‘Bachelorette’ Star Katie Thurston, 34, Faces Cancer Scan With Positivity & Optimism—Here’s Why Many Patients Feel Anxious and What Helps

“I’m doing good, all things considered,” she told E! News, reflecting the quiet strength many patients summon during these high-stakes check-ins.

Thurston may walk into her scans with confidence, but she’s not immune to the anxiety that shadows every test result. For many patients, the emotional rollercoaster of scan day—known as “scan-xiety”—can be overwhelming. Will the news mean more chemotherapy? Or will it bring relief if the doctors say, “Your tumors have shrunk, the treatment is working”?

Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman recommends grounding strategies to ease the tension: exercise, creative activities, music, or anything that shifts focus away from the looming results.

While coping mechanisms help, Thurston says the real anchor has been her support system.

“You can’t face cancer alone,” she said. “You really have to rely on your friends and family. And to have someone who’s your partner, who’s right there with you every step of the way? It’s meant everything.”

As she continues her fight, Thurston’s openness is a reminder that strength isn’t just about optimism—it’s about leaning on the people who show up when it matters most.

How To Help A Partner Diagnosed With Cancer

A cancer diagnosis can feel like a tidal wave—bringing grief, fear, and uncertainty into a relationship. But it doesn’t have to mark the end of connection or hope. Couples who face cancer together often discover new layers of resilience, tenderness, and strength.

Building emotional stability begins with intentional choices:

• Speaking with a therapist to unpack feelings
• Creating space for open, honest dialogue with your partner
• Learning about the diagnosis and treatment side by side
• Joining support communities to share and hear lived experiences

 

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The Caregiver’s Role: Love in Action

Becoming a caregiver isn’t just practical—it’s deeply personal. Whether you’re a partner, sibling, parent, friend, or even a child, stepping into this role means embracing both emotional and logistical support. Caregivers often serve as a steady presence through treatment, appointments, and everyday life.

What Caregivers Often Do

• Attend appointments and ask key questions
• Offer transportation and companionship during treatments
• Track side effects, monitor symptoms, and communicate with care teams
• Connect with social workers and patient navigators
• Help manage daily routines and provide reassurance in difficult moments

Don’t Forget the Caregiver’s Well-being

Caregivers are the backbone of many cancer journeys, but they need care, too. Mental health support, financial guidance, and peer resources are critical. Engaging with social workers or patient advocates can ensure caregivers get the tools they need to stay strong—for their loved one and for themselves.

Easing “Scan-xiety”: Psychiatrist Shares Tools to Reclaim Calm and Control

Waiting for scan results can feel like holding your breath underwater—uncertain, isolating, and emotionally draining. This intense stress, often called “scan anxiety”, is a common experience for cancer patients and survivors. But according to Dr. Samantha Boardman, assistant professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, there are proven psychological strategies that can help.

“Scan anxiety is unbelievably stressful,” Dr. Boardman told SurvivorNet.

“Probably one of the best antidotes that psychology can offer patients is to experience flow.”

What Is “Flow”—and Why It Works

“Flow” is a mental state where you become fully absorbed in an activity—so much so that time seems to disappear. It’s not just a distraction; it’s a therapeutic shift that quiets the mind and restores emotional balance.

“How can we experience flow in our daily lives? It’s usually in some form of a hobby, something we just do because we love doing it,” Dr. Boardman explained.

“I really encourage patients to find and experience something that gives them flow. It might be baking, gardening, or even doing housework. They’re so immersed in the experience that they’re not thinking about anything else.”

Dr. Boardman recommends engaging in activities that naturally promote flow. These include:

• Exercise – even light movement can help regulate stress hormones
• Art or creativity – painting, journaling, or crafting can offer emotional release
• Music – listening or playing can shift your mental state
• Hobbies – anything you enjoy that pulls your focus away from worry

The goal isn’t to ignore your feelings—it’s to give your brain a break from the loop of fear and uncertainty.

For patients feeling overwhelmed, Dr. Boardman suggests a straightforward journaling exercise to help reframe anxious thoughts. Start by drawing four columns on a sheet of paper:

• What I don’t know
• What I do know
• What I can’t control
• What I can control

“I’ll ask patients to write down what I don’t know, what I do know, what I can’t control, and what I can control,” she said. Then, “a helpful way to dial down their anxiety” is to “try to move as many items as possible into what they know and can control.”

This visual mapping helps externalize worry and empowers patients to focus on what’s actionable. It’s a small but powerful way to feel less at the mercy of uncertainty.

When anxiety takes hold, it’s easy to feel powerless. But tools like flow and cognitive reframing offer a path back to emotional steadiness. They don’t erase the fear—but they help patients reclaim space for peace, presence, and perspective.

Understanding Thurston’s Diagnosis

Thurston’s cancer is classified as hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative (HER2-), the most common subtype of breast cancer. According to Penn Medicine, about 70% of new breast cancer cases each year fall into this category.

Hormone receptors are proteins found on breast cells that respond to estrogen or progesterone. When cancer cells have these receptors, they can grow in response to these hormones—making them hormone receptor-positive. HER2, on the other hand, is a protein that can accelerate cancer cell growth. Tumors are labeled HER2-positive when they overexpress this protein, and HER2-negative when they don’t.

Traditionally, HER2 status has been viewed in binary terms—positive or negative—though many patients fall somewhere in between. These classifications are determined by how the tumor appears under a microscope and through additional testing by a pathologist.

Thurston’s current 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.

Treatment Options for Advanced Breast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer (also called stage 4) means cancer cells have spread from the breast to other parts of the body, which may include the bones, liver, lungs, brain, and beyond.

Breast cancer spreads through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The blood carries cancer cells to different body parts, where they grow as new tumors.

As the cancer spreads to other body parts, patients may experience additional symptoms depending on where the cancer has spread. Examples include:

• Bones: Severe bone pain or fractures
• Lungs: Difficulty breathing, chest pain, new cough
• Liver: Yellowing of the skin (jaundice), abdominal pain, nausea, and/or vomiting
• Brain: Headaches, memory loss, changes in vision, seizures

WATCH: Treatment options for metastatic breast cancer.

Although stage 4 breast cancer is not curable, several treatment options exist that can extend the life of patients. 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.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you’re facing the option of having a mastectomy, here are some questions to consider asking your doctor:

• 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?

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