Katie Thurston's Breast Cancer Journey
- Actress and Bachelorette alum Katie Thurston, 35, has detailed the medical procedures she’s undergone during her stage 4 breast cancer journey, as well as her recent first cosmetic surgery.
- Thurston is undergoing treatment for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, which includes a recent double mastectomy and ongoing therapy with Kisqali (ribociclib), Lupron (leuprolide), and letrozole to help slow cancer growth and manage hormone-driven disease.
- “Body image is both the mental picture that you have of your body and the way you feel about your body when you look in a mirror,” Dr. Marianna Strongin, a New York-based licensed clinical psychologist, tells SurvivorNet. “As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body.”
- A positive outlook on body image can be really helpful for people living with illnesses like cancer or struggling with mental health due to body image issues.
Thurston—who is undergoing treatment for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer and recently underwent chin liposuction—took to Instagram to talk about the before-and-after photos she shared with fans, explaining that she firmly believes “transparency is important.”
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“And as a breast cancer advocate and someone who is stage four, I do have a duty to have a PSA about your boobies, ladies. Check your breasts,” she said.
“Let your doctor know of any changes, because breast cancer can happen to anybody at any time, regardless of your family history.”
Thurston proceeded to talk about what led her to her first-ever elective cosmetic procedure.
After undergoing numerous surgeries for medical reasons, she said, there was something empowering about finally having one purely by choice.
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“Now, I’m not here to influence you to do what I did. I’m not here to challenge what is beautiful and what is not. I simply made the choice to do something that made me feel better,” said Thurston. “I’ve been fighting this insecurity, and I just, I finally pulled the trigger.”
The former reality TV contestant, who is married to comedian Jeff Arcuri, revealed she had looked at options like liposuction, injections, Botox, and Kybella [an FDA-approved injectable that destroys fat cells under the chin to reduce a double chin], prior to undergoing surgery.
During her surgical consultation, Thurston learned she would need a more extensive deep neck procedure that involved removing fat from beneath the chin and behind the muscles, along with restructuring, rather than simple chin liposuction.
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“In my next video, I’m going to talk about what it was like to get the procedure, what’s involved, how it feels, how the recovery has been going, and how much it costs,” she concluded.
Fans then praised her for her “authenticity,” with one commenting, “I hope you know that you don’t ‘owe’ anyone, anywhere an explanation for what you decide to do with your own body, whether for medical or cosmetic reasons.
“I absolutely adore you (and Jeff, but don’t tell him) and greatly appreciate your authenticity and advocacy. Keep doing what you do for as long as you feel comfortable and safe doing so.”
Another wrote, “Tuning in bc I love the transparency but am also curious how much a neck lift cost 🙂 Also really appreciate the rundown of all procedures.”
A third fan commented, “This is something I’m really conscious about as well. Just know you were beautiful before and you are now. I’m so glad you did something that makes you feel good! You deserve that!”
My Confidence Was Destroyed: Dealing With Body Image During Cancer Treatment
Coping With Your New Body as a Survivor
Dr. Marianna Strongin, a New York-based clinical psychologist, has told SurvivorNet that many survivors struggle to accept the physical changes cancer leaves behind, since those changes represent such a hard chapter.
Her suggestion: stand in front of the mirror, focus on the parts of your body you love, and take time to honor and thank them.
Then spend time looking at the part (or parts) of your body that has been impacted by cancer, such as your chest where your breasts have been removed, or your head where there is no longer hair.
“At first you may experience a flood of emotions this is expected and normal. As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body,” Strongin explained.
“It may not happen immediately, but with time you can begin honoring and thanking that part of your body by creating a more accepting relationship with yourself.”
Body image is about both the mental picture you have and how you feel when you look in the mirror, she said.
“Therefore, it is important that you create a ritual and practice that allows you to better accept your cancer journey both emotionally and physically.”
Protecting Your Inner Beauty and Self-Esteem
Dr. Strongin also previously explained to SurvivorNet, “Cancer changes who you are both physically and emotionally.” It’s important to understand that struggles with self-esteem can happen can take hold of anyone.
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology questioned how self-esteem should be considered in cancer patients. Researchers noted cancer patients’ framing of their diagnosis and how they cope with their diagnosis and subsequent treatment impacts their self-esteem throughout their cancer journeys.
