Bachelorette star Katie Thurston has been battling Stage 4 cancer for a year. She was diagnosed in February 2025 with breast cancer. In an update on her health, the reality star revealed her next major surgery. Keep reading for all the details.
Katie Thurston Opens Up About ‘Spiraling’ After Latest Test Results
Katie Thurston was still celebrating her engagement to comedian Jeff Arcuri when she received horrible news at the doctor’s office. The couple got engaged in the summer of 2024 during a trip to Hawaii. A few months later, Katie Thurston began the fight of her life.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump in her breast. The Bachelorette star was initially diagnosed with Stage 3, but further testing revealed the cancer was actually Stage 4. She immediately began treatment, which included a regimen of oral medication and a monthly shot to block hormones. The treatment put her in early menopause.
In addition to breast cancer, the cancer spread to her liver. However, she revealed a few months ago that the liver cancer is no longer detectable. Katie Thurston undergoes tests frequently to see how the treatment is working. Her most recent tests left her “spiraling.”
The reality star took to Instagram to share an update on her cancer battle one year later. “While that is a good thing, it is the first time in a year that my tumor isn’t shrinking, that it just is stagnant. Which had me kind of spiraling a little bit,” she said. She was worried that the medicine stopped working because she had to take several breaks from taking it in the last few months.
However, her doctor reassured her that the medication was still working. Katie Thurston shared, “So overall in the last year my tumor has shrunk by 50 percent. That’s great news. The PET scan showed no new spread.”
But she’s not out of the woods yet. Medication is just a small part of the fight against breast cancer. After temporarily delaying it, Katie Thurston is finally ready to undergo major surgery.
Bachelorette Star Reveals Major Surgery Amid Stage 4 Cancer
When she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, Katie Thurston had no family history. Unfortunately, her mother has since been diagnosed with cancer, too. Before starting treatment, Katie Thurston started the process of IVF by freezing her eggs. That gives her and her husband the opportunity to have kids in the future if they want.
But first, she has another major operation to go through. She revealed on Instagram that she’s going ahead with the double mastectomy surgery to remove both of her breasts.
“My latest update actually is that this Friday I’m going to be meeting with my surgeon to pursue a double mastectomy. My surgeon had approved it for my situation and so I’m going to see her in person this Friday and kind of go over things in detail to figure out what that looks like,” the Bachelorette star shared.
Stay tuned for more updates from Katie Thurston as she battles breast cancer.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
