“Today” show lifestyle contributor Jill Martin has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“This feels like an out-of-body experience,” she said on Monday’s broadcast of NBC’s morning show. “It feels like someone else telling this story … It’s happened really fast.”
She received the diagnosis on June 26 — one week after testing for a BRCA gene mutation, which indicates a higher risk of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer.
In a personal essay, the 47-year-old TV personality shared that she decided to go public to raise awareness about genetic testing.
“I am telling this story now because I couldn’t go through months of operations, and start to recover both physically and mentally, without shouting from the rooftops telling everyone to check with their doctors to see if genetic testing is appropriate,” she wrote.
Martin said she took an at-home saliva test due to her family history of breast cancer. Her grandmother died from the disease, and her mother had a double mastectomy in her late 40s after being diagnosed with what’s often referred to as stage 0 breast cancer.
Although her mother tested negative for the BRCA gene, her father — a retired criminal defense attorney — was positive. The gene mutations can also be carried paternally.
“If you are not familiar with this test, the BRCA1 and 2 genes, which I now know are inherited from your mother and father, are tumor suppressing genes that are important for fighting cancer,” the Emmy Award winner detailed. “Mutations to these genes can greatly increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, especially breast, ovarian and prostate cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“I had always feared this day would come, but I never really thought it would,” she said.
While Martin said she feels “devastated” and is “heartbroken for so many reasons,” including witnessing her parents watch her go through this, she feels “empowered.”
Martin has a double mastectomy scheduled for this week, with plans to undergo reconstruction after.
“By the time I recover from my first surgery, I hope that many of you will know your results and can make proactive decisions with your doctors, families and loved ones,” she added. “That is the silver lining to this mess for me. It is what is keeping me going and giving me strength.”