Katie Thurston’s Cancer Journey: The Bachelorette’s Star’s Battle with Cancer

American television personality Katie Thurston revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2025. The 35-year-old is best known for starring in season 17 of the American reality dating show, The Bachelorette.

Thurston first revealed her diagnosis through an Instagram post in February 2025. She shared that she initially noticed a small lump on her breast, a common symptom of breast cancer, but dismissed it as she had been diagnosed with a benign cyst before.

“For that earlier cyst, they told me right away what it was. This time she is not saying a word. The silence is so loud, and her machine — it makes a special beep when she stops moving it — you can tell she’s taking picture after picture. I’m trying to be calm, but I know. I know. I remember asking, ‘Are you allowed to tell me anything?’ And her voice was so sad. She basically said that she couldn’t, it had to be interpreted. I remember one tear just falling. I was like, ‘Oh s***.’ ” Katie recalled.

After undergoing further scans, she discovered that she had stage 3 triple-positive ductal carcinoma. When she received her diagnosis, Thurston “experienced a range of emotions”. She shared that she felt “Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength. Purposeful. Ready.”

However, Thurston later revealed that her cancer had metastasized to her liver and was reclassified as stage 4, after her doctors recommended a clinical trial that included a PET scan. While it was devastating news, she shared that “part of me wonders if that clinical trial technically saved me”.

Thurston shared that her treatment aimed at shrinking the tumors and slowing further spread. Along with two daily pills that target the cancer, she receives regular shots to suppress estrogen production, which has resulted in premature menopause.

In February 2026, Thurston provided an update on her treatment progress. She shared, “I have a scan every three months. The liver spread is not even there anymore, and the breast tumor each time has shrunk by like 50 percent. The ultimate goal is eventually the tumor will be gone. I think I’ll be considered ‘no evidence of disease’ — that’s the title we would use.”

A few months later, Thurston underwent a nipple-sparing double mastectomy with a direct-to-implant breast reconstruction as she wanted to “do everything I can to increase my chances” of survival. In May 2026, she posted an update on her Instagram, showing herself on the hospital bed after having undergone the surgery.

“The first 24 hours are a blur. All I know is I wanted fries despite feeling like I would throw up at any minute. Currently I’m wrapped in bandages with drains. No idea what my body looks like,” she wrote.

In June 2026, Thurston shared an update on her metastatic liver cancer. Despite recent scans showing that her liver cancer is in remission, her doctors were concerned that her enzyme levels are still high.

“In short, we don’t know why. So they want to do a liver biopsy as well as incorporate steroids to help with whatever inflammation is going on,” she shared.

However, Thurston added that she will be delaying the treatment.

“For mental health reasons, I really need to take a break from all the pokes and surgeries and just try to enjoy a somewhat normal summer,” she shared.

By sharing her cancer journey with the public, Thurston hopes to raise awareness on breast cancer and to encourage people to get screened.

“One thing I did early on was search [for] other stories like mine. Other young women with breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma. Mastectomy. Pregnancy after breast cancer. All of their stories helped. So I intend to be the same for others,” she wrote.

Thurston has also been using her platform to advocate for breast cancer screening. “As a social media person, I always think of these little phrases. I’m like, ‘You guys are in BRAT training’ — Be Ready to Advocate for Those Titties.’ Bring things up — with your doctor, not just with Google,” she shared.