Cable News Personality Kat Timpf, 36, Is Getting Over Childbirth, Breast Removal, Cancer Treatment, Reconstruction, and Mole Removal

Prior to that post, Timpf admitted that she doesn’t take the removal of her breasts “lightly,” but she is “very grateful to have access to the options of many brilliant minds when it comes to breast cancer.”

She explained in video clip, “I have been very lucky to have a team that is very knowledgable on this. I’ve talked to a lot of different people and the focus in all these conversations is “what’s the best thing to do, to keep me alive so I’m around for my son for a long time.

“And every case of breast cancer is different, there are a lot of details of mine that I haven’t shared, but I just want to say … trust that I’m making the best decision for me and my family.”

Timpf’s update on her recovery comes about a month after she shared an “unconventional birth announcement” on her Instagram page.

She revealed she was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer, known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), less than 24 hours before giving birth to her son, urging others, “Don’t freak out. It’s just, like, a little bit of cancer.”

Timpf said she gave birth to her first child a week prior and approximately 15 hours before going into labor she received her cancer diagnosis.

She wrote on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram, “Now, before you worry, my doctor says it’s Stage 0 and is confident that it almost certainly hasn’t spread.  Or, as I’ve explained to the few people I’ve managed to tell about it so far: Don’t freak out. It’s just, like, a LITTLE bit of cancer.

“Still, it was not a chill day. I mean, to say the least! I woke up more-than-a-week-past-due pregnant, completely consumed by doing everything I could to get the baby out. By the middle of the afternoon, I was waddling around from appointment to appointment, talking about how to get my cancer out. I sat and listened as they told me that the best course of action would likely be a double mastectomy as soon as possible.”

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A post shared by Kat Timpf (@kattimpf)

Timpf explained further, “I asked all the questions I could, including if I could get a copy of my tumor ultrasound to put on the fridge next to the ultrasound of my baby. Finally, by the middle of the night, I was crawling around on the floor of my apartment in spontaneous labor, before heading to the hospital to meet my baby, whom I’d learn at the time of birth was a son.

“The good news? People who work at hospitals make excellent audiences for dark humor — and, as someone whose first book was about the power of jokes to get through traumatic situations, there was really no better place for me to be. Just minutes after my boy was born, I was talking with the nurses about what a birth announcement in my situation might look like.  Should I go with ‘Mom and baby are doing well, except maybe for mom’s cancer, and then maybe the baby after breastfeeding is stunted by her double mastectomy,’ and then shut off my phone for a week?”

The five-foot-three mom, who is married to Cameron Friscia, concluded, “Anyway! These next three months of maternity leave are going to look a lot different than I’d anticipated, and I’m still getting used to my new reality. Still, as I navigate new motherhood (and new cancer) I’m learning to celebrate everything I can.

“I’m lucky that we found the cancer so early; I’m lucky to be my son’s mom. I mean, I know I’m biased, but the little dude absolutely rules — and not just because he might have saved my life. Thank you all for your support, laughter, and love as I embrace this wildly unexpected chapter. Here’s to resilience, to miracles in the midst of chaos, and to finding humor and hope even on the toughest days.”

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A post shared by Kat Timpf (@kattimpf)

Understanding Kat Timpf’s Early-Stage Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Stage zero breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ are abnormal cells that line the duct in a breast. A normal breast comprises many ducts carrying milk to the nipple in a lactating woman. This type of breast cancer is not invasive, meaning it has not spread outside the milk duct and can’t invade other parts of the breast.

Some oncologists approach stage zero breast cancer with a watch-and-wait approach, meaning no invasive procedure happens immediately. Other oncologists may opt to perform surgery followed by possible radiation.

WATCH: I Have Stage Zero Breast Cancer: What Should I Do?

SurvivorNet experts say if DCIS is left untreated, it may develop into more advanced breast cancer.

However, it’s important to understand that treatment for early-stage breast cancer is one of the great debates—and recently, there was incredible progress in understanding whether women diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer either need treatment right away or can take a watch-and-wait approach.

A study recently published in JAMA Oncology, is saying that treatment for the disease is actually no better than active surveillance after a stage zero diagnosis.

The new research, shared in JAMA with the title “Active Monitoring With or Without Endocrine Therapy for Low-Risk Ductal Carcinoma In Situ – The COMET Randomized Clinical Trial,” is a large study that’s been looking into the benefit of active surveillance versus standard treatment.

