Brooke Burke Victorious And In Shape After Battle With Cancer

Brooke Burke may be best known for her time as co-host on Dancing With The Stars, which was not an easy gig. However, her hardest challenge, thus far, was her battle with cancer and the journey toward victory. Although the scare of cancer is taxing on a person, both mentally and physically, Brooke Burke did not let it get her down and maintained a healthy lifestyle via exercise and diet.

Brooke Burke was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012 at 42 years old. Prior to the development of the cancer, Brooke Burke was battling thyroid issues. She was seeing a specialist for Hashimoto’s disease, which is a common type of hyperthyroidism. Her battle with Hashimoto’s disease carried on for nearly ten years prior to developing cancer. Because of her ongoing treatment of Hashimoto’s disease, Brooke Burke’s therapist was able to identify the cancerous lump early and schedule an ultrasound and biopsy to determine that the mass was cancerous. It was caught early enough to be treated prior to spreading.

Now that she is cancer free, Brooke Burke pondered the ups and downs of her battle with cancer.

“It’s crazy that not long ago I had cancer and now I’m cancer-free, and that might not be the case if I hadn’t gone for a checkup,”

With the cancer gone, Brooke Burke continues to focus on her health via her exercise and diet routines. As is evident by her appearance on the cover of Shape Magazine, she is doing pretty well. However, her battle is not yet over. She is still on medication for her thyroid issues and will be for quite some time.

“That was a little tricky, but that’s one of the challenges with thyroid issues: figuring out the amount of Synthroid you need, getting your hormone levels right, and then making adjustments. Having too much energy or not enough energy, and rolling through those changes — I’ll continue to deal with that for a while.”

ALthough Brooke Burke is no longer on Dancing With The Stars, she is not planning on slowing down after beating cancer. Instead, she is looking to expand her horizons.

“I’m committed to doing something more creative now,”

As for advice to other women out there, she has a final piece of advice.

“Care for yourself, especially as you get into your 40s. Always get your annual physicals and mammograms.”

[Photo Courtesy: Celebrity Pictures]