CNN’s Sara Sidner, who revealed her Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis in January, has now reached a significant milestone—completing her cancer treatment.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sidner shared with Kevin Frazier the challenges of her journey, which included a double mastectomy, 16 rounds of chemotherapy, and 25 rounds of radiation. The program followed Sidner to her final radiation session and captured the poignant moment when she rang the bell to celebrate the end of her treatment.
“Battling cancer ain’t for suckers! Halfway through chemo, I was just tired,” said Sidner. “And frustrated. And then I’ve got two surgeries and radiation? Like, no! I don’t wanna do this!”
At the time of this writing, Sidner did not disclose whether she is cancer-free.
“I look at you as this superhero who can go anywhere at any time and do anything,” Frazier said.
To which Sidner responded, “If you notice any change in your breasts, anything, and you’re worried about it, don’t listen to yourself saying, ‘Oh, it’s probably nothing.’ Because I did that. It’s probably nothing.’ Go to your doctor. Ask for a mammogram.”
She further revealed the most valuable lesson she learned since beginning treatment: “Enjoy this moment, because it’s not coming back. You’ve got one.”
In January, Shine My Crown reported that Sidner was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. The 51-year-old Florida native disclosed the news during an appearance on a morning episode of CNN News Central.
“Mentally, it has been 90% good for me because it’s just opened my eyes to how beautiful this life that we have is,” said Sidner, who disclosed her diagnosis Monday morning on CNN News Central. “I love my life now more than I can remember since probably 7 or 8. I really, truly feel grateful just to be here.
The award-winning journalist was covering the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East when she was informed that there was an issue with results of her mammogram and would need to have a biopsy performed when she returned to the U.S.
“Seeing the kind of suffering going on where I was and seeing people still live through the worst thing that has ever happened to them with grace and kindness, I was blown away by their resilience,” Sidner told People. “In some weird way, it helped me with my own perspective on what I am going to be facing.”
After undergoing the biopsy, it was confirmed that the lump she found in her breast was indeed cancerous and had progressed to stage 3.
“When I got the news, I didn’t tell anybody, not even my mother or husband or sisters or friends,” she said. “I just needed to process it.”
She immediately began to think the worst, fearful that her life was coming to an end.
“The first thing I thought of was, ‘You better start writing letters to the people you love because you’re not going to be here,’” she said while holding back tears. “So I started writing one to my mom, who was struggling with her own health situation.”
But since then, she remains hopeful that her best days are now ahead.
“I just made a decision. I’m like, ‘No, you’re going to live and you’re going to stop this and you’re going to do every single thing in your arsenal to survive this. Period.’ And I have been so much happier in my life since … I mean happier than I was before cancer.”
