Katie Couric Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Urges Others To Get Annual Mammograms

In a personal essay released on Wednesday, September 28th, Katie Couric revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer back in June.

The 65-year-old former ‘Today‘ show anchor and author is no stranger to cancer. The terrible disease has taken the lives of those around her, including her first husband, Jay Monahan, who died of colon cancer in 1998. Her sister died from pancreatic cancer and her mother-in-law died from ovarian cancer.

She urged people to get their annual mammograms, admitting she was six months late on hers.

Please get your annual mammogram. I was six months late this time. I shudder to think what might have happened if I had put it off longer. But just as importantly, please find out if you need additional screening.

When she got the official diagnosis, the room started to spin and she felt sick to her stomach.

I was in the middle of an open office, so I walked to a corner and spoke quietly, my mouth unable to keep up with the questions swirling in my head. ‘What does this mean? Will I need a mastectomy? Will I need chemo? What will the next weeks, months, even years look like?’

She had a lumpectomy in July, and doctors were able to remove a tumor that was around the size of an olive. Pathology results came back and showed her cancer was stage 1A, which is a very good thing.

And doctors said the chance of the cancer coming back was near zero, even without chemo.

During the month of October, we’ll be covering every aspect of breast cancer: the latest diagnostic tools, treatments, and prevention strategies as well as sharing first-person accounts. And of course, I’ll have more on what I’m learning as I navigate my own diagnosis.

Here’s to hoping she’s cancer free for many more years to come!