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Former Bachelorette lead Katie Thurston is gearing up for the next phase of cancer treatment.<\/p>\n
“I wanted to give an update on my latest chapter as someone experiencing [and] navigating stage IV breast cancer. The thing that people don\u2019t realize with stage IV is I will be on medication for the rest of life,” Thurston, 34, said on Instagram<\/a> on Friday, September 19. “It\u2019s kind of like a maintenance plan, which is great but also can be scary.”<\/p>\n Thurston went on to say that treatment has been working and doctors have seen improvement \u2014 which is a great sign.<\/p>\n “The bigger test on if this is working still, is next month i will get rescanned to see how much the tumor has shrunk,” she continued. Thurston is hoping that the treatment will have worked enough that she can undergo a double mastectomy before the end of the year.<\/p>\n “Things are working so far and we\u2019re adjusting,” she continued.<\/p>\n Thurston was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2025 after finding a lump in her breast.<\/p>\n “I discovered it myself. Thought maybe it was my period, maybe it was muscle soreness from working out. But, eventually, this lump never went away,” she said on her Instagram Stories earlier this year.<\/p>\n After meeting with oncologists, Thurston learned that the lump was indeed cancerous. After undergoing additional tests, doctors found that the cancer had metastasized to her liver, which meant she had Stage IV.<\/p>\n According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation<\/a>, there is no cure for Stage IV breast cancer, but it’s “usually treatable.”<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfac <\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade\u2019s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfac<\/strong><\/p>\n Thurston has a great support system around her \u2014 including husband Jeff Arcuri \u2014 as she continues on her health journey.<\/p>\n This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Sep 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Celebs<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n