Katie Couric Talks 'Obligation' to Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer, Says Friends Call Her the 'Screen Queen' - PEOPLE

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Katie Couric has never been afraid to tap into her calling of raising awareness for cancer.

In a cover story for Haute Living, the legendary journalist and author, 66, opened up about continuing her years of advocacy after learning of her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2022.

“It was a shock,” she told the outlet. “It was destabilizing. The room kind of started moving around. It was scary. And even though we’ve made so much progress in cancer treatment, it was still a pretty scary [diagnosis].” 

Over the years, Couric has been vocal about how cancer has impacted her life — even before her own struggle. Her first husband Jay Monahan died in 1998 of colon cancer and her sister Emily died of pancreatic cancer two years later.

Since then, the famed journalist has co-founded Stand Up 2 Cancer, the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance and the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health. 

“When I looked at my situation compared to other people, I felt very fortunate. I had this foundation of experience,” she explained. “Because I have done so much work in this area, it was less scary and confusing for me. I knew what it meant to be diagnosed when you have metastases on other organs — as was the case with both my husband and sister — and knew that if the cancer was localized, if it wasn’t in my lymph nodes, I was in a good shape." 

The former Today co-anchor continued, “It wasn’t as if I was just being introduced to this world of cancer. I have a pretty deep knowledge of the disease, and an understanding of treatment protocols and therapeutic approaches. Ultimately, I felt very relieved, thinking, ‘This is what it is, and I’ve got this.’” 

Katie Couric.

Haute Living New York

Couric said during her late husband’s cancer battle, she had a months of education about the disease and the importance of early detection and routine screenings. “I felt this obligation to inform the public,” she admitted. 

“I try to use any platform I have to educate the public, not just about breast cancer, but all sorts of health issues because I want to share what I’m learning,” she said. “One of the things I’ve mastered through the years is distilling and synthesizing complicated medical concepts and explaining them in simple terms to people. I feel like this is part of my mission: informing people, but doing it in an understandable, accessible way.”

Couric said that because of her longtime mission, it “made perfect sense” to be candid following her breast cancer diagnosis in hopes of helping more people. 

“My friends call me the ‘screen queen,’ and it’s true. I’ve seen firsthand now how early detection saves lives. The longer it takes to detect something, the more advanced the cancer is, and the more difficult it is to treat,” she shared. “So, yes, I jumped at the opportunity to help women — and men — who get diagnosed with breast cancer understand how important it is to get regular screenings, to know your family history, to see if you have a genetic predisposition to cancer, and to really be an advocate for your own health.” 

Katie Couric.

Haute Living New York

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As a journalist, Couric said she understands that there is a lot of misinformation online about cancer, but she hopes people can turn to her stories and trust the knowledge she’s sharing. Although raising awareness has been her life’s purpose, she noted that her diagnosis and personal cancer journey has changed her perspective.

“I would have been committed to this for the rest of my life [anyway], but it renewed my commitment to educating people about cancer and supporting research,” she told Haute Living. “Before I experienced cancer in my own family, I always wanted to help a lot of charitable causes. I’d emcee things, speak, and contribute, but I never had something that I felt so personally committed to.” 

“I think that when you have first-hand experience with something like a disease, it changes your perspective and gives you profound understanding. I wanted to use that knowledge to galvanize a community, support science, and find a cure,” she admitted, noting, “I’ve always had purpose, but to really focus on this gave my life an even greater sense of purpose.”

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Katie Couric Talks 'Obligation' to Raise Awareness for Breast Cancer, Says Friends Call Her the 'Screen Queen' - PEOPLE
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