Katie Thurston Says Breast Cancer Might Be Stage 4 After Spots Found on Her Liver

The ‘Bachelorette’ star, 34, said her treatment has paused while awaiting new biopsy results

Katie Thurston. Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Katie Thurston is giving a disappointing update in her breast cancer journey.

The Bachelorette star, 34 — who announced her diagnosis last month on Instagram — revealed on her Instagram Stories that her cancer may have progressed from stage 3 to stage 4 after signs of the disease were discovered on her liver, causing her to pause treatment.

“My biopsy is scheduled Friday which would have been my treatment day,” she wrote on March 24. “We now wait.”

“She seemed to be leaning more on the cancer in the liver vs. optimistic it was nothing,” she continued. “This would put me at stage 4. I’d love to hear from my sisters who are stage 4 in terms of quality of life, motherhood, etc.”

Additionally, Thurston told followers of her “Boobie Broadcast” channel on Instagram that “two liver lesions” were discovered, measuring up to 1.4 cm, which were likely a sign of “metastatic disease.”

Thurston said she’s feeling optimistic about the biopsy results despite being tired, nauseous and in pain. She added that she’s also been “feeling like a voodoo doll with all the pokes I’ve been getting.”

Bridget Bahl/Instagram

Thurston initially announced her breast cancer diagnosis on Instagram on Feb. 15 alongside a pair of candid photos of herself with the caption, “Life update: I have breast cancer.”

She said she was diagnosed with cancer two weeks prior to the post, adding that she “experienced a range of emotions” after learning the news. “Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength,” she wrote. “Purposeful. Ready. I cried a lot. I tried to even make a video instead of this post and couldn’t.”

The reality star said she wanted to share her story to help others going through the same thing. She concluded her message by saying that while the “first step of acceptance of my reality was the hardest,” she planned to “fight this.”

Katie Thurston.Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty

Thurston later appeared on Good Morning America to discuss how she dealt with the news that she had stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma.

“[It’s like] the worst feeling I’ve ever felt,” said a teary-eyed Thurston of getting her diagnosis. “You’re just devastated. You’re so devastated. It’s so shocking.”

“As a 34-year-old woman it’s just— you’re not prepared,” she said.

“You’re on, like, survival mode. Like you don’t have a choice. You show up or you die,” she continued. “And I hate to say it that way, but like you just — every day you have an appointment. Every day you have to show up. You don’t have a choice.”