Her “slightly brutal” doctor shared the news of her condition with her while she was on set in 2018 for the show Counterpart. The email read: “It’s malignant, pancreatic neuroendocrine

tumour/cancer. Thank you,” according to Williams. This type of cancer often releases excess hormones into the bloodstream, which can explain the different symptoms Williams was experiencing.

The pancreas is an important gland in the digestive system responsible for creating substances used as part of digestion. According to Pancreatic Cancer UK, who Williams is now an

ambassador for, she specifically had a rare form of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer called VIP, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide carcinoma.