Amy Robach sheds light on why she still drinks alcohol despite her risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Robach was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer after undergoing a live mammogram in October 2013. Good morning America. She had a double mastectomy and went through eight rounds of chemotherapy. Her final round of treatment was completed in April 2014.
During the latest episode of her iHeartRadio podcast, Amy and TJreflected on her relationship with alcohol last year while discussing the start of Dry January with her boyfriend and co-host TJ Holmes.
TJ Holmes and Amy Robach attend the 2023 iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM Jingle Ball presented by Capital One at the Kia Forum on December 1, 2023.
Jesse Grant/Getty
TJ Holmes says he could ‘easily go through 18 drinks a day’ before dry January
“I knew that this past year was an anomaly. It wasn’t a year that hopefully will ever happen again, but it was weighing heavily on me,” she said. “Not only about the amount of alcohol I’ve consumed, but also about what I know about alcohol and cancer – and breast cancer in particular.”
The former TV star recalled how one of the first things doctors told her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer was to cut back on alcohol.
“I’m going to say this because I live with recurrences. All breast cancer survivors do this. There’s no scientific evidence yet, but most doctors believe because it raises estrogen levels, especially if you have hormone-positive cancer like I do, it would make sense that you it increased the chances of persuasion,” she said.
Expressing that there is “no strong evidence to support or disprove this”, she urged her fans to “be careful” and explained how she has changed many parts of her life as a result.
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Amy Robach reports live from One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan as part of ABC News’ coverage of the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Jeff Neira/ABC via Getty
Amy Robach and TJ Holmes Relationship Timeline
“I know it’s such an important part of my life. I changed my diet. I changed my exercise. I focused on sleep,” Robach said. “But alcohol is something I haven’t fully committed to reducing – and in fact, as I pointed out last year, I’ve increased.”
When Holmes asked why she hadn’t worked on adjusting her alcohol intake before January, she said she had “never been one to drink to cover up the pain.”
“I always drink to increase my joy,” she explained. “I like that little extra kick. I like to laugh. It’s probably my favorite thing in life. And so if you have that drink in your hand, you laugh a little more. You dance a little more. Life just becomes a little more fun as long as you know not to drinking too much. That’s always been part of what I love about the drinking experience. I just get that little extra boost, I guess, so to speak.”
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After Robach said she doesn’t have much of a hangover, Holmes added, “You say ‘I’m rationalizing’ almost like you’re admitting it’s irrational,” to which Robach said, “Oh, I admit it completely — completely.”
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Source: HIS Education