Katie Thurston, known for her appearances on “The Bachelor” and as the lead of Season 17 of “The Bachelorette,” has shared a deeply personal update about her Stage 4 breast cancer journey. In a June 1 Instagram Story video, the 34-year-old reflected on the toll her diagnosis and treatment have taken on her body and mind.
Ongoing Treatment and Memory Loss
“I wanted to do weekly check-ins that are just like uncut, raw emotions of whatever comes to my mind,” Thurston said. “I just finished my second month of treatment and if you’re asking how long treatment is, technically forever. I am optimistic about medical advancements in the future. Fingers crossed as a stage 4 girly.”
Thurston also opened up about some alarming side effects. “My hair is coming out in an unnatural amount of clumps. Working on that. I’m losing my memory. That’s great,” she said. Recalling a recent interaction, she added, “Going through customs and them being like, ‘Where are you coming from?’ And I looked at him and I was like, ‘I don’t remember. I don’t remember.’”
The former reality star noted that her treatment plan will now include Lupron, a drug that induces menopause. If that doesn’t prove effective, she said doctors may need to remove her ovaries.
From Diagnosis to Advocacy
Thurston first publicly revealed her diagnosis in February 2025, sharing that she initially discovered a lump in the summer of 2024. “I discovered it myself,” she wrote on Instagram. “Thought maybe it was my period. Maybe it was muscle soreness from working out.”
After undergoing a series of tests—including a mammogram and biopsy—she learned the cancer had spread to her liver. The development reclassified her diagnosis to Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
In an April update, she shared a piece of good news: her cancer is HER2-negative, meaning she does not need chemotherapy right away. She opted for a non-invasive treatment called histotripsy at New York University and moved from Los Angeles to New York City to be closer to her new care team.
Thurston, who married comedian Jeff Arcuri in March, said she has experienced emotional ups and downs throughout her treatment. “Cancer is (expletive). Sometimes I’m like, ‘Stop feeling bad for yourself.’ Other times I’m like, ‘You’re allowed to feel bad for yourself. Cancer (expletive) sucks,’” she admitted in the June 1 video.
Despite the physical and mental toll, she’s choosing to focus on hope. “It’s National Cancer Survivors Day. Every day that I’m alive, I’m a survivor. So go me, I guess,” she said.
Thurston continues to share her experience in the hopes of supporting others in similar situations. “One thing I did early on was search other stories like mine,” she said. “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.”