“Adaptive adjustment strategies (positive reframing, use of emotional support, active coping, acceptance, and planning) in breast cancer patients were associated with high self-esteem. Social support also appears to be strongly related to self-esteem,” the study says.
If you find yourself wrestling with your emotions because of a diagnosis, remember you don’t have to go it alone. Your support group is filled with loved ones who are there to help you on your journey.
“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive stress wave the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik previously told SurvivorNet.
Katie’s Ongoing Breast Cancer Treatment Journey
When it comes to Thurston’s ongoing battle with HR+/HER2‑ metastatic breast cancer, she recently underwent a double mastectomy, and her ongoing treatment regimen includes three key medications:
- Kisqali (ribociclib): Approved by the FDA in 2017, this targeted therapy is used in combination with endocrine therapy to treat HR+/HER2- breast cancer. It works by slowing the progression of cancer, offering a more tolerable alternative to traditional chemotherapy.
- Lupron (leuprolide): A hormone therapy injection that lowers estrogen levels in the body, helping to prevent the cancer from growing.
- Letrozole: An aromatase inhibitor that reduces the body’s estrogen production, commonly used in postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer.
Remember, although stage 4 breast cancer is not curable, several treatment options exist that can extend the life of patients.
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Treatment options depend on the stage, type of primary breast cancer, and whether hormone receptors are positive.
Treatment can include a combination of:
- Chemotherapy: Oral or IV medications that are toxic to tumor cells
- Hormonal therapies: Drugs that lower estrogen levels or block estrogen receptors from allowing the cancer cells to grow
- Targeted therapies: Drugs that target your tumor’s specific gene mutations
- Immunotherapy: Medications that stimulate your immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells
- Radiation: The use of high-energy rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors
- Surgery: To remove a cancerous tumor or lymph nodes (uncommon with stage IV; more common in stages I, II, and III)
- Clinical trials: Studies of new medications, treatments, and other therapies offer hope for better outcomes.
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Understanding Hormone Therapy For Breast Cancer
Hormone therapy for breast cancer is one line of defense in the vast tool kit for treatment.
It’s used for hormone receptor-positive cancers, which are actually the most common types of breast cancers. When a tumor is “hormone receptor-positive,” it means that a pathologist has run special tests on the cancer to determine that it is positive for either the estrogen and/or progesterone receptor.
WATCH: Understanding hormone therapy for breast cancer.
When a certain type of cancer tests positive for being hormone-receptive, it means that the cancer needs the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone to grow.
Your doctor will then determine what type of treatment is best for your type of cancer.
It’s important to note that approximately half of early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancers stop responding to hormone therapy.
These cancers can be compared to a room with a light switch. Initially, the breast cancer has just one light switch that you need to hit to turn off the lights. But as the breast cancer mutates, it grows an additional light switch, so now you must hit both at the same time if you want to kill the cell.
Hormone Therapies for Breast Cancer: mTOR Inhibitors
Almost all advanced-stage, hormone receptor-positive cancers eventually become resistant to hormone therapy. But by combining hormone therapy with a new class of drugs called mTOR inhibitors, doctors can hit both switches at once. The mTOR inhibitors act on proteins called kinases, slowing down the cancer’s growth.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re considering surgery or deciding how to navigate a cancer diagnosis, it can be helpful to go into the conversation with your doctor prepared. Here are some key questions to ask as you weigh your options. SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions,” can also support you along the way by providing evidence‑based answers aligned with cancer treatment guidelines and informed by oncologists across multiple specialties.
- What can I do to prepare for a double mastectomy?
- What happens before and after the procedure?
- For reconstruction, what are the benefits of using implants over my own tissue and vice versa?
- What should I know about implants?
- What will recovery look like after the procedure?
Or, if you’re experiencing physical changes during your cancer journey, here are some questions you can consider asking your doctor:
- I am experiencing certain bodily changes. What exactly is causing them?
- Are there ways to manage or minimize these changes?
- I’m struggling to cope with the changes to my body. Is there someone I can talk to about it?
- Is there a social worker here who can help connect me with a therapist?
- What resources are available to help me find a local support group?
Body image, sex and adjusting to a ‘new normal’ after cancer
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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