Joe Amabile, a figure from the Bachelor franchise, has disclosed his diagnosis of what is believed to be an early-stage brain tumor. The 40-year-old reality star revealed the news following an MRI scan that identified a "blueberry-sized lesion" in his brain.
Amabile, who first gained public attention on Season 14 of The Bachelorette in 2018 and later appeared on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018 and 2021, explained that the lesion was discovered during a comprehensive full-body scan. He is scheduled to have brain surgery in two weeks to remove the mass, which doctors suspect is a glioma. Following the surgery, the removed tissue will undergo further testing.
"So a little medical update," Amabile stated on Instagram. "I didn’t share my Prenuvo results because they ended up finding a lesion in my brain. So then I had to go get a brain MRI, and there was a blueberry-sized lesion in my brain that looks to be a glioma, which is a tumor."
He added, "So I now need to get brain surgery [in two weeks] to get it removed and get it tested, and then we’re gonna go from there. So it’s been a wild couple weeks. Definitely wasn’t expecting this."
Amabile expressed hope for a full recovery, noting that the tumor is believed to be in its early stages. "They say it’s really early stages. I hope they are able to get it all, and I’m fine. But I will keep you updated."
He further elaborated in a post, "This past month has been a lot of ups and downs to say the least. After multiple scans and MRIs I have what looks to be an early stage brain tumor. In two weeks I’ll be undergoing a craniotomy to have it removed — yeah brain surgery — @memorialsloankettering."
Amabile has been married to Serena Pitt, whom he met on Bachelor in Paradise in 2021, since 2022. Pitt expressed her support, commenting, "You’re so strong and we’re going to get through this together. I love you."
Gliomas are tumors that originate in glial cells, which support and protect nerve cells. According to Cancer Research UK, approximately 2,200 cases of glioma are diagnosed annually in the UK, and the tumors affect two to three in every 100,000 adults yearly in the U.S. The most common type is an astrocytoma, which develops from astrocytes. Low-grade gliomas are typically slow-growing and may initially be monitored, with surgery, known as debulking, sometimes performed later to remove as much of the tumor as possible. High-grade gliomas generally require surgery, often followed by radiotherapy and potentially chemotherapy, to control the tumor.