Katie Couric was diagnosed with breast cancer over the summer and then completed surgery and radiation treatments this week.
The former “CBS Evening News” and “Today” anchor explained in a Article In a media release Wednesday where she shared her diagnosis for the first time, Couric learned of the cancer after having a mammogram in June. She missed a routine screening that should have happened about eight months before the outbreak.
“This time I was six months late. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had put it off longer,” she wrote, encouraging people to attend their own screenings and schedule extra tests when warranted.
Personal essay and his essay and on InstagramCouric, 65, shared information about the prevalence of breast cancer.
“Every two minutes, a woman in America is diagnosed with breast cancer. On June 21st, I became one of them,” she wrote in a social media post shared Wednesday morning. “As we approach #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, I wanted to share my personal story with all of you and encourage you to get screened and understand that you may fall into the category of women who need a mammogram.”
Couric’s family members have battled various types of cancer in the past, including several immediate relatives. In 1998, journalist husband Jay Monahan died of stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 42. His sister Emily died of pancreatic cancer at age 54, and his mother and father were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and prostate cancer, respectively.
Despite her family’s medical history, Couric said she was initially surprised by her own diagnosis because breast cancer was “new.” He later discovered that 85% of those diagnosed in the US had no family history.
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“People with cancer, whether they’re patients or caregivers, really need the support of other patients who have been there.” said Coric during an appearance on “CBS Mornings” in 2019.
“You don’t really understand what it’s like until you go through it,” she continued. “And I remember Jay telling me, ‘Having cancer is the loneliest experience in the world’. It made me so sad because I couldn’t help him and he felt alone.”
Couric had her final round of radiation on Tuesday.
“My left breast looks like I’ve been sunbathing topless, but other than that, I feel great,” she said.
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