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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Bachelorette' alum Katie Thurston reveals memory loss amid breast cancer battle
Katie Thurston, former star of "The Bachelorette," is opening up about a challenging side effect she's experiencing amid her breast cancer treatment. In an emotional Instagram video shared Sunday, Thurston, 34, revealed she's been struggling with memory loss after completing her second month of breast cancer treatment. 'Bachelorette' alum Katie Thurston marries comedian Jeff Arcuri following breast cancer diagnosis Back in March, she shared on "Good Morning America" that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 triple-positive ductal carcinoma, a type of cancer where tumor cells have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 receptors on their surface, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. In her latest update, Thurston noted that her breast cancer had spread to her liver, making it Stage 4. "After finishing two months of my medication, my hair is coming out in an unnatural amount of clumps… I'm losing my memory," she said. "Going through customs and them being like, 'where are you coming from?' And I looked at them, I was like, 'I don't remember.'" Thurston, who tied the knot with comedian Jeff Arcuri in March, said the memory lapse even sparked a minor disagreement with her husband. "I think this has happened before. He's like, 'when?' I was like, 'I don't know, but I know it has,'" she recalled, adding that they have been able to find light in the situation. "We're able to laugh about it now," she continued. "Cancer is s---. Sometimes I'm like, 'Stop feeling bad for yourself.' Other times I'm like, 'You're allowed to feel bad for yourself. Cancer f------ sucks.'" Thurston also shared that her current medication, a hormonal therapy known as Zoladex, didn't effectively suppress her ovarian hormones production, which led to an unexpected period. As a result, her doctors are switching her to Lupron. "And if that doesn't work, I have to get my ovaries taken out," she said. She said she remains "optimistic about medical advancements in the future," even though she said her treatment may be required long-term, if not lifelong given that her breast cancer is now stage 4. "But anyway, it's National Cancer Survivors Day," she added. "And you know, every day that I'm alive, I'm a survivor, so go me. I guess." During the interview with "GMA" earlier this year, Thurston shared that she initially dismissed a small lump on her breast, assuming it was related to her menstrual cycle but when she eventually sought medical care, she was ultimately diagnosed with cancer. Thurston said she hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to prioritize their breast health including routine cancer screening. "I think that's the biggest takeaway, is telling people like, 'Don't wait,' you know, 'Be proactive, get checked out,'" she said at the time. "You could be doing yourself a favor in the future." 'Bachelorette' alum Katie Thurston reveals memory loss amid breast cancer battle originally appeared on
5 days ago
- Entertainment
'Bachelorette' alum Katie Thurston reveals memory loss amid breast cancer battle
Katie Thurston, former star of " The Bachelorette," is opening up about a challenging side effect she's experiencing amid her breast cancer treatment. In an emotional Instagram video shared Sunday, Thurston, 34, revealed she's been struggling with memory loss after completing her second month of breast cancer treatment. Back in March, she shared on " Good Morning America" that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 triple-positive ductal carcinoma, a type of cancer where tumor cells have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 receptors on their surface, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. In her latest update, Thurston noted that her breast cancer had spread to her liver, making it Stage 4. "After finishing two months of my medication, my hair is coming out in an unnatural amount of clumps… I'm losing my memory," she said. "Going through customs and them being like, 'where are you coming from?' And I looked at them, I was like, 'I don't remember.'" Thurston, who tied the knot with comedian Jeff Arcuri in March, said the memory lapse even sparked a minor disagreement with her husband. "I think this has happened before. He's like, 'when?' I was like, 'I don't know, but I know it has,'" she recalled, adding that they have been able to find light in the situation. "We're able to laugh about it now," she continued. "Cancer is s---. Sometimes I'm like, 'Stop feeling bad for yourself.' Other times I'm like, 'You're allowed to feel bad for yourself. Cancer f------ sucks.'" Thurston also shared that her current medication, a hormonal therapy known as Zoladex, didn't effectively suppress her ovarian hormones production, which led to an unexpected period. As a result, her doctors are switching her to Lupron. "And if that doesn't work, I have to get my ovaries taken out," she said. She said she remains "optimistic about medical advancements in the future," even though she said her treatment may be required long-term, if not lifelong given that her breast cancer is now stage 4. "But anyway, it's National Cancer Survivors Day," she added. "And you know, every day that I'm alive, I'm a survivor, so go me. I guess." During the interview with "GMA" earlier this year, Thurston shared that she initially dismissed a small lump on her breast, assuming it was related to her menstrual cycle but when she eventually sought medical care, she was ultimately diagnosed with cancer. Thurston said she hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to prioritize their breast health including routine cancer screening. "I think that's the biggest takeaway, is telling people like, 'Don't wait,' you know, 'Be proactive, get checked out,'" she said at the time. "You could be doing yourself a favor in the future."