RELATED: Huge Number of Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients Over Treated, New Study Shows Current Aggressive Treatment Is No Better Than Active Surveillance

As the COMET trial, which has been going on for years and is still underway, those who specialize in breast cancer say this study is incredibly important. Including, Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the founder and Director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer, who previously told SurvivorNet that DCIS is “a pre-cancer, technically.”

The standard treatment for DCIS is to remove it surgically and in some instances offer radiation as well. “But I think if a woman is seeing a physician who says you need surgery, I think it’s really important that she maybe get a little more information,” Dr. Partridge said.

This type of research has been put into place to help doctors decide whether doing less may be just as effective as doing more. In the meantime, the options are worth weighing depending on your individual diagnosis and concerns.

And we understand that these findings can be distressing to women who have already undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation for early-stage breast cancer, it’s important to note that approximately 30 percent of women who initially receive an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis will end up developing metastatic breast cancer, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Additionally, Breast Cancer Research Foundation reports that women with stage zero breast cancer have a a high success rate of beating the disease, with a 98 percent survival rate after 10 years.

Dr. Partridge explained to SurvivorNet that stage zero breast cancer is, “Something that may turn into invasive breast cancer. Invasive breast cancer is the kind of breast cancer that has the potential to not only grow in your breast but to spread to other places in the body and ultimately hurt someone more than just needing a breast surgery.”

The current standard of care is treatment with either lumpectomy or mastectomy, radiation, and hormonal therapy.

Additionally, Dr. Chirag Shah, Director of Breast Radiation Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, says recent studies show that the risk of dying from stage zero breast cancer is very low, prompting some doctors to opt for less aggressive treatment and, even in some cases, active surveillance.

“Protocols, such as the comet trial, are studying the use of surveillance regimens, but this is not standard of care and is experimental at this time, and active surveillance is not something that we would recommend for patients outside of a clinical study,” Dr. Shah said.

Finding a Balance Between Screening and Treating

Dr. Alana Welm, of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, also told SurvivorNet that doctors need to find a balance between screening and finding cancers that actually require treatment.

Screenings lead to more people being diagnosed with cancer, and some of those cancers may have never caused an issue. Dr. Welm says treating these cancers exposes patients to unnecessary toxicities. Stage zero breast cancer, for example, can get picked up during screening but not all doctors see eye-to-eye on whether it requires treatment or just monitoring.

WATCH: Understanding a double mastectomy.

Deciding the Right Course of Breast Cancer Treatment

Doctors treating breast cancer seek out markers on your particular cancer to help decide what course of treatment is best for you. This is due to the cancer cells possibly having what are known as receptors that help identify the unique features of the cancer.

The three main receptors are the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and the HER2 receptor. The estrogen and progesterone receptors go together because they are fueled by hormones. Think of the cancer cell as having little hands on the outside of the cell which grabs hold of proteins that help it grow. These proteins are sometimes called “ligands.”

An example of a type of ligand that can stimulate a cancer cell is the hormone estrogen. An estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer will be stimulated by estrogen to grow. In this instance, your doctor may offer you treatment to specifically target the estrogen receptor.

The Unique Features of Breast Cancer

Another important receptor to test for is the HER2 receptor. For HER2 positive breast cancers, therapies that uniquely target the HER2 receptor are essential to treating the disease.

Coping With Your New Body After Cancer Treatment

To prepare yourself for possible body changes during cancer treatment is to understand that changes are possible but also temporary. This can also help build up your self-confidence. Your support group, filled with loved ones, can help you during this stage of your journey, which Kat Timpf is set to embark on.

Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin shares with SurvivorNet some additional tips cancer warriors can explore to help manage the emotional toll body changes can have during treatment.

Dr. Strongin encourages cancer warriors to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their body impacted mainly by cancer treatment. She says although they may represent “fear and pain,” they also represent “strength and courage.”

WATCH: Regaining your sense of self after reconstruction.

“Research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with, which causes us to have a negative self-view and lower self-esteem. Therefore, I would like you first to spend time gazing at the parts of your body you love, give them time, honor them, and then thank them,” Dr. Strongin said.

Dr. Strongin then suggests looking at the part or parts of your body impacted by the cancer or cancer treatment. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it helps you accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.

“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but with time, you can begin honoring and thanking your new body,” Dr. Strongin added.

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? Should I opt for preventative surgery?
• What will recovery look like after the procedure?
• What are the benefits of a watch & wait approach vs. preventative surgery?
• What kind of surveillance is required after the surgery?

Contributing: SurvivornNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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