Former Bachelorette star Ali Fedotowsky-Manno shared that her husband, Kevin Manno, 41, has been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, a slow-growing cancer that develops in the thyroid gland.

 

The season 6 Bachelorette alum, 40, shared the results of Manno’s biopsy and CT scan via Instagram.

 

“We always try to be open and honest. We’re open books with our lives,” Manno said in the video. “We want to give you guys a quick update about something that’s happening over here in the Manno family, but I’m not stressing about it.”

 

 

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland found in the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. It produces hormones that affect metabolism, growth, heart rate, energy level and more.

 

Thyroid cancer is often diagnosed at a younger age compared with most other adult cancers. In fact, the average age at diagnosis is 51. This year, about 44,020 new cases of thyroid cancer are estimated to be diagnosed in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.

 

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer, making up about 80% of all cases, according to the Columbia University Thyroid Center. Fortunately, it is also the thyroid cancer with the best prognosis, and most people can be cured if diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.

 

“[The diagnosis] has changed my perspective on every day,” said Fedotowsky-Manno, who appeared in the newest season of Special Forces.

 

According to the post, Manno “has 2 malignant spots on his right side, and it appears it is also in one lymph node, but we won’t know for sure until his surgery.”

 

According to Columbia’s Thyroid Center, as many as 20% of people diagnosed with PTC will have involved lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis, but this usually does not impact survival.

 

“The prognosis is very good,” Manno said.

 

The best treatment for PTC is almost always to remove the entire thyroid, known as a total thyroidectomy. While in some cases only half of the affected thyroid will be removed, most experts recommend a total thyroidectomy to reduce the risk of recurrence or spread.

 

Manno said he will undergo surgery in February.

 

“If the surgeon gets in there and determines the whole thing has to be removed regardless, we will of course move forward with that,” the couple wrote. “But going into the surgery, he has a choice to be aggressive or leave half if possible.”

 

In response to a fan who asked about Manno’s symptoms, Fedotowsky-Manno said her husband didn’t have any and that “his blood work was perfect.”

 

Indeed, while most PTCs are asymptomatic, the following signs and symptoms might mean thyroid cancer is developing:

 

  • A lump in the neck that grows quickly
  • Swelling in the neck
  • Pain in the front of the neck
  • Hoarseness or changes in the voice
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Difficulty breathing
  • A persistent unexplained cough.

 

Fedotowsky-Manno has long been transparent with her fans about her health. In 2021, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with shingles, a painful neurological condition that usually affects older adults, at just 36 years old.

 

 

In 2013, after her season of The Bachelorette ended in an engagement that did not last, Fedotowsky-Manno met her husband, a radio and television host, on the set of the NBC series 1st Look. The pair announced their engagement in September 2015 and married two years later. They have two children, Molly Sullivan, 8, and Riley Doran, 6.

“Enjoy every day. Hug your kids. Hug your family. Tell your friends you love them,” Manno said at the end of the video.

 

To read more, click #Thyroid Cancer. There, you’ll see headlines such as “Diagnosed With Thyroid Cancer, New Mom Counted the Days Until She Could Have Another Child,” “CU Cancer Center Research Tests Two-Drug Treatment for Progressive Thyroid Cancer” and “Gen X May Face Higher Cancer Rates Than Boomers.”