Coping With Treatment Side Effects
- “The Bachelor” star Katie Thurston, 34, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. For much of this year, she’s been going through treatment that’s leaving her to deal with side effects such as hair loss and occasional memory loss.
- Metastatic breast cancer (also called stage 4 breast cancer) is a condition in which cancer cells have spread from the breast to other parts of the body. Although the cancer is incurable at this stage, treatment options exist to help manage it, potentially prolonging life.
- Hair loss usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment. Most people can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment.
- Hair loss is one of the most challenging stages of the cancer journey because hair is so closely tied to your identity. If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things, to maintain your self-esteem.
- Scalp cooling devices such as the one Thurston uses constrict the blood flow to the scalp; the caps limit the amount of circulating chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, protecting them from some of the chemo’s damaging effects.
In a raw Instagram video, Thurston shared the brutal realities of her journey. “After finishing two months of medication, my hair is falling out in unnatural clumps—so, working on that,” she revealed.
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Katie Thurston rose to fame through her standout appearances on the reality dating shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, where she captivated audiences with her authenticity and charm. In March 2025, she married comedian Jeff Arcuri—a fellow Bachelor alum.
Thurston went public with her stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis in February 2025.
Recently, Thurston opened up about a heartfelt conversation with her husband, revealing how the ongoing side effects of her diagnosis have deeply impacted their relationship.
Thurston recalled an alleged argument she and Jeff had. However, when Jeff asked for details, Thurston could not recall. She attributes the incident to her ongoing memory challenges.
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Lately, Thurston’s cancer journey has been focused mainly on finding the proper treatment.
“Right now, I’m at the point of treatment where I have to make big decisions,” Thurston said.
She’s now leaning towards Lupron (generic name leuprolide), which is a hormone therapy shot that aims to reduce her estrogen levels so her cancer does not grow.
“If [Lupron] doesn’t work, I may have to get my ovaries taken out,” Thurston said.
“I just finished my second month of treatment. Treatment is technically forever. I am optimistic about medical advancements in the future. Fingers crossed as a stage four girly,” Thurston added.
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Thurston’s treatment journey has lasted just a few months so far, but she’s feeling the effects.
“After finishing two months of medication, my hair is coming out in an unnatural amount of clumps, so I’m working on that,” Thurston said.
Helping You Cope with Hair Loss During Treatment
- Chemotherapy Side Effects – Hair Loss
- Living With Cancer: Coping With Hair Loss & the Anxiety it Brings
- Coping with Hair Loss During Ovarian Cancer Treatment
- If You’re Looking For Ways To Deal With Hair Loss During Cancer, You’re Not Alone
- Inside Alex Trebek’s Dramatic Cancer Hair Loss and Super-Realistic Wig
Help Coping With Hair Loss During Treatment
Hair loss can be an emotional stage of anyone’s cancer journey. SurvivorNet has tips and resources for anyone facing this side effect and struggling to manage it.
“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.
WATCH: Hair loss during chemo.
This happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body, including cancer cells and hair cells.
Radiation is another treatment that can lead to hair loss if the hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. For example, radiation for a brain tumor may cause hair loss on the head.
“If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment,” radiation oncologist at GensisCare Dr. James Taylor tells SurvivorNet.
“Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.”
Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.
WATCH: What is a scalp-cooling device?
Cold capping (also called cryotherapy) is a Scalp-cooling device. The FDA recently approved this type of device, first for breast cancer and then for several other cancers. That means wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment. The caps, which are tightly fitting and strap-on helmet-style, are filled with a gel coolant that’s chilled to between -15 and -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Essentially, the caps “cause vasoconstriction, or a narrowing of the blood vessels bringing blood to the scalp,” Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington, explains.
By constricting the blood flow to the scalp, the caps limit the circulating chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, protecting them from some of the chemo’s damaging effects.
The cold also decreases the activity of the hair follicles, slowing down cell division and making the follicles less affected by the chemotherapy medicine.
If losing your hair is a concern before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and more.
Understanding Katie’s Next Treatment Option: Lupron
Lupron – a type of hormone therapy for breast cancer – acts as an ovarian suppression drug that stops the ovaries from making the hormone estrogen.
Lupron is usually given by injection into a muscle once a month or every three to six months. The length of treatment varies, and your doctor can determine that information.
Some known side effects of Lupron may include tiredness or fatigue, hot flashes, spotting, and muscle or joint pain.
WATCH: Understanding hormone therapy for breast cancer.
Hormone therapy is used for hormone receptor-positive cancers. When a tumor is “hormone receptor-positive,” it means tests reveal the cancer is positive for either the estrogen and/or progesterone receptor. Cancers of this type need estrogen and/or progesterone to grow.
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 for Your Doctor
If your breast cancer journey involves metastasis, you may be wondering what to expect and if radiation therapy is an option for you. Here are some questions you can ask your doctor to get the conversation started:
- What type of breast cancer do I have? Does it have a risk of spreading?
- Does my breast cancer have a risk of spreading to my brain?
- Will radiation help treat the cancer in my brain? What type of radiotherapy do you recommend?
- How long does radiation treatment typically last? Will I have to take time away from work and daily activities?
- Would I be on any other forms of treatment while receiving radiation?
- How do you expect my cancer to respond to the treatment?
- What financial resources are available to me to help cover costs associated with radiation treatment?
- What’s the efficacy of radiation treatment?
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