Katie Couric Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Katie Couric, the former co-anchor of NBC’s Today Show, announced Wednesday that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Couric, 65, first shared the news in the caption of an Instagram photo showing herself in a white medical gown, hospital wristband, and mask as she sat in a waiting area.

“Every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. On June 21st, I became one of them,” the caption began.

"As we approach #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, I wanted to share my personal story with you all and encourage you to get screened and understand that you may fall into a category of women who needs more than a mammogram."

In an essay on her official website, Couric revealed more details of her journey so far, from her diagnosis to her final radiation session on September 7.

On the day of Couric’s mammogram this year – her first since 2020 – she asked her technician to record the procedure for her audience.

“This wasn’t exactly new territory for me. You might remember I aired my colonoscopy on the TODAY show in 2000,” she writes.

As the exam continued, Couric was escorted to another room for an additional breast ultrasound. It was there that Couric’s doctor asked them to stop filming.

The following day, on her eighth wedding anniversary to John Molner, Couric got the call: she had cancer.

“I felt sick and the room started to spin,” Couric recalls in her essay. “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.”

She continued: "My mood quickly shifted from disbelief to resignation. Given my family’s history of cancer, why would I be spared? My reaction went from 'Why me?' to 'Why not me?'"

More than three months, one surgery, and several rounds of radiation later, Couric says she is sharing her story to encourage other women to never skip their mammograms.

"Please get your annual mammogram,” she urged. “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.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2019, the latest year for which incidence data are available, 264,121 new cases of female breast cancer were reported in the United States, and 42,280 women died of the disease. For every 100,000 women, 130 new female breast cancer cases were reported, resulting in 19 deaths.

It's also the second most common cancer among women in the United States, according to the agency.