Beloved News Anchor, 37, Diagnosed with Aggressive Brain Cancer: ‘My World Flipped Upside Down’

One year after a sudden seizure revealed a malignant brain tumor, veteran news anchor Tori Carmen has returned to the airwaves, transitioning from reporting the news to becoming a prominent voice for brain cancer advocacy.

Carmen, 38, resumed her duties at Fox Carolina this year following a grueling recovery from a grade 3 anaplastic meningioma—a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Her journey from a routine ski trip to the operating theaters of Chicago underscores the critical importance of neurological health awareness.

The crisis began in February 2025. Despite maintaining a high-intensity fitness regimen, Carmen suffered a grand mal seizure on February 28, shortly after a minor skiing accident. Initial CT scans in Greenville identified a mass, which specialists first suspected was a benign meningioma.

However, after transferring her care to Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, pathology reports following an April 1 craniotomy delivered a more severe verdict.

“It came back as a grade 3 meningioma, which is malignant,” Carmen stated, describing the shift from a routine recovery to an oncological emergency.

Dr. James Chandler, Surgical Director of the Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, performed the successful resection. Despite the “textbook” nature of the surgery, the aggressive pathology required immediate follow-up to prevent recurrence.

To mitigate the risk of the cancer returning, Carmen underwent Gamma Knife radiation on May 30, 2025. This specialized, non-invasive procedure delivers high-dose radiation to precise targets, sparing surrounding healthy brain tissue.

By July 2025, Carmen returned to the anchor desk with a modified schedule, anchoring the 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. news cycles to prioritize her health. Her recovery protocol now includes:

• Quarterly MRIs to monitor for recurrence.
• Anti-seizure medication management.
• Advocacy work with brain cancer non-profits.

Parallel to her medical battle, Carmen’s personal life saw a rapid acceleration. She married Jeremy Holt, a public information officer for the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, in March 2025, just weeks before her surgery. The couple is currently planning a large-scale wedding celebration for May 2026 to mark both their union and her survival.

Carmen now uses her platform to urge women to prioritize their symptoms. “If there is something that doesn’t feel right, make sure you go to the doctor,” she emphasized.

As of March 2026, Carmen’s scans remain clear. She continues to share her story to bridge the gap between clinical data and the human experience of surviving an aggressive malignancy.