Brooke Burke was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012, but luckily she has recovered and is doing much better. She recently talked about her recovery and how happy she is to say that she is cancer-free.

“It’s crazy that not long ago I had cancer and now I’m cancer-free, and that might not be the case if I hadn’t gone for a checkup,” the former Dancing with the Stars co-host said. “Now I feel like I’m beginning the best part of my life.”

Burke had seen a thyroid doctor for years for a different illness, but her cancer was found during a regular checkup.

“The condition wasn’t even diagnosed by a thyroid doctor but during a regular checkup,” Burke said. “They found a questionable lump. Then I got an ultra-sound and biopsies, and sure enough, it was cancer. But the prognosis was great.”

“It’s so important, when you get any alarming news, to do research, get a second opinion, and not panic,” she added.

Brooke underwent surgery to have her thyroid removed and recovered quickly.

She admitted that she does have a scar and sometimes has trouble with her thyroid medicine but said that she feels much better in general.

Don't miss @brookeburke's interview in our September issue–on stands everywhere tomorrow! http://t.co/DNDILnunX9 pic.twitter.com/Auwb8bbv2a

— Shape Magazine (@Shape_Magazine) August 10, 2014

“That was a little tricky, but that’s one of the challenges with thyroid issues: figuring out the amount of Synthroid you need, getting your hormone levels right, and then making adjustments,” she said. “Having too much energy or not enough energy, and rolling through those changes — I’ll continue to deal with that for a while.”

Burke also said that eating healthy and working out have both helped her recover faster and feel better. She advised every woman to get regular check ups and to not be afraid to bring up concerns to a doctor.

Image via Wikimedia Commons