Katie Thurston has been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34.
The former Bachelorette made her mark on Bachelor Nation by being unapologetically herself, showing up to Matt James’ season of The Bachelor with a purple vibrator in hand. During her own turn as the leading lady of the franchise, she took a candid approach to the topic of sex, openly discussing consent and her own experience with sexual assault.
It should come as no surprise that Thurston is taking the same honest, unvarnished approach to her cancer diagnosis, which she revealed on Instagram on February 15. “Life update: I have breast cancer,” she began her post, opening up about the “range of emotions” she felt on Valentine’s Day.
“Yesterday I saw all the couples post their Valentine’s Day celebrations. I felt envious if I’m being honest,” she wrote, explaining that she and fiancé Jeff Arcuri had planned to “travel the world” before settling down in New York City. “Instead, my Vday was spent coordinating a place to live as I have to go back to LA for more testing and treatment. I used my morning to figure out insurance for NYC and laws on preexisting conditions. 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.”
Though Thurston is still processing her diagnosis, she plans to share her journey with her followers. “One thing I did early on was search other stories like mine. Other young women with breast cancer,” she wrote. “Invasive ductal carcinoma. Mastectomy. Pregnancy after breast cancer. All of their stories helped. So I intend to be the same for others. This is day one of sharing and is going to be a long one. This first step of acceptance of my reality was the hardest. But I am ready to fight this.”
Here’s what we know about Katie Thurston’s cancer diagnosis—and how Bachelor Nation is showing their support.
What type of breast cancer does Katie Thurston have?
Based on her post, it seems Thurston has been diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC), which the Cleveland Clinic describes as the most common form of breast cancer, accounting for about 80% of all breast cancer cases for women.
According to CC, “Invasive ductal carcinoma starts in cells that line the milk ducts in your breast. It can spread from your milk duct to surrounding breast tissue. From there, the cancer can get into your bloodstream or lymphatic system and spread to other areas of your body.”
When was Thurston diagnosed?
Thurston says she’s been processing her emotions for “two weeks,” suggesting she was diagnosed in late January, early February 2025. “I experienced a range of emotions over the past two weeks,” she wrote. “Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength. Purposeful. Ready. I cried a lot. I tried to even make a video instead of this post and couldn’t.”
