“Shopaholic” Author Sophie Kinsella, 54, Diagnosed with 'Aggressive' Brain Cancer: 'It Can Feel Very Lonely'

The 54-year-old was diagnosed with glioblastoma at the end of 2022 and is currently undergoing treatment

Author Sophie Kinsella revealed she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer.

Born Madeleine Wickham, the Shopaholic series writer, 54, announced on Instagram on April 17 that she has glioblastoma, a rare form of terminal cancer that kills more than 10,000 Americans a year, according to the National Brain Tumor Society. It is the same type of cancer that killed Sen. John McCain in August 2018.

“At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer,” Kinsella wrote alongside a photo of herself. “I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal.’”

“I have been under the care of the excellent team at University College Hospital in London and have had successful surgery and subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which is still ongoing,” she explained. “At the moment all is stable and I am feeling generally very well, though I get very tired and my memory is even worse than it was before!”

Kinsella said she’s “so grateful” for her family, close friends and medical team and their “incredible support” throughout her treatment journey. She also thanked her fans for the positive response to her latest book, The Burnout, which was released in October 2023, saying that the love “has really buoyed me up during a difficult time.”

Related: 6-Year Glioblastoma Survivor Reflects on His Rare Journey: 'I Live Life to the Fullest'

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“To everyone who is suffering from cancer in any form I send love and best wishes, as well as to those who support them,” Kinsella added. “It can feel very lonely and scary to have a tough diagnosis, and the support and care of those around you means more than words can say.”

“I’ll be in touch soon, and in the meanwhile, greetings from sunny London. Sophie xx,” she ended.

Glioblastoma, also known as GBM, has no known cure. Standard treatment involves surgery to remove the tumor (if possible), followed by radiation and chemotherapy. The disease is considered a highly invasive tumor in the central nervous system because its cells reproduce extremely quickly. Those who are diagnosed with the malignant tumor have a median survival rate of about 14 to 14.5 months.

In the comments section, Kinsella was flooded with supportive messages sending her well wishes during her health battle.

“Sending love and positive thoughts to you and your family Sophie. Such a scary time for you all. We never know what is going on behind closed doors, do we? Take care❤️❤️❤️,” one person wrote while another follower commented, “Sending you healing love and prayers ❤️ May you just get stronger from here on out..mentally and physically 🙏🏼 xx”

Actress Isla Fisher also wrote, “Sending you so much love and healing energy. ❤️❤️”

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