Ten years after her initial cancer diagnosis, former “Dancing with the Stars” co-host Samantha Harris has announced a recurrence of her breast cancer.
On Wednesday, Harris shared the news in a video posted to Instagram, where she also expressed her appreciation for her support system.
“I have some health news that I need to share, news I never thought I would have to share again in my lifetime: I have a recurrence of breast cancer,” Harris, 50, said in the video.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have guided, supported, and led so many of you in the ‘Your Healthiest Healthy’ community, and I will continue to do so. I will fight on and I will be okay.”
Harris was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. She expressed gratitude for the support from her family and friends, and she plans to keep her followers updated as her treatment progresses.
“I’m so grateful for my family and close friends. As I rely on them, I also reach out to lean on you during this time. I will continue to share more as my treatment plan unfolds. I’ll see you soon.”
In a follow-up video posted on Saturday, Harris detailed the preparations for her surgery.
“It is surgery day, so the first step is to have a surgical clip placed in the breast to guide the surgeon in locating the cancerous tumor and tissue so that he knows what to remove,” said Harris, who was preparing for a partial mastectomy.
In 2014, Harris discovered a lump in her right breast, which was later diagnosed as breast cancer. Following the diagnosis, she opted for a double mastectomy after considering her treatment options.
“It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest,” she told People magazine at the time. “I was tired of feeling the way I did after the diagnosis. I knew I needed to take control.”
Harris co-hosted “Dancing with the Stars” alongside Tom Bergeron from 2010 to 2012.
She is not the only “DWTS” alum to face cancer; in 2022, former pro Witney Carson shared her own battle with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, which she discovered just weeks before a major career opportunity in Los Angeles in 2014.
Carson recounted how she initially downplayed her diagnosis. “I finally got the call that was going to skyrocket my career, my dream,” she told People magazine. “Then I was diagnosed with melanoma, and I thought, ‘It’s fine. I can still go on the show.’”
Carson felt “embarrassed” about revealing her diagnosis, as she wanted to maintain an image of health. “I was embarrassed because I was an athlete and was expected to embody health and fitness.
I wanted people to think I was perfectly healthy,” she said. Carson, who was diagnosed with skin cancer at 19, suspects her use of tanning beds in high school might have contributed to her condition.
Additionally, both of her parents are melanoma cancer survivors, indicating a genetic predisposition.
