The short answer
Hoda Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2007 at age 43, after her gynecologist found lumps during a routine exam. She had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and, because the cancer had not reached her lymph nodes, chose not to have chemotherapy. She has been cancer-free since and shared her story to encourage others.
Hoda Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007 at age 43, after her gynecologist felt lumps during a routine exam.
She had a mastectomy in March 2007, with immediate breast reconstruction during the same surgery.
Because her cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes, and after getting conflicting advice, she chose not to undergo chemotherapy.
She has remained cancer-free since 2007 and continued working at TODAY throughout her treatment.
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The full explanation.
Who she is
Hoda Kotb is an American broadcast journalist, best known as a longtime anchor of NBC's TODAY show. Warm, candid, and widely loved by viewers, she has spent years sharing her own life openly on air — including one of its hardest chapters, a breast cancer diagnosis that arrived alongside the end of her marriage in the same difficult stretch of 2007.
The diagnosis
Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007, when she was 43. It was found the way many cancers are — during a routine gynecological exam, when her doctor felt lumps in her breast. At that point in her life, Kotb had not yet had a mammogram.
She has since described 2007 as the year her body and her heart broke at the same time, because the diagnosis came in the same period as the end of her marriage. It was, by her own account, an overwhelming stretch.
The treatment
In March 2007, Kotb had a mastectomy. In the same operation — a long surgery of several hours — she also had immediate breast reconstruction using a TRAM flap, which rebuilds the breast from the patient's own tissue.
The next decision was harder and less clear-cut. Kotb consulted several specialists about whether she needed chemotherapy, and they disagreed: one told her she needed it, one told her she did not, and one told her she could not make a wrong choice either way. Because her cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes, she ultimately chose not to have chemotherapy. She has remained cancer-free since, and she continued working at TODAY throughout her treatment.
She was initially private about the diagnosis and thought about keeping it to herself. A conversation with a stranger — who told her not to "hog" her journey but to share it — helped change her mind. In October 2007 she revealed her diagnosis on the air, and the response was immediate: women approached her on the street, and some told her she had inspired them to schedule their first mammogram.
What her story teaches
Kotb's experience is a useful window into how breast cancer is often first detected and how treatment decisions get made. Her cancer was found on a physical exam, a reminder that a clinical breast exam and awareness of changes both play a role — and that knowing the symptoms of breast cancer, including a new lump or thickening, matters even before someone starts regular mammograms.
Her treatment path also shows how much whether the lymph nodes are involved shapes the plan. When breast cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes, the outlook is generally better and some patients, after weighing the specifics, may not need chemotherapy. That question is closely tied to a cancer's stage. Our overview of breast cancer treatment explains how surgery, reconstruction, chemotherapy, and radiation fit together, and why two people with breast cancer can end up with very different plans.
Perhaps most valuable is what her case shows about facing conflicting medical advice. When experts disagree, the choice can feel impossible. Kotb's story is a reminder that these decisions are personal, made with a trusted care team, and that seeking more than one opinion is reasonable.
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The bottom line
Hoda Kotb's breast cancer was found during a routine exam in 2007, and she was treated with a mastectomy and immediate reconstruction, choosing against chemotherapy because the cancer had not reached her lymph nodes. She has been cancer-free ever since, and by sharing her story she nudged countless other women to get screened.
Words to know
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Common questions
▸What kind of cancer did Hoda Kotb have?
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007, at age 43. Her gynecologist discovered lumps during a routine exam. At the time she had not yet had a mammogram.
▸How was she treated?
Kotb had a mastectomy in March 2007, along with immediate reconstruction using a TRAM flap in the same lengthy surgery. Because the cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes, and after consulting several specialists who gave her conflicting advice, she decided against chemotherapy.
▸Why did she choose not to have chemotherapy?
She has said she consulted multiple specialists who disagreed — one said she needed chemo, one said she did not, and one said she could not make a wrong choice. Because her cancer had not reached her lymph nodes, she made the personal decision to forgo it. She has remained cancer-free since.
▸Is Hoda Kotb cancer-free now?
Yes. She has been cancer-free since 2007 and has spoken about how the experience reshaped her outlook on life, including her path to becoming a mother.
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