The Bachelorette alum Katie Thurston opens up about stage four cancer diagnosis and future treatment

The Bachelorette alum Katie Thurston has shared a major health update after recently revealing her breast cancer diagnosis. In an Instagram post that was posted on March 28, 2025, Katie announced that her cancer has now spread to her liver, which classifies her condition as stage four.

Just a week after marrying comedian Jeff Arcuri, she opened up about her treatment plan, the emotional impact, and how this will affect her future.

“After days of waiting, unfortunately, I did find out today that my breast cancer has spread to the liver. It is fairly small, however it does put me at stage four,” she said in an Instagram video posted on March 28.

Following this announcement, Katie used her Instagram Stories to respond to questions from followers and explain more about her treatment plan, its impact on her day-to-day life, and her fertility options moving forward.

Katie explained that her treatment would start with six rounds of chemotherapy, each three weeks apart. She added that while Jeff may miss the first few sessions, she hopes to still travel and visit him, depending on how she feels after treatments.

The 34-year-old also spoke about using Zoladex injections to preserve her fertility and reduce estrogen production. Katie acknowledged the possibility of surrogacy in the future and encouraged people not to judge others for choosing that route.

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The Bachelorette alum Katie outlines her treatment plan

The Bachelorette star Katie explained that her treatment would begin with six chemotherapy sessions, spaced three weeks apart.

“A treatment is essentially a dedicated day to travel/infusions/recovery,” she wrote in response to a fan question.

Although her husband, comedian Jeff Arcuri, may not be present for the initial rounds, she said that she could travel to where he was, "as early as the next day." In another story, she addressed how the liver diagnosis would impact her overall treatment.

“The plan is essentially the same as my breast cancer. The cancer that is within the liver is from the breast cancer spreading vs a new type of cancer,” she wrote.

Katie also shared that she is receiving Zoladex injections as part of her treatment. The drug is commonly used to help preserve fertility during chemotherapy. She explained that she was essentially putting her ovaries into a temporary menopausal stat, something she referred to as "hibernation," to protect them from chemotherapy.

Katie added that this approach would also help reduce estrogen production, which was important in hormone receptor ER+/PR+ breast cancer. She said she felt no major discomfort during the injection process:

“I iced my stomach for three minutes before they did the injection. Painless all things considered.”

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Katie talked about future family planning and addressed surrogacy

Alongside sharing her treatment plan, The Bachelorette star Katie also addressed questions about starting a family. She revealed that she and Jeff had already spoken about the possibility of using a surrogate in the future.

“Yes, Jeff and I discussed the importance of my health and that when the time comes, surrogacy will likely be the best option for us,” she said.

Katie talked about the need for compassion and privacy when it comes to such decisions.

“Friendly reminder to stop judging celebrities who pursue surrogacy because you don’t know what they have going on in their personal lives,” she stated.

In an earlier update, The Bachelorette alum Katie also shared how she initially discovered the cancer during a PET scan, which later led to her formal diagnosis. Now, with the spread to her liver confirmed, she is focusing on completing six rounds of chemotherapy and taking things one step at a time.

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