie’s rep said that “following her early diagnosis of breast cancer this summer, Sarah, Duchess of York has now been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.”
According to a spokesperson, the duchess had several moles removed and analyzed by a dermatologist while undergoing reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, and one of the moles was identified as cancerous.
“Thanks to the great caution of my dermatologist, the melanoma was detected when it was,” Fergie wrote on Monday alongside a smiling photo of herself in a mountain location. “Of course another cancer diagnosis was a shock, but I am in good spirits and grateful for the many messages of love and support.”
Sarah Ferguson ‘resilient and in good spirits’ amid skin cancer treatment, friend says (Exclusive)
The Duchess then urged her followers to check their own moles, writing: “I believe my experience highlights the importance of checking the size, shape, color and texture and the appearance of new moles that may be a sign of melanoma and I urge anyone reading this to be diligent.”
She concluded the post: “I am incredibly grateful to the medical teams who have supported me through both of these cancer experiences and the MAYRLIFE Clinic for tenderly caring for me over the past weeks, giving me time to recover. Now resting with my family at home, I feel blessed to have their love and support. ❤️🩹.”
While Fergie was being treated for melanoma in London, she was recuperating at the MAYRLIFE clinic in Altaussee, Austria.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, poses at In Conversation With Samantha Barry at The 92nd Street Y, New York.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Sarah Ferguson is delighted with the exciting family news amid a cancer diagnosis
“She is undergoing further investigation to ensure this is caught at an early stage,” her rep continued. “Obviously another diagnosis so soon after breast cancer treatment has been upsetting, but the Duchess remains in good spirits.”
Meanwhile, a friend of Fergie’s told PEOPLE that her time in Austria “helped her gain strength and her family is supportive.”
In November, the duchess told PEOPLE how supportive both her daughters, Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 33, have been during her breast cancer journey.
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“My two wonderful daughters are my whole-hearted cheerleaders, my dedicated champions and my soul mates, and have supported me as much as they can, as they always have,” she said.
Fergie then revealed in a New Year’s message on Instagram that she had “beaten breast cancer” amid an “up and down” year.
“I beat breast cancer and now I have Derek on my left side,” she wrote, referring to her reconstructed left breast, which she named “Derek” after a successful mastectomy.
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