Jill Martin Reveals the True Toll of Chemotherapy After Her Valiant Battle with Breast Cancer
‘Today’ show contributor Jill Martin reveals the grueling journey of chemotherapy following her courageous double mastectomy in summer 2023
During the October 4 episode of the Today show, Jill Martin, 47, provided an update on her battle with breast cancer. She shared her difficult experience with chemotherapy, emphasizing the importance of early detection for both women and men. Martin expressed her disbelief and shock, describing her journey as a movie filled with grief, healing, and fighting.
The Today show contributor proceeded to describe her experience with stage II breast cancer. Soon after having a double mastectomy, she was informed that chemotherapy was necessary.
"In an emotional video, she expressed, 'Cancer will seize whatever you give it. It will seize your soul, snatch your hair. And although it may seem insignificant to some, it is not. Cancer desires everything.'"
Martin confessed that she had an inclination to narrate her experience in the present moment as the illness might have been prevented if genetic testing had been conducted.
"I feel the need to express my story in real time," she admitted, "because if we had known about the presence of the disease on my father's side, it could have been avoided through genetic testing."
She shared the personal backstory, "Having lost my grandmother to breast cancer and with my mother being a 25-year survivor, I firmly believe that only resilient individuals fall victim to cancer. It's a condition that affects everyone, either directly or indirectly. I implore you not to fear undergoing the test. The consequences of avoiding it far outweigh any apprehension. Seize control of your own destiny."
Alongside undergoing chemotherapy, Martin shared that she is utilizing cold-capping as a measure to retain her hair. Cold-capping involves the use of a specialized helmet filled with cold gel, which patients wear throughout their chemotherapy sessions in order to minimize hair loss. #BreastCancerTreatment #HairPreservation
Martin expressed that her hair has always been a defining characteristic that helps her embrace her true self. However, despite safeguarding her locks, she revealed that her body no longer feels like her own.
Jill Martin on ‘Today.’ Nathan Congleton/NBC
Although Martin has been busy fighting for her life, she has continued working on the Today show.
“You want to maintain as much of your regular schedule as possible. Stepping into the studio, I experience a sense of love and security,” she conveyed. “The Today family is like my own family. It truly feels like home. Each person understands what I am enduring, and they are all extraordinary. Do you think I would permit cancer to deprive me of another activity that I adore?”