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Katie Thurston reveals breast cancer has spread to liver after diagnosis
Katie Thurston has shared an update after revealing earlier this month that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The former Bachelorette star, 34, took to Instagram on Friday and shared that after undergoing some tests, she learned that her breast cancer has spread to her liver. "It is fairly small," she said. "However, that does put me at stage four. But as of now, my new treatment plan is going to start next Friday. It does involve chemo." Thurston began her video by addressing questions about why she hasn't started treatment yet, 43 days after her diagnosis. Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston reveals what led to breast cancer diagnosis In the caption of the video, she wrote, "There is a lot of testing and prep that goes into cancer treatment." "One important test is checking to see if the cancer has metastasized (spread)," she added and said in the video that she underwent a CT scan, bone density scan, blood work and MRI. She also underwent a PET scan. "What's great about a PET scan is that sometimes it can detect things that some of the other tests did not," Thurston said. She continued, "Unfortunately, in my case, it did detect some spots on my liver that were a little suspicious. Because of this, I did have to then do a liver biopsy to see if my cancer has spread." "After days of waiting, unfortunately, I did find out today that my breast cancer has spread to my liver," she added. Earlier this month, Thurston revealed to ABC News that she was diagnosed with Stage 3 triple positive ductal carcinoma, a type of cancer where tumor cells have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 receptors on their surface, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. She learned about her diagnosis in February, just a few months after she became engaged to comedian Jeff Acuri. Earlier this week, Thurston revealed that she and Acuri tied the knot on March 22 in an intimate backyard ceremony at their home. 'Bachelorette' alum Katie Thurston marries comedian Jeff Arcuri following breast cancer diagnosis Thurston said she chose to harvest her eggs following her diagnosis in case she and Acuri try to have a child together in the future. Despite what she is going through, Thurston said she is staying positive. "I know stage four can sound very scary and it can be, however, given that I am triple positive and the spots on my liver are fairly small and detected early, I feel very optimistic on my outcome," she said. "I'm very confident in the team at Columbia, and I just wanted to share that update," she added. In her interview with ABC News, Thurston said that she hopes sharing her story encourages others to "be proactive" and "get checked out." "You could be doing yourself a favor in the future," she said. Katie Thurston reveals breast cancer has spread to liver after diagnosis originally appeared on
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston reveals what led to breast cancer diagnosis
Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston is opening up about being diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at age 34. "You're so devastated. It's so shocking," Thurston told ABC News' Eva Pilgrim in an interview that aired Wednesday on "Good Morning America." "As a 34-year-old woman, it's just, you're not prepared." Thurston, who starred in season 17 of "The Bachelorette" in 2021, said the road to her diagnosis began when she noticed a small lump on one of her breasts, a symptom of breast cancer that she said she initially dismissed. "When I felt my lump, it was sore, and as women were used to being told like, 'Oh, it's it's probably their time of the month,' or 'Oh, it's from working out,' so I brushed it off for a while," Thurston said. "And then finally I decided to go to the doctor." After seeking medical care, Thurston said she was diagnosed with Stage 3 triple positive ductal carcinoma, a type of cancer where tumor cells have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 receptors on their surface, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Former 'Bachelorette' star Katie Thurston reveals breast cancer diagnosis For Thurston, the diagnosis meant she would need to undergo chemotherapy before she could have the cancerous tumor removed. "You're on, like, survival mode. Like, you don't have a choice -- you show up, or you die," Thurston said of her experience being quickly thrust into the world of breast cancer treatment and appointments. "And I hate to say it that way, but, like ... every day you have an appointment, every day you have to show up. You don't have a choice." Thurston received her diagnosis in February, just a few months after she became engaged to comedian Jeff Acuri. Instead of planning their wedding, she said she and Acuri began planning for their future in a different way. "We thought we'd be planning a wedding. We thought we'd be trying for a baby," she said. "And instead, we know that this year is really dedicated to just treatment and getting better." Thurston said she chose to harvest her eggs following her diagnosis in case she and Acuri try to have a child together in the future. "We've done everything we can to be, you know, proactive for our future and our family plans," she said, adding that she and Acuri are also OK if their proactive steps ultimately don't work. "But in the event that IVF didn't work out, in the event that chemo did impact me in a negative way when it comes to my reproductive health, we're also OK being a childless couple." Former 'Bachelorette' star Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes split Thurston shared her breast cancer diagnosis publicly in an Instagram post on Feb. 15, writing that she found support and hope after her diagnosis in the stories of other women who also faced breast cancer. Thurston told Pilgrim that she hopes sharing her story encourages people to be proactive about their own breast health. "I think that's the biggest takeaway, is telling people like, 'Don't wait,' you know, 'Be proactive, get checked out,'" she said. "You could be doing yourself a favor in the future." Most women with average risk should start screening for breast cancer at age 40, and get screened every other year through age 74, according to guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a federally appointed group of experts whose conclusions guide medical decision making and determine some insurance policies. Breast cancer screening tools include a mammogram, which is an X-ray of the breast. Dense breast tissue may make a mammogram more difficult to interpret, and may make detecting cancer more difficult, according to the National Institutes of Health. Women with dense breasts may be called back for follow-up testing, including ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Women at higher risk of getting breast cancer may also receive an MRI scan. Throughout their lifetime, women should also watch for new lumps, skin changes and nipple changes, including unusual discharge, pain, and redness. Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston reveals what led to breast cancer diagnosis originally appeared on
