Close

Wonderwall

Brooke Burke-Charvet opens up about thyroid cancer scare

Related: Brooke Burke
USMagazine, Thursday, January 17, 2013, 1:20pm (PST)
  • Brooke Burke-Charvet isn't afraid to bare it all. The veteran TV host and mother of four sat down with talk show host Katie Couric to open up about her recent thyroid surgery on a Wednesday, Jan. 16, episode of Katie.

    The "Dancing With the Stars" host unabashedly showed off an inch-long scar at the base of her throat as she recounted the moment her doctor told her she had thyroid cancer.

    PHOTOS: Celebs who beat cancer

    "My doctor felt a very questionable, tiny little lump," she explained. "He said to get an ultrasound, and I got an ultrasound, and then they suggested a biopsy. I had my first biopsy and my results came back atypical … they couldn't confirm whether it was cancer or not."

    "Some people at that point would do nothing and go back in six months and check it but I wanted more information, so I went and I had seven biopsies done with some new genetic testing and three days later I got the call from the doctor, who said, 'Yeah, you have 75 percent positive for cancer and you need to have a thyroidectomy,'" the 41-year-old continued.

    PHOTOS: Celebrity health scares

    "It's something that you never think that you're going to experience and I sort of went, 'Oh, okay. I'm gonna call you next week,'" she said. "And the doctor said, 'No, no, no Brooke. You need to have a thyroidectomy done and you need to schedule this.'"

    Burke-Charvet, married to "Baywatch" alum David Charvet since August 2011, said her husband has been her "rock" throughout the entire procedure, listening to her whenever she wanted to talk, but respecting her boundaries about the sensitive subject.

    Telling her four young daughters, aged 4 to 12, was difficult, however.

    PHOTOS: 'Dancing With the Stars' hot hookups

    "My youngest didn't really get it," she said of delivering the news. "My six-year-old was so strong and we're so close, she said, 'Mommy, I'm going to be there for you, I'm going to hold your hand.'"

    "My oldest daughter took it the hardest, because she had to see it on the news, [and] all of her friends were reading about it and everybody was going, 'Oh my gosh, your mom, we're so sorry,'" Burke-Charvet recalled. "She cried a lot and just wanted to know that I was going to be okay."

  • "Thank God! So far, so good," she tweeted to her fans. "I'm recovering, I'm strong, I'm grateful for my brilliant doctors."

    PHOTOS: 10 fab finds for a cause

    In the weeks following, Burke-Charvet stayed home with her family and took a much-needed break from work. 

    "Minus the scar, I'm pretty darn lucky and happy," she told Couric. "I took a whole month off, which is big for me because I've never done that. ... I relaxed and caught up on some great movies and had some downtime with my family and read a little bit and really just slowed down and let my body heal."

    MORE FROM WONDERWALL:

    Celebs without makeup

    Best and worst beach bods

    Best bikini Twitpics

Wonderwall Video

  • Worst Celeb Sunburns
  • Celeb Twins
  • Celebs Who Work Out on the Beach
  • Country Music's Hottest Couples
  • Worst spring wardrobes
  • Leonardo DiCaprio's Romance Retro
  • WATN: 'Boy Meets World'
  • Tim McGraw's changing looks
  • Craziest Kim Kardashian pregnancy rumors
  • Celebs Who Look Like Their Pets
  • Mariah & Nick's Matching Style
  • Hollywood's Tomboys
  • The Royal Couple's Favorite Sports
  • Kim Kardashian's Curvy Maternity Style
  • WATN: 'Jurassic Park'
  • January Jones' Retro Looks
  • The Rock's Soft Side
  • WATN: 'Veronica Mars'
  • WATN: 'Beetlejuice'
  • Fergie's Changing Looks
  • Star Twitter Quitters
  • Hollywood's Hottest Ryans
  • Insured Celebrity Body Parts
  • Most Expensive Celeb Engagement Rings
  • Sweetest Celeb PDA
  • Kim Kardashian's Tightest Looks
  • Olivia Wilde's Best Street Style
  • Justin Timberlake's Many Looks
  • Hottest Royal Beach Bodies
  • Celebrity Pets with Famous Names
  • Michelle Williams' Best Fashion Moments
  • Lindsay Lohan's Changing Looks
  • Justin Bieber's Changing Hair
  • Most Awkward People on the Red Carpet
  • WATN: '7th Heaven'
  • Ke$ha's Worst Looks
  • Worst Oscar Fashion
  • George Clooney's Oscar Dates
  • Most Embarrassing Celeb Splits
  • Stars Before They Were Oscar Nominees
  • Jennifer Lawrence's Best Fashion Moments
  • Rihanna's Sexiest Grammy Style
  • Drew Barrymore's Craziest Looks
  • Jennifer Aniston's Changing Looks
  • Worst Dressed Celeb Designers
  • Anne Hathaway's Oscar Looks
  • Grammy's Hottest Couples
  • Taylor Swift's Best Grammy Fashion
  • WATN: 'Wonder Years'
  • Destiny's Child's Most Iconic Looks
  • Best Off-Season Bikini Bods
  • Emma Stone's Best Red-Carpet Looks
  • Celeb Flashers
  • Mariah Carey's Biggest Feuds
  • Mariah Carey's Wacky Wardrobe
  • Britney Spears' Wackiest Red Carpet Poses
  • Celeb Makeup Mistakes
  • Ryan Gosling's Leading Ladies
  • Nicole Kidman's Golden Globe Fashion
  • Katy Perry's Year as a Single Gal
  • Celebs Who've Removed Romantic Tattoos
  • Most Memorable Celeb Holiday Cards
  • Five of the Worst Celeb Winter Wardrobes
  • Jennifer Aniston & Justin Theroux's Romance Retro
  • Stars Who Are Aging in Reverse
  • Christina Aguilera's Worst Looks
  • 2012's One Hit Wonders
  • Celebs Without Makeup
  • Best and Worst Beach Bodies of 2012
  • 2012 Fashion Don'ts
  • Celebs Who Survived Cheating Scandals
  • The Turkeys of 2012
  • Kristen Stewart's Best Red Carpet Moments
  • WATN: 'Less Than Zero'
  • Star Couples Who Went from Friends to Lovers
  • The Most Famous Celebrity Pets
  • The Hottest Celebrity Halloween Costumes
  • WATN: 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'
  • Jessica Biel's White Hot Red Carpet Style
Show Comments
When using Facebook Connect your image and name may display on Wonderwall. All Privacy Settings are controlled by Facebook

More Wonderwall

aa