What To Know
- Robin Roberts shared how her 2007 cancer diagnosis served as a health wake-up call.
- Roberts reflected on the ups and downs of her cancer journey, such as how she grew tired of hearing people call her “brave.”
- On Good Morning America, Roberts thanked her colleagues for the support they gave her during her past health struggles.
Robin Roberts‘ breast cancer battle served as a health wake-up call.
Roberts reflected on her breast cancer journey in a new interview with WebMD, particularly how it prompted her to make major life changes when it comes to her health. “I never really gave much thought to my health before breast cancer,” she admitted, noting that she led a healthy lifestyle before being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2007.
Over the years, the Good Morning America anchor has implemented several practices to benefit her physical, mental, and emotional health, such as beginning each day with a prayer or positive message, meditating, and exercising regularly. “I don’t strive for perfection,” she said. “I strive for progress.”
Roberts noted that maintaining a positive attitude also serves as a helpful tool. “Optimism is a muscle that gets stronger with use,” she shared.
The TV personality was declared cancer-free one year after her diagnosis. During the thick of her treatment, however, Roberts said she got “so tired of hearing the word ‘brave.’” She went on to recall spending a moment alone in a store when her doctor called to inform her that her tumor was more aggressive than it initially seemed.
“I was a puddle. That was the moment I thought, ‘I don’t got this,’” she told the outlet. “I was putting on a brave face. But in that moment, I didn’t feel strong at all.”
Luckily, Roberts had the support of her family and friends, including her now-wife Amber Laign. The couple had been dating for around two years at the time Roberts received her breast cancer diagnosis. “I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had said, ‘This isn’t for me,’” she said before praising her close group of friends for creating a schedule to help her through treatment. “They weren’t just showing up for me. They were showing up for Amber, too,” Roberts gushed.
Roberts also felt support at work, as she said a coworker once stopped her, kissed her on the cheek, and gifted her with a bag of lemon drops to help ease her treatment side effects. “That left me in tears of joy,” she said.
In the interview, Roberts also highlighted the importance of advocating for yourself with doctors and other medical professionals, noting that “everybody’s path is different.” She continued, “It’s your life. Your life is on the line. We just want to be seen. And we want to be heard. And we want to be understood.”
A few years after her cancer battle, Roberts was diagnosed with the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in 2012. Her sister, Sally-Ann Roberts, served as a donor for her life-saving bone marrow and stem cell transplant later that year, and she returned to her role on GMA in 2013.
Lara Spencer highlighted Roberts’ interview for WebMD’s Fall 2026 Breast Cancer “Real Stories” guide during the Tuesday, August 4, episode of GMA. “I’ll never forget when I was first diagnosed, and you’re just numb, and somebody reached out to me and said, ‘The moment you’re diagnosed, you’re a survivor. The moment you’re diagnosed,’” she told her colleagues. “And so, I’m hoping that in the doctor’s office, when someone picks up the article, they can glean something that would help, ‘cause everybody’s got something.”
Thanking her co-hosts, she added, “You all have been there for my journey and helped me in tremendous ways.”
Good Morning America, Weekdays, 7am, ABC