Longtime CNN Anchor Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

CNN anchor Sara Sidner shared a harrowing personal update Monday, revealing that a recent PET scan initially indicated her breast cancer had returned and spread throughout her body.

Diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2023 and declared cancer-free in 2024, Sidner said the scan suggested stage 4 metastatic disease involving her hip, spine, liver and lungs.

“It indicated I was likely metastatic, stage 4 cancer, incurable,” she told viewers. “I was inconsolable at the time.”

She described searching online for prognosis information and finding estimates of less than five years. “It knocked the breath out of me, as you might imagine. Then I cried.”

Doctors ordered a biopsy, leaving her in what she called “fifteen days of torture.”

The biopsy results brought relief: “Not cancer. Again, shock because this scan suggested otherwise. The doctor then made very clear, biopsy beats scan. I had a deep, guttural sigh of relief.”

A molecular blood test later confirmed the good news. Sidner learned the result while at work and told co-anchor John Berman, “‘Negative,’ I croaked. A lump of tears was in my throat.”

She has openly documented her earlier treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation and reconstructive surgery, saying she wanted viewers to see the reality because “One in eight women go through this.”

Despite the scare, Sidner announced she will run the New York City Marathon in November to raise money for cancer research.

Her candor continues to highlight both the terror and the resilience that accompany a cancer diagnosis.