Colleen Hoover, the globally renowned author behind the smash-hit novel It Ends With Us, has publicly shared that she is undergoing treatment for cancer.
A Candid Social Media Update
The 46-year-old writer informed her millions of followers via an Instagram Story that she was nearing the end of one phase of her treatment. ‘Second to last day of radiation,’ her post read. In her characteristically wry tone, she added, ‘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.’
This recent update follows a more detailed Facebook post made in December 2025, where Hoover first disclosed that she had been diagnosed with cancer and had already undergone surgery. At that time, she did not specify the type of cancer.
Investigating the Cause
In a separate post earlier in January 2026, the author provided further insight after consulting with a geneticist. She confirmed that her cancer was not linked to hereditary genes, HPV, or excessive hormones.
‘This means it was more than likely environmental/lifestyle, which is lack of exercise, poor diet and stress,’ Hoover explained to her fans. She then shared her trademark humorous resignation to healthier habits: ‘I’m happy and grateful to be alive but I hate vegetables. I hate when I have to get off the couch. I hate sweating. I hate when science is right.’
She jokingly warned her followers, ‘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.’
Impact on Work and Upcoming Projects
Her health journey has already impacted her professional schedule. Last year, Hoover revealed she was ‘super bummed’ to have been unable to promote the film adaptation of her novel Regretting You due to her surgery.
She expressed sadness at missing the movie’s release and premiere but extended gratitude to the cast and crew. The film stars McKenna Grace and Mason Thames, with supporting roles from Allison Williams and Dave Franco.
Despite this personal challenge, Hoover’s prolific career continues at pace. Her 2024 film adaptation of It Ends With Us was a major box office success, though it later became entangled in legal issues between its stars, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
A darling of the BookTok community, Hoover has over 20 titles to her name, with another novel, Woman Down, scheduled for release this month. Her literary pipeline to the screen remains busy, with adaptations of Reminders of Him and Verity—the latter starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett—set for release later this year.
