Oncologist Tells Us Good Signs About King Charles' Health After His Swollen Hands Raise Eyebrows

King Charles III's swollen hands may have caused a stir among royal enthusiasts, but it might not be as serious as it looks.

In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer following his surgery to treat an enlarged prostate. "During The King's recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted," palace officials revealed. "Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer." While the palace remained mum on the specific cancer he was diagnosed with, they did confirm that he was undergoing treatment. A day after the announcement, Charles released his statement thanking everyone for the support, describing the heartwarming messages as "the greatest comfort and encouragement."

Since that fateful day, the king has taken a noticeable step back from the public eye and his royal duties, using the extra time to focus on his recovery. While visiting Northern Ireland on March 21, 2024, Queen Consort Camilla gave an update on her husband's health, telling Hello!, "He's doing very well. He was very disappointed he couldn't come." However, despite the promising update, King Charles' recent public appearance has many royalists worried, with many singling out his swollen hands. Fortunately, we were able to chat with an oncologist to get a better idea about the situation and if it has anything to do with the king's chemotherapy treatments. 

A recent photo of King Charles III garnered attention due to the royal's hands, which appeared swollen and somewhat discolored. "That right hand. Sure hope it's just the glare from the car window," one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote. 

In light of the recent snapshot, we exclusively reached out to hematologist and medical oncologist Chadi Nabhan M.D., MBA, host of the podcast "Healthcare Unfiltered" and author of the Johns Hopkins University Press books "Toxic Exposure" and the forthcoming "The Cancer Journey." We sought his expertise on whether the king's chemotherapy treatments might be behind the appearance of his hands. "The short answer is yes. Some of the chemotherapy agents that we use for various malignancies could have skin adverse events and side effects which range from discoloration to peeling and other problems," he exclusively told Nicki Swift. The expert added that doctors and nurses often give patients lotions, topical creams, and bandaids to treat the aforementioned side effects. "To my eyes, there is some mild noted swelling, but I can't really comment as to why the swelling is there," he added.

Regarding King Charles' overall appearance, Chadi said the royal "appears well" and doesn't look distressed. This isn't the first time the UK monarch's hands have caught the attention of royal enthusiasts. In May 2023, King Charles' swollen fingers made headlines, with many, including the king himself, describing them as sausage fingers. While the elder royal refrained from giving an official reason for his hands at the time, GP Chun Tang revealed to the New York Post that it could have been caused by water retention.