Longtime Sacramento media personality Vicki Gonzalez announces breast cancer diagnosis

Vicki Gonzalez, a longtime media personality in Sacramento who hosts Capital Public Radio’s show “Insight,” announced Monday she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is taking a leave from hosting the popular program.

Gonzalez, who joined CapRadio in 2021 after five years as a reporter at KCRA, Channel 3, said on a live broadcast her cancer spread to her lymph nodes. It was a shock to hear about the diagnosis at her young age with no family history for the disease, she said, while also encouraging listeners to book annual screenings.

“Breast cancer wasn’t on my radar,” Gonzalez said in a phone interview with The Sacramento Bee.

She discovered a lump on her breast while at her parents’ home in Los Angeles during a weekend celebrating her milestone 40th birthday and Mexico’s Mother’s Day.

Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of appointments with different specialists and emotions as Gonzalez processed her diagnosis.

It started with concern as she felt the lump, and then grappling with uncertainty while awaiting tests to pinpoint her diagnosis. Undergoing six biopsies across her breasts was very scary and emotional, Gonzalez said.

But hearing her doctor’s diagnosis changed her mindset and made her determined to face the difficulties with a positive mindset. A hopeful outlook can affect her recovery, Gonzalez said.

“I’d rather approach it with strength, compassion and positivity,” she said, “and that’s an active, daily choice that I make.”

Chris Nichols, a political editor and homelessness and housing affordability reporter, will substitute as host. Gonzalez hasn’t yet set a time frame for how long she will be gone, said Chris Bruno, CapRadio’s chief marketing officer and revenue officer.

“Our main focus right now is making sure that we support Vicki during this difficult moment in time,” Bruno said.

Gonzalez said she plans to have a double mastectomy and determine a treatment plan after surgery.

More than 85% of breast cancer cases present themselves in patients with no family history, Gonzalez said in her story for CapRadio. Doctors informed her that patients as young as 20 to 30 are diagnosed with the disease every week.

She encouraged listeners to ask questions to their doctors and rely on loved ones who may raise viewpoints about your health not previously considered.

As a journalist, Gonzalez said many have trusted her with their most beautiful and vulnerable moments. It’s now her turn to share her own personal moments with an audience, she said, adding that she aims 100% to return as host of “Insight.”

“Breast cancer will not become my dark tunnel,” Gonzalez said in her story. “I face this knowing there is still a great deal to look forward to in my life. And I soak in all the warmth and beauty and love there is to offer.”

Gonzalez’s husband, family and friends have rallied around her as she battles the illness. But she noted she’s also talked with breast cancer survivors about their mentality and insights.

“I like that, seeing (survivors healthy and happy),” she said. “That’s going to be me sometime soon.”

CapRadio said on its website that “Insight” will continue its programming Monday through Thursday at noon with a rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

“Insight” is known for producing in-depth stories. It focuses on politics and culture from around the greater Sacramento region, while offering interviews with elected officials, community members, advocates and artists, according to CapRadio’s website.

This story was originally published June 10, 2024 at 3:13 PM.