Colleen Hoover is one of the most well-known romance authors. With highly publicized book-to-screen adaptations of her novels, It Ends With Us and Regretting You, the Texas native has become a household name. But she is managing a difficult battle behind the scenes of her success. Amid her rising popularity, Colleen has been fighting cancer.
In January 2026, Colleen updated her Instagram followers on her radiation treatment, noting that she reached the second to last day of the journey.
“I wish I could blame my hair and facial expressions on @Texas.Oncology, but they’ve been great. Hope you never need them, but highly recommend them,” Colleen wrote via her Instagram Stories.
Below, learn about Colleen’s health and cancer battle.
What Kind of Cancer Does Colleen Hoover Have?
Colleen has not revealed the type of cancer she has been battling.
How Long Has Colleen Hoover Had Cancer?
It’s unclear when exactly Colleen was diagnosed, but news of her cancer battle was revealed in December 2025. At the time, she wrote a Facebook post shared by content creator Katyinkc, noting that she “put off” some health issues she was experiencing until production for Reminders of Him finished. Upon returning home, Colleen discovered she had cancer.
Fortunately, Colleen’s cancer was “removed through surgery,” though she required radiation treatment. “So, while it felt huge and scary for a bit, and I had to miss out on the ‘Regretting You’ premiere and some other important career and personal moment, I just wasn’t ready to share with anyone until I knew what the outcome would be,” she explained.
The following month, Colleen penned a Facebook post about her disease.
“I got results back today from the geneticist that say my cancer did not come from family genes,” she explained. “It also didn’t come from the two main causes of the cancer, which are HPV and excessive hormones. This means it was more than likely environmental/lifestyle, which is lack of exercise, poor diet and stress.”
Joking that she’s “happy and grateful to be alive” but “hate[s] vegetables,” the writer quipped that she hates “when I have to get off the couch. I hate sweating. I hate when science is right. If you see me at the gym, don’t even tell me good job. If you see me at a restaurant eating grilled chicken and drinking water, I’m probably real mad about it.”
Is Colleen Hoover Cancer Free?
Not yet, but Colleen is on her way to beating cancer, as she indicated the final stages of radiation treatment in January 2026.
