The Bachelorette opens up about treating stage 4 breast cancer, and how she’s staying hopeful through it all.
Katie Thurston, star of The Bachelorette, is facing stage 4 breast cancer. After seeing good results from her medication, she now plans to have a double mastectomy. She’s staying hopeful—but honest—about what the healing journey looks like.
A Serious Diagnosis
Katie Thurston, 34, became well known through The Bachelorette. But now, she’s facing something much bigger—stage 4 breast cancer. This means the cancer has spread to other parts of her body. It’s not considered curable, but treatment can help slow it down and manage symptoms.
A Double Mastectomy Is Next
Thurston recently spoke on a podcast with Kaitlyn Bristowe. She shared that her current treatment is helping. She’s taking hormone-blocking medication and other drugs. Because the medicine is working, she’s preparing for a double mastectomy—a surgery to remove both breasts.
“We waited to see that the medicine is working. And it is,” she said. “Now I can do a double mastectomy.”
Looking Ahead to Reconstruction
Thurston is planning to have surgery in the next few months. After that, she may choose breast reconstruction. “I can get a boob job if I want, which is, I think, the route I’m gonna go,” she said with her usual humor.
But behind the jokes is real pain. “I’ve worked my whole life to finally be confident in my breast era,” she said. “And then you’re telling me I gotta chop them off and get new ones?”
A Hopeful Outlook
Even with stage 4 cancer, Thurston is staying hopeful. Her goal is to someday say, “There’s no evidence of disease.” This would mean doctors can’t see cancer on scans, even if it may still be in her body.
Dealing With the Emotional Rollercoaster
Thurston said there are good days and hard days. “There’s days where Jeff and I are just bopping around town, having a great day, laughing,” she shared. “And then there’s days where I’m just on the couch and I need to cry.”
She says it’s important to let yourself feel everything. “You can’t bottle it up,” she explained. “You have to let yourself feel it.”
No Finish Line in Healing
For Thurston, this isn’t a quick journey. She wants people to understand that healing takes time—and that’s okay. “There’s no finish line in this healing journey,” she said.
By sharing her story, Katie Thurston is helping others feel less alone. She’s honest, hopeful, and doing her best—one day at a time.
