Bachelorette alum Katie Thurston shared insight into her breast cancer treatments and how she’s “emotionally not OK” on the March 19 episode of The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast.
Bachelor Nation’s Katie Thurston is getting candid on the challenges of breast cancer battle.
The 34-year-old—who starred on The Bachelorette in 2021 after appearing on Matt James‘ season of The Bachelor earlier the same year—shared an emotional update on her wellbeing after announcing in February that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I know right now I seem OK, but I am emotionally not OK, like truly,” she said on the March 19 episode of The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast. “In the first four weeks that I’ve been pursuing treatment and moving and changing doctors and insurance, you almost don’t have time to sit in it and reflect.”
“Even leading up to the confirmation with the biopsy results, I think I was even in denial because there’s I was like, ‘There’s no way, there’s no way,’” she continued. “And to be honest, I think even now there’s still a level of denial.”
Following her first day of treatment, she hopes she can start to “process emotions better.”
And when podcast host Ben Higgins brought up the fact that breast cancer is on the rise in younger women, Katie offered some advice for anyone who may be going through something similar.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “I think a lot of women when diagnosed go like, ‘What did I do? It wasn’t my birth control? Should I have been vegan? Should I have been vegetarian? Was it my makeup?’ You start trying to psychoanalyze everything that you’ve ever done in your life and blame yourself.”
As to her second piece of advice, she added, “I do find something so supportive of being part of a group, being part of a chat, anything you can find to talk to other survivors. It’s probably been like the biggest medicine for me since officially coming out with the public and sharing my story.”
Katie, who got engaged to comedian Jeff Arcuri shortly before her diagnosis, took the time to emphasize the importance of self-checks and advocating for oneself.
“Doctors, sometimes because of our age, say, ‘Oh, you’re fine, you’re fine.’ What I’ve encouraging people to do is tell your doctor to put that in your notes,” she continued. “Very quickly, the doctor will be like, ‘OK, fine, we’ll get you checked out.’ Because ultimately, you have to be your biggest advocate.”
Katie also shared that she hopes going public with her journey will help in making changes to the preconceived idea that young women don’t get breast cancer.
“No longer is it the standard of like, ‘Oh, only older people get breast cancer,’ because I’m proof that that’s not true, and there’s thousands,” she said. “There’s so many women where that’s proof that that’s not true. And so I hope to see change in the future in terms of the mammogram age dropping or ultrasounds being more accessible for everybody.”
Read on for more stars opening up about their cancer journeys.
Gerry Turner
The former Golden Bachelor star shared in Dec. 2024 that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a bone cancer.
“Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it,” Gerry noted to People at the time. “So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn’t want to admit to it.”
The actor, known for roles in The Boys and Supernatural, shared on Feb. 3, 2023, that he had battled prostate cancer for years and was cancer free.
“I had to have a lil bit o’cancer removed from my body and lymph nodes biopsied,” the Vanderpump Rules star revealed to fans at the close of 2018. “(In the clear now!)”
The Desperate Housewives star revealed to fans in September 2018 that she survived anal cancer. “After posting a picture of myself here and uttering the words #cancer and #hairloss, I feel liberated, deliriously free and completely me,” she shared on Instagram.
The two-time Oscar winner underwent successful treatment for cancer, and his rep confirmed to E! News that doctors deemed Hoffman “surgically cured.”
The X-Men star was treated for his third basal cell carcinoma back in 2014, and after his third treatment, Jackman’s rep told E! News that he’s “all good” now.
In April 2023, Hugh had two biopsies for additional basal cell carcinoma. At the time, he told fans, “If I can just take this opportunity to remind you summer is coming for those of us in the northern hemisphere, please wear sunscreen.”
Camille Grammer
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star celebrated one year of being cancer-free in January. The mother of two was diagnosed with endometrial cancer back in 2013 and underwent a radical hysterectomy.
Then in 2017, Camille had surgery to remove Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron actress battled ovarian cancer at the age of 25 and overcome odds when she welcomed two children with husband Taran Killam.
TV host reveals he underwent surgery for prostate cancer in July 2013 and has since been given a clean bill of health.
The Dancing with the Stars cohost underwent successful surgery for thyroid cancer. The mother of four tweeted, “Thx for all the twitter love. I’m [home] recovering & resting.”
“MY DR CALLED ME ON A SAT. MORNING TO TELL ME I AM CANCER FREE!!!!! #wootothemotherf–kinhoo,” the actress tweeted after receiving the good news.
The Up All Night star was declared “100-percent clear” of breast cancer after treatment and a double mastectomy.
The Dexter star used a hiatus from his hit series to slay Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The Australian actress revealed in October 2011 that she had a cancerous mole removed from her calf after her hubby encouraged her to get the suspicious-looking mark checked out.
Ewan McGregor
The Scot is trainspotting just fine these days after having a cancerous mole removed from beneath his right eye.
The singer beat breast cancer in 2004 with a “minimally invasive” lumpectomy and radiation therapy.
The Oscar winner declared in early 2011 that his tumor was gone and he had throat cancer “beat.”
The Emmy winner whacked breast cancer in 2004.
Surely the CNN veteran wears his SPF when he’s braving the elements now after having a cancerous growth removed from under his left eye in 2008.
The Australian pop star underwent successful surgery for breast cancer in 2005.
The 7th Heaven star was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease when he was only 28. He’s 50 now and looking good!
The ER fave had to abandon her role in Parenthood to fight breast cancer in 2009—but her treatment was a success and she was back on the red carpet in no time.
The America’s Got Talent judge was diagnosed with colon cancer while shooting The Osbournes in 2002 and used the opportunity to stress the importance of regular screenings while attacking the #@%! with chemotherapy. She was declared cancer-free the following year.
The Oscar winner took prostate cancer down, down to Chinatown, in 2003, and has been in about 400 movies since then.
The Good Morning America cohost proudly flaunted her smooth scalp while undergoing chemotherapy to treat breast cancer in 2007.
The champion cyclist battled back from stage-four testicular cancer before winning seven straight Tour de France titles.
The Grammy and Oscar winner became an inspiring activist after a lumpectomy and chemotherapy cleared her of breast cancer in 2005.
The former Saturday Night Live standout mined her breast cancer battle for comedic material that turned into God Said Ha!, her successful one-woman show that eventually went to Broadway.
The Sex and the City star was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and after surgery and radiation treatments, she was given the clear.
Samantha Harris
Harris underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Source: www.eonline.com