In 2025, Katie Thurston had envisioned marrying, moving to New York City, and having a family with her fiancé. Cancer never figured into the script.
The life of the ex-Bachelorette was turned upside down when she was shockingly diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 34.
In an emotional interview, Katie declared, “I wasn’t prepared for the 2025 that I’ve lived so far.” But she’s made up her mind to shout about what life with cancer is day to day for young women and not hide from it.
Katie noticed a lump in the summer of 2024. She assumed that since it was painful, it couldn’t be cancer. “You assume that breast cancer won’t hurt since I’m young,” she went on. Her past benign cysts only served to make this assumption stronger. A late-stage diagnosis had already been reached by the time she got it examined.
“The reality that breast cancer is something that happens to women under 40 is not as apparent as it needs to be,” she added. Her words are a call to put one’s health first without question, especially for younger women.
Fertility then burst another emotional surprise. Katie and her fiancé, Jeff Arcuri, were moved into IVF as treatment was approaching in a last-minute attempt to maintain the possibility of a family. “IVF alone is tough, and I don’t think anyone should have to go through it in addition to Stage 4 breast cancer,” she said. They now have two embryos—a glimmer of hope waiting for the opportune moment, despite the ordeal and recovery.
After relocating to New York, her cancer journey took yet another unexpected turn. She was rediagnosed as having stage 4 hormone-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that had spread to her liver by a new medical team. The good news was that there would be no chemotherapy, at least not right away. To halt the growth of her tumor, Katie is currently taking two oral drugs and a monthly injection.
“Chemo weighs a lot of weight. “You will avoid it if you can,” she replied. “I had hope. I had a strange religious feeling.
Even if a double mastectomy is eventually anticipated, she maintains her stubborn attitude. “Stage 4 is not the last phase. It’s something we control, not a timer.
Katie has also had the support of her community of cancer survivors. She says, “Worst club, best members,” and that has been the backbone of her confidence. Her now-husband, Jeff, also pushed back his standup tour to be with her throughout.
The message Katie sends is one of passionate activism. “Your best advocate is you. Be brave. Be loud. “The sooner you catch cancer, the better,” she says.
Her own experience is a bitter reminder that while stage 4 breast cancer may alter the course, it won’t end it.
