Jill Martin Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis

On July 17, “Today” contributor Jill Martin revealed to Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie that she has breast cancer. “It feels like someone else is telling this story,” tearful Martin explained.

She added that she had kept up with her routine mammograms and had recently received the all-clear during a January consultation. Martin told People that she did a test to see if she was positive for the BRCA gene owing to family history, and she was.

A person with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation has a “significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

This discovery prompted Martin to consult her doctors about surgery to improve her health and avoid a future breast cancer diagnosis. “That was my choice,” she told “Today,” Martin claims that when she went in for all of her pre-surgery scans, her physicians discovered cancer.

“Of course, I’m heartbroken. When you hear the C-word, you automatically assume the worst,” she told People magazine. “Having a platform to share my story has also given me strength because I know that while I’m healing, I’ll be able to save lives. And if I can save one life as a result of this, this process will have been worthwhile for me,” she added. Martin is now ready for what comes next.

During an MRI, Jill Martin’s breast cancer was discovered. She questioned if the cancer was treatable after hearing the news, and she was told that it was and that she would be OK.

Martin is terrified of what lies beyond as she prepares for surgery, which will take place in two halves. “I really would rather not have to have chemotherapy, but if that’s something I have to deal with, I’ll deal with it,” she told People.

The terrifying aspect of this is the unknown. Going into surgery and not knowing if you’ll need chemotherapy or radiation treatment is definitely the scariest aspect for me. I work better when I know there is a project or a task to be completed,” she noted. Martin will get a mastectomy in mid-July.

She would then undergo a prophylactic hysterectomy in October before returning to surgery for the “second half of the reconstruction,” according to the site.

Martin is completely supported by her family, including her husband, Erik Brooks, whom she married in September, as well as her friends and colleagues. Hoda Kotb hugged Martin on “Today,” saying she couldn’t wait to see her “on the other side of this.” Martin wanted to use this opportunity to encourage women to keep up with their routine doctor’s visits, particularly mammograms, and to get tested for the BRCA gene.”