Katie Thurston Reveals How She Discovered Breast Cancer Diagnosis
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Katie Thurston was initially in disbelief when she realized that she had breast cancer.
“I had a small lump in my breast around the 10’oclock [sic] spot,” Thurston, 34, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Saturday, February 15. “I discovered it myself. Thought maybe it was my period [or] maybe it was muscle soreness from working out. But, eventually, this lump never went away.”
According to Thurston, she once had a “benign cyst removed” from her same breast that felt similar.
“[I] thought maybe it was that again. Went to the doc thinking it was going to be nothing,” she recalled. “I was wrong.”
The former Bachelorette further noted that her lump “is painful.”
“[That] probably led to more doubt and delay on getting it checked out as most [websites] will say ‘most breast cancers don’t hurt,’” she explained. “I thought it was PMS or working out. … My first lump (benign cyst) felt like a pea or marble [and] hard, unnatural, but didn’t cause me discomfort. The second felt larger. The pain initially came and went, but maybe after 3-4 months of it not going away or improving, I got nervous and saw my doctor.”
When Thurston visited her local doctor, she underwent a breast ultrasound and her “first mammogram.”
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“Then, I had to get multiple biopsies taken and sent off to testing to confirm,” she added.
The tests indicated the presence of cancer, though further specifics have yet to be confirmed.
“Waiting on learning what stage,” Thurston added in a separate Instagram Story update. “Getting another biopsy on my lymph node, which will tell me more. I once did a 23andMe [DNA test] and was informed I did not have the BRCA gene. I’ll be doing updated testing soon to know for sure. My family doesn’t have a history of breast cancer.”
Thurston announced her diagnosis several hours earlier via Instagram, noting her health battle impacted how she and fiancé Jeff Arcuri celebrated Valentine’s Day this year. (Thurston has been engaged to the comedian since late 2024.)
“I used my morning to figure out insurance for NYC and laws on preexisting conditions,” Thurston said, noting she still plans to relocate from California to New York with Arcuri. “I scheduled appointments for another biopsy, fertility, mental health, surgery, as well as meeting with my team to discuss the overall treatment plan, which will include chemo.”
In addition to chemotherapy, Thurston also plans to undergo a mastectomy.
“Not sure on the order yet,” she explained. “My fertility will be impacted by chemo. I have an appointment with my fertility doctor to preserve my eggs [first].”
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