'I’d rather not know': Amy Robach admits skipping blood tests due to fear of her breast cancer recurrence
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Amy Robach, a breast cancer survivor, confessed that she has been skipping her checkups out of fear.
The former 'GMA' co-host was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2013.
Amy Robach’s fear of blood tests
The 51-year-old said on the 'Amy and TJ' podcast that she has not done her blood work since 2023 because she does not want to face the possibility of her cancer coming back.
“I think anyone who has survived this knows that when you go in for the blood work, it’s very emotional," Amy said, adding "Because tumor markers are what they’re looking for.”
Robach told her boyfriend and co-host TJ Holmes, “That means that you would be facing a terminal yet treatable, but ultimately a terminal cancer."
So Amy said, "I think the fear of that, you get into this mindset, I don’t want to know. I’d rather not know.”
Amy Robach’s personal and professional challenges
Robach admitted that she skipped her checkup in 2023 when she and Holmes were going through a cheating scandal.
"We were going through our hell and yes, it was the last thing on my mind," the former 'Good Morning America' anchor said, People reported.
Roach also shared her fears with Dr Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist, who joined the podcast.
Robach said that getting tested would not make a difference anyway and that she preferred to avoid the stress and pain of going to the doctor.
“You start to get in that headspace, and maybe it’s an excuse just not to have to go to the doctor again or go back to the NYU cancer center again or just to avoid something that’s uncomfortable and scary,” she said.
Amy Robach’s diagnosis and treatment
Robach was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 after undergoing a live mammogram on 'Good Morning America'.
She had a double mastectomy and eight rounds of chemotherapy and announced her final treatment in 2014.
She said that she has been trying to educate other women about the importance of getting mammograms, but she realized that she was falling into the same trap of denial and avoidance.
“What I’m saying right now is the same mentality a lot of women have about not getting mammograms because they don’t want to know,” she said.
“They don’t want to find the mass. They don’t want to know if they have cancer because that’s scary and that means it’s going to be difficult,” she added.
TJ Holmes’ support and concern for Amy Robach
Holmes, who has been dating Robach, expressed his worry and frustration as her partner. He said that he loves her and wants to spend as much time with her as possible and that he wishes she would do everything she can to ensure her health and well-being.
“And all I’m hearing is that this woman I’ve gone through all this with isn’t doing all she can to make sure we have as much time together as we can,” he told Robach.
