Katie Thurston makes a heart-wrenching decision amid stage 4 cancer battle

Katie Thurston has opened up about her upcoming surgery, that she’s planning to undergo a double mastectomy as part of her ongoing treatment with stage 4 breast cancer.

The 34-year-old revealed about her health journey on the July 29 episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Off The Vine podcast, where she appeared with her husband, Jeff Arcuri. Thurston first shared her cancer diagnosis in February and has been receiving treatment ever since.

What is Stage 4 breast cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute, Stage 4 breast cancer is advanced breast cancer that has metastasized, or spread, from the original location in the breast to other organs of the body, such as the bones, lungs, liver, or brain. Stage 4 breast cancer is also called metastatic breast cancer or breast cancer recurrence.

Survival rates for breast cancer are calculated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) using a 5-year relative survival rate.

What did she say about her current health status?

Currently, she’s on hormone-blocking therapy along with other medications. The good news, she said, is that the treatment seems to be working.

“We waited to see that the medicine is working. And it is,” Thurston explained during the conversation. “So we’re gonna basically give it three more months, and then I can do a double mastectomy, get a boob job if I want, which is, I think, the route I’m gonna go.”

What is a Double Mastectomy and why is she considering breast implants 

According to City of Hope, a double mastectomy is a major surgery that removes both breasts to remove cancer, or to reduce the risk of breast cancer in a woman who may be at high risk for the disease.

Moreover, Thurston also mentioned that she plans to talk to Bristowe about breast implants later on, since Bristowe recently had her own procedure. Still, Thurston admitted that the idea of surgery hasn’t been easy to accept.

“It’s been a challenge of like, I’ve worked my whole life to finally be confident in my breast era, and then you’re telling me I gotta chop them off and get new ones?” she said.

Thurston remains optimistic

Despite the tough reality, Thurston remains positive about the future. “My hope for the future is that, whether it’s this year or next year, I’ll be like, ‘Hey guys, there’s no evidence of disease,’” she shared. “Even though technically, stage four is not curable. Technically, medically, I will have breast cancer forever. But with so much advancement happening and the way that I caught it when I did, I’m very optimistic.”

Thurston’s honest update highlights both the physical and emotional challenges that come with a stage 4 diagnosis, but also the hope that treatment and medical progress can bring.