Public figure
What Hoda Kotb's Story Can Help Us Understand About Breast Cancer
The beloved broadcaster was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades turning her experience into encouragement. Here is what breast cancer actually is.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
On screen
Broadcaster Hoda Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, at age 43. She has shared publicly that she underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, and she has spoken for years about how the experience reshaped her life — famously carrying the lesson a stranger gave her: don't hog your journey, because it might help someone else. She kept that promise, discussing her diagnosis openly across nearly two decades on television. Since stepping away from the Today show in early 2025 to spend more time with her daughters, she has continued her advocacy, including supporting efforts to make follow-up breast imaging more affordable and connecting publicly with other survivors in 2026.
We share only what she has chosen to make public, and we do not speculate about any private details of her care.
The reality
According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer. NCI notes that mammograms can detect breast cancer early, possibly before it has spread — a mammogram is an x-ray of the breast that can find tumors at an earlier stage, before they cause symptoms. When something on a screening mammogram looks unusual, additional pictures or tests are used to find out what it is; most callbacks do not turn out to be cancer.
Breast cancer is not a single disease — NCI describes multiple types, and treatment depends on the specific diagnosis, which is why two people's treatment paths can look quite different.
What the story gets right — and what to remember
Kotb's openness models something valuable: talking about breast cancer plainly, without shame, in front of millions. Her story also reflects the long arc of survivorship — life, career, and family continuing and growing after a diagnosis. At the same time, her diagnosis, treatment choices, and outcome were specific to her situation. Breast cancer varies widely from person to person, and no one's public story — however hopeful — replaces an individual conversation with a healthcare team.
Awareness, screening & prevention
The screening tool at the center of most breast cancer stories is the mammogram, and NCI's guidance is practical: mammograms are used to find breast cancer early, before symptoms appear, and comparing each new mammogram with past ones helps radiologists spot changes. When to start and how often to screen depends on your age and risk factors — our plain-language guide to mammograms walks through the details. If you're not sure what you're due for, our free screening check-up tool offers a warm, two-minute way to find out.
Turning a story into something useful
Hoda Kotb's signature move is turning private pain into public encouragement. You can borrow it in small ways: share accurate information rather than scary headlines, check in on a friend who is overdue for a screening, and treat your own appointments as acts of self-care rather than chores. Supporting free, trustworthy cancer education keeps that encouragement moving.
Questions to ask a healthcare team
- When should I start screening mammograms, and how often should I have them?
- What happens if my mammogram shows something that needs a closer look?
- Do my family history or other factors change my breast cancer risk?
- What breast changes should I mention between screenings?