At this point, when we think about Katie Couricyou probably also think about cancer.
Between her late husband Jay Monahan dies of colon cancer at 42 years old at Couric diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in 2022, after missing her mammogram, the 67-year-old TV news presenter knows these diseases only too well. But if she saves a life in the process, isn't that the problem?
“People need to roll their eyes and say, 'Oh, there she is, again, from colons to breasts,'” she says on a Zoom call from Tuscon, Ariz., from the Cologuard Classic, a PGA TOUR Tournament of Champions for colon cancer awareness. “But I feel like I have an obligation. To have an audience. They've been watching me for a long time.” They even saw her receive a colonoscopy on the “Today” show in 2000, two years after Monahan's death, leading to a surge in screenings dubbed the “Katie Couric effect.”
“One of the things I tried to do when I had a colonoscopy was to demystify and destigmatize the procedure and walk people through it,” she says.
Colon cancer treatable 'if detected early'
Colon Cancer in particular, it is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women combined, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 53,000 people are expected to die from the disease this year alone. And while many screening tools are available – from colonoscopies to less burdensome stool tests like Cologuard – there has been a surprising increase in diagnoses among young people.
And as there is no definitive reasoning why, it is better to pay attention to your body and follow screening guidelines (which should start at age 45).
“This is a cancer that can really be stopped in its tracks if detected early,” Couric says.
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Colon cancer will always be linked to grief Couric after the death of her husband (she has since remarried). It's hitting harder right now because she's about to become a first timer Grandmother in just a few weeks.
“These big moments and milestones in life obviously remind me of Jay,” Couric says. “I think of him often, but especially when our daughters graduate from college, get a promotion or win an award and now with our oldest daughter Ellie having a baby. It reminds me of how much he missed.”
Still, she can't wait to begin her role as a devoted and loving grandmother. “I look forward to spending time with my grandchild and doing fun things because grandparents can do fun things.” Like, you know, ice cream for breakfast (don't worry, Ellie, she's just kidding!).
It also made her realize how many Earth orbits she has traveled. “It reminds me of that barnyard epitaph – I’m old enough to be a grandmother,” she says. “But I think I'll get over it pretty quickly. And everyone says it's a hard love to describe when you see your first grandchild. And you know, when you see your baby having a baby, it It's quite miraculous.”
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“It is much easier to get tested than to have an advanced disease”
But people can only see their grandchildren if they are tested for diseases like colon and breast cancer on time. “What is considered a minor inconvenience can actually save their life,” she reiterates.
For colon cancer: this also involves monitoring symptoms, in case they start before age 45. For Monahan, it was 41. “We weren't really aware of the symptoms he was having in retrospect, bloating, unexplained weight loss, change in bowel habits,” she says. Doctors also need to know the signs and symptoms. Rectal bleeding, for example, is not always necessarily hemorrhoids. And just because someone doesn't have a family history doesn't mean they can't develop colon cancer.
As for breast cancer, that means staying on top of your mammograms. THE The COVID pandemic has disrupted everyone's schedules – hence the appointment of Couric six months late. Surgery, radiation and medication saved her life, and she now speaks out for women like her with dense breasts who may need further testing.
His cancer awareness work continues his background in journalism: “Isn't that the ultimate job of a journalist: giving people the information they need to live longer, healthier lives? health ? that, frankly.”
What else can be done to increase testing? Improve access to health care and create as diverse a medical community as possible, Couric suggests. We also emphasize the importance of using the tools available to us while many diseases remain undetectable.
“It's much easier to get screened than to have advanced disease, advanced colon cancer or advanced breast cancer; there's not screening for everything yet,” she says. “But for diseases that are screened for, it’s really selfish not to take advantage of that.”
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