Hoda Kotb is reflecting on one of the most harrowing moments of her life—the terrifying warning she received during her battle with breast cancer in 2007. On the latest episode of her podcast Making Space, the Today show co-anchor opened up about the difficult decisions she faced following her diagnosis, and how the experience reshaped her entire outlook on life and career.
“I remember after my diagnosis, I went to three other specialists,” Kotb, 60, told listeners, according to Us Weekly. “I had a mastectomy, and one doctor said, ‘You need chemo.’ One said, ‘You don’t need chemo.’ And one said, ‘You can’t make a mistake either way.'”
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But it was the words of one particular doctor that left a lasting mark. “One person said, ‘You’ll be dead if you don’t do it.’ I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I have chills right now thinking about it,” she recalled.
Despite the chilling prognosis, Kotb ultimately chose to forgo chemotherapy, a decision she made after thoughtful consideration and personal reflection. “My decision was clear,” she said. “I did not do chemotherapy, and it was right for me.”
Kotb, who has remained cancer-free since 2007, explained that undergoing a mastectomy was part of her treatment, and the experience changed her profoundly. “After the diagnosis and after the surgery, I literally woke up from my bed, like, in a state,” she said. “And I [thought], ‘You can’t scare me.’ I was like, ‘What am I afraid of now?'”
That pivotal moment unlocked a newfound sense of courage. Kotb credits her cancer journey with pushing her to chase professional goals with boldness. She recounted marching into NBC’s headquarters to pitch herself for a new opportunity.
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“I went to 30 Rock, I hit 52 on the elevator bank… and I said, ‘I don’t know if you even know me, but let me tell you what happened to me,’” she recalled. “I go, ‘They’re starting a new hour of the Today show. I want that. I think I could do that.’”
The experience, she said, gave her clarity and a fierce determination to stop waiting for validation. “[My cancer diagnosis] unleashed courage and things like, ‘What was I waiting for? Someone to notice me?” she reflected. Now, years later, Kotb continues to share her story to inspire others to face fear—and life—with boldness and purpose.
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