The Duchess of York revealed breast cancer diagnosis - four celebrities who underwent a similar procedure

The Duchess of York underwent surgery for a single mastectomy, following a diagnosis of breast cancer. She was given the news after a routine mammogram screening. 

Sarah Ferguson, who was previously married to Prince Andrew, underwent the procedure earlier this week at King Edward VII Hospital, which is a private clinic in London that has previously treated other members of the royal family. 

Before the procedure, she recorded an interview for her new podcast, Tea Talk, where she discussed her recent diagnosis and urged others to take advantage of cancer screening programmes. 

She said: "I want every single person that is listening to this podcast to go and get checked. I'm taking this as a real gift to me to change my life, to nurture myself," said the duchess, adding she would "stop trying to fix everyone else" and start "taking myself seriously".

She added: "Now is my chance. This extraordinary position I'm in right now - it means there's no choice. I can't make another excuse. I have to go through this operation and I have to be well and strong. And therefore no choice is the best choice."

The Duchess is said to have returned home to Windsor, and is recovering from the successful operation. Her doctors have told her the prognosis is good, and a spokesman said she was: "receiving the best medical care and... is now recuperating with her family".

Many celebrities have spoken about the importance of getting checked for breast cancer after receiving a diagnosis themselves - which can be passed genetically. Some celebrities include: 

Christina Applegate 

In 2008, actor Christina Applegate, who was 36 at the time, was diagnosed with breast cancer. A representative said: "Christina Applegate was diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer. Detected early through a doctor-ordered MRI, the cancer was not life-threatening. Christina is following the recommended treatment of her doctors and will have a full recovery."

She underwent a double mastectomy and was pronounced as cancer free. Later, she found out she inherited a genetic trait, BRCA1 mutation - which can trigger breast and ovarian cancer. Her mother is also a breast cancer survivor. 

Kylie Minogue 

Singer Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36, in 2005. A few days after her diagnosis, she underwent a lumpectomy and soon after had chemotherapy - which she described as "experiencing a nuclear bomb". 

After the surgery, she went to France to complete her chemotherapy treatment. The singer was widely praised for the impact she made by publicly discussing her breast cancer diagnosis, and even the French cultural minister in 2008 said there is a 'Kylie effect', which encourages young women to have regular checks. 

Dame Maggie Smith 

At the age of 73, actor Dame Maggie Smith had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a tumour removed in 2007 and completed a course of chemotherapy. 

At the time during her radiation therapy, she continued her role as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and in 2009, she was reported to have made a full recovery. 

Sharon Osbourne 

In 2012, Sharon Osbourne underwent a double mastectomy after learning she had the gene which increases the risk of developing breast cancer. She told Hello! magazine: "As soon as I found out I had the breast cancer gene, I thought, 'The odds are not in my favour'. I've had cancer before and I didn't want to live under that cloud. I decided to just take everything off, and had a double mastectomy." The operation took 13 hours. 

Although she was never diagnosed with breast cancer, Osbourne was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2002, which had spread to her lymph nodes.