Samantha Harris on Breast Cancer, Advocacy, and Resilience
Samantha Harris
The former Dancing with the Stars co-host reveals how trusting her instincts led to a life-saving diagnosis—and how her cancer journey inspired a new calling.
by Ashley Hubbard
For years, television host and journalist Samantha Harris was a familiar face on shows like Dancing with the Stars and Entertainment Tonight. But behind the red carpets and studio lights, Samantha faced a life-altering challenge that would reshape not only her personal health but also her professional path: breast cancer.
“I was about to turn 40,” Samantha recalls. “I was healthy and as fit as I ever had been — or so I thought.” A few weeks prior, Samantha was immersed in her bustling career and family life, embodying health and wellness.
Samantha was changing after a workout when she felt a lump, just days after her mammogram, that hadn’t been there before. Trusting her instincts, she scheduled an appointment with her OB/GYN, who reassured her that it was “nothing” and simply a part of aging. A second doctor echoed the same sentiment. But four months later, the lump remained, and an internal voice grew louder, urging her to seek a specialist.
“This inner voice just kept getting louder,” she says. “If the lump was truly nothing and I was going to live with it for the rest of my life without concern, shouldn’t I have an expert physician whose specialty is specifically breasts look at it?”
She eventually made her way to a breast cancer center, where an ultrasound, MRI, and biopsy all came back inconclusive. Finally, a lumpectomy was performed. Once again, she was reassured it was nothing. It wasn’t until a follow-up appointment that she got the news.
“I sat alone in this oncology office as the word carcinoma came out of her mouth. And invasive and ductal — words that I never wanted to have strung in a sentence all together.”
That was the beginning of Samantha’s journey. “It was a journey I never thought was going to begin,” she says. “And has turned from pain to purpose and a mission now.”
Choosing Her Own Path
After the diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma, Samantha sought multiple opinions. Ultimately, she chose to have a double mastectomy and two-stage reconstruction and started endocrine therapy with tamoxifen, which she stayed on for seven and a half years.
Though chemotherapy and radiation were considered, Samantha opted against them. “I had to seriously consider the recommendation — or suggestion really — of four rounds of chemo and possible radiation. Ultimately, I chose not to do chemo or radiation.”
She says this decision came after deep research, consultation with doctors and survivors, and a strong belief in what felt right for her.
The Importance of Knowing Your Body
If there’s one message Samantha wants readers to take away from her story, it’s the importance of body awareness.
“I didn’t think I had cancer,” she says. “I just knew my body, and I knew that lump had not been there. If we’re not taking care of our body, eating right, sleeping right, and having body awareness — being unafraid to touch our bodies and explore what is normal — we’re doing ourselves a disservice.”
Her second diagnosis, a recurrence ten years later in the same location as the original cancer, reaffirmed that belief. The tiny, pea-sized mass was in the exact location of her original tumor. While doctors assured her it was nothing, she insisted on follow-ups. Four ultrasounds over the course of a year showed no concerning changes—until one finally did. A biopsy confirmed what she had feared: her cancer had returned.
She was part of a rare percentage of mastectomy patients who experience a local regional recurrence due to remaining cancer cells. “The location of my initial tumor was such that it was right up against the skin,” Samantha explains. “As clear as the margins were, there was always a chance.”
“Again, we had the conversation: Do I need radiation? Do I go on another estrogen blocker?” she explains. “Ultimately, I chose to go with a very elaborate functional oncology approach and not with conventional treatment after surgery.”
Healing Through Support and Purpose
Through it all, Samantha’s biggest source of strength has been her family. Her husband, her “rock,” has been with her every step of the way, and her daughters—who were three and six at the time of her first diagnosis—became caregivers in her recurrence. “No parent wants to ask that of their child,” she admits, noting that while logistically easier the second time around, the emotional weight was much heavier.
“Where it was a lot harder the second time around was emotionally, because now we had to tell them that I had a recurrence… and they had to digest information with a whole host of what cancer means that they didn’t know when they were three and six.”
From TV Host to Health Coach and Advocate
Professionally, Samantha’s life also changed.
“From the time I was a little girl in Minnesota, I just wanted to be on TV and entertain the world. I got to do that, whether it was on Dancing with the Stars or starring on Broadway. But then, after cancer, the mission changed”
Samantha became a certified health coach. She authored the book Your Healthiest Healthy and launched a podcast of the same name to help others lead vibrant, empowered lives while reducing the toxins in, on and around their bodies.
“I realized there’s so much information that can help us reduce our risk of chronic disease, elongate our healthspan, and allow us to be more vibrant.”
Among the biggest changes she made was greatly reducing her exposure to products that contained toxic ingredients. “I spent my career in a makeup chair with bottles filled with endocrine disruptors, not knowing how harmful they were. Now, I work to help others become more aware and make those changes, too.”
Looking Forward
For her 50th birthday, Samantha opted out of a big party. Instead she celebrated her 10-year cancer anniversary, 20th wedding anniversary, and her milestone birthday with a dream trip to Croatia, Venice, and Barcelona with her husband and daughters.
“Experiences are what we take with us. That’s what I needed and that’s what I wanted. I wouldn’t have changed anything.”
For now, she continues sharing her journey through her podcast, retreats, and social media, offering support and guidance to others navigating their own battles. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s that being your own best advocate can make all the difference.
“Everything doesn’t have to be figured out in a day,” she advises. “Take your time. Get multiple opinions. Breathe. And hold those you love closest to you.”
To follow Samantha’s, visit her on Instagram and Facebook at @SamanthaHarrisTV and on her website, Samantha-Harris.com.
