Angie Best, the former wife of Manchester United legend George Best, has confirmed she is cancer-free after a battle with stage 3 colon cancer that had spread to her liver. The 74-year-old shared the heartwarming news on Instagram on Saturday, July 18, following successful keyhole surgery.
Diagnosis and Public Announcement
In January, Angie's son Calum Best revealed her diagnosis in an emotional video on Instagram. He stated that his mother had been diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to her liver. Calum said, "A few weeks ago, my beautiful, wonderful mum was diagnosed with cancer. For as long as I can remember, she has lived her life rooted in health, fitness and wellbeing. She has always believed in taking care of the body, mind and soul. But as we all know, cancer doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care where you're from, how you live, or how healthy you try to be. And now, it's here – and it's with my mum."
Calum also launched a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of specialist treatment, explaining, "This is incredibly hard for me to say, but financially, I can't carry this on my own. So we've created this GoFundMe page to ask for your support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us access the specialists, treatment and care my mum needs during this time."
Treatment Journey
Angie underwent a combination of treatments, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which successfully shrunk her tumor from 30cm to a small remnant attached to the colon. She also traveled to Switzerland for mistletoe therapy, an alternative treatment using extracts from the European mistletoe plant.
In her Instagram video, Angie detailed the surgical process: "The chemo and the immunotherapy prior had shrunk my 30cm lump down to a little tiny bit that was attached to the colon. They shrunk it, now we go in and cut it out… A bit like an interior designer coming in and moving the furniture around, but it still works. So then it’s done, they sew you up, then they wait three days, and in those three days, they give you fluids only. So of course I lost so much weight, this is why I look so drawn, but I’m not worried about that because I’ve just been eating some shrimp tempura and I’m gonna gain that weight back again without no worries about that."
Recovery and Outlook
Angie reported that her bowel function returned to normal after the surgery. She said, "On the fourth day, they give you your first meal, very sensible meal, all white. And then they wait for the next morning to see if you go to the bathroom. I did. And again the next day and again the next day, so everything was working as it should perfectly in my little colon."
She expressed immense gratitude, stating, "I’m so happy because now I can officially say with gratitude and love that I am cancer free and healing. All I’ve got to do now is get better. I’ve got to heal and I can do that. That’s what I’m good at. God knows it’s the only thing I’m good at."
Angie plans to stay in the hospital for eight days post-surgery to recover. She added, "I can’t come home yet because this was such a major operation. I have to wait eight days and sit and wait, but I’m gonna use that time to heal and get better. I’ve got so much I want to do. I’m going to reinvent myself at the ripe old age of 74. Wish me luck!"
Support from Family and Fans
Calum led the supportive comments on her post, writing, "What a relief and joy, I’m so happy for u and proud of u." Others, including author Gabriela Peacock and producer Hailey Coxon, also shared their congratulations. One fan commented, "What incredible news. So happy for you & Calum. Cancer-free and ready to reinvent yourself at 74… now that’s how you do a comeback."
