A popular Today host revealed a shocking health diagnosis a few years ago. Now, they need a scary, emergency surgery amid the ongoing health issue. Keep reading to find out more about the surgery and how the morning host uses their experience to advocate for change.
Today Host To Have Scary Emergency Surgery
The Today Show has had so many changes lately, with hosts leaving, several due to health issues. Savannah Guthrie had to temporarily step away from the show after vocal issues. Now, another host has opened up regarding an upcoming emergency surgery they need amid an ongoing health issue.
Jill Martin has been a lifestyle correspondent with The Today Show for over a decade. As a college student, she interned for former Today host Kathie Lee Gifford on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. In 2023, Jill Martin was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She shared an update about an upcoming scary surgery as a result of the breast cancer. “Just when you think the fight is over, life reminds you that healing isn’t always linear,” she said, while revealing that she needs emergency surgery in connection with the breast cancer diagnosis.
However, the Today host assured fans that the cancer isn’t back. She said the surgery is only preventive in nature, but necessary ASAP. “It’s preventative and proactive — an emergency only in the sense that if we don’t act now, it could turn into something much bigger,” she said.
The popular host added, “It’s important to say this clearly: my cancer is not back.”
This will be the talk show host’s eighth surgery in her battle with breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy in 2023. Jill Martin also had 16 lymph nodes removed, reconstructive surgery, and had her ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed. She also underwent chemotherapy for three weeks, after which her doctor declared she was cancer-free.
Breast Cancer Doctor Explains Necessary Surgery
Jill Martin’s doctor explained to Today what the upcoming surgery is for. “When a person has a mastectomy, obviously the goal is to get all the breast cancer out. But there’s another goal, especially in a BRCA mutation carrier like Jill … to get all the breast tissue out. And when you do that, the skin left behind can be very thin. … It’s just a lot for the skin to tolerate,” Dr. Elisa Port, the chief of breast surgery for the Mount Sinai Health System, said.
The surgery is to repair the damaged skin with a procedure similar to a skin graft. The Today host will be in the hospital for a few days and then recovering at home in East Hampton, New York, for a few weeks.
Jill Martin’s breast cancer was discovered after she took a genetic test on the recommendation of her doctor. She has since become a strong advocate for genetic testing. Are you familiar with her struggle, and have you watched her on Today? Let us know in the comments below.
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
