Katie Couric Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Katie Couric has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

In an essay published on her website, the former Today and CBS Evening News anchor announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in June and undergone surgery in July. Couric, whose husband Jay died of colon cancer at 41 and sister died of pancreatic cancer at 54, described the return of the "heart-stopping, suspending animation feeling" she'd experienced watching her loved ones become ill. 

"Given my family’s history of cancer, why would I be spared?" Couric wrote, also detailing her parents' respective battles with cancer. "My reaction went from "Why me?" to "Why not me?". But breast cancer — that was a new one...." Couric continued. "During that 24-hour whirlwind, I found out that 85 percent of the 264,000 American women who are diagnosed every year in this country have no family history. I clearly had a lot to learn."

Couric, 65, also revealed she had been undergoing radiation treatments since September 7, and urged readers to "please get your annual mammogram". 

"I can’t tell you how many times during this experience I thanked God that it was 2022. And how many times I silently thanked all the dedicated scientists who have been working their asses off to develop better ways to analyze and treat breast cancer," Couric wrote. "But to reap the benefits of modern medicine, we need to stay on top of our screenings, advocate for ourselves, and make sure everyone has access to the diagnostic tools that could very well save their life."

 

 

 

 

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.