Katie Couric Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Katie Couric published an essay on her website early Wednesday, revealing her battle with breast cancer.

The journalist shared that she was diagnosed with the disease following an overdue mammogram in June.

"Please get your annual mammogram," wrote Couric.

"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."

"I felt sick and the room started to spin," Couric says of the moment she learned of her diagnosis.

"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?'"

Katie also shared that her father had prostate cancer and her mother had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"Why would I be spared? My reaction went from 'Why me?' to 'Why not me?," Couric shares of her thought process.

Couric had a lumpectomy on July 14, with the star saying doctors removed a "2.5 centimeters" tumor that was "roughly the size of an olive."

The former Today anchor said that the risk of cancer returning was "considered low enough to forgo chemotherapy."

Couric also spoke about "insurance companies [being required] to fully or partially reimburse patients for the cost of potentially lifesaving breast ultrasounds."

"I can't tell you how many times during this experience I thanked God that it was 2022," she wrote.

"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."

"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."

She added that she wanted to use this experience as a teachable moment.

"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," Couric concluded.

"And of course, I'll have more on what I'm learning as I navigate my own diagnosis."  

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.