Katie Thurston, former ‘Bachelorette’ star, reveals new cancer diagnosis and wedding announcement

NEW YORK — Former “Bachelorette” Katie Thurston says she has stage IV breast cancer, but is optimistic as she begins treatment. 

She posted a social media video Friday, running through the last month and a half of her life since first being diagnosed with breast cancer. 

The speaker explained that she had to go through several more medical tests, such as a CT scan, cone density scan, blood work, and an MRI. She also mentioned having a PET scan, highlighting that it can sometimes detect things that other tests may have missed.

Wearing a sweater and having bandages over her collarbone and chest, Thurston continued to explain she is officially starting treatment next week. 

“Unfortunately it did detect some spots on my liver, that were a little suspicious,” she said. 

After more tests and biopsies, Thurston says they confirmed her breast cancer spread to her liver. 

Despite describing the situation as fairly small, she acknowledged being classified as stage IV. She pointed out that while stage IV sounds intimidating, she felt optimistic about her prognosis because she is triple positive, the liver spots are small, and were detected early.

She shared that the diagnosis came at a transitional time as she was relocating from California to New York with her new husband, comedian Jeff Arcuri. This prompted the need to transfer medical records and prioritize fertility concerns before commencing cancer treatment.

The two got married March 22, a month after Thruston announced her cancer diagnosis. 

Thurston, a 34-year-old bank marketing manager, first appeared on Matt James’ season of “The Bachelor” before starring in her own season of “The Bachelorette.” 

In the 17th season of the show, which aired from June until August 2021, Thurston fell for Moynes, a surprise candidate who crashed the show after experiencing rejection from Tayshia Adams in the previous installment of “The Bachelorette.” 

Thurston and Blake Moynes described their relationship as incompatible and called it off a few months after the show aired. 

“We are so grateful for the moments we shared together and the entire journey that has unfolded this year, but we ultimately have concluded that we are not compatible as life partners, and it is the most caring choice for both of us to move forward independently,” they said.