Exclusive! Why Katie Couric Wants You To Get Your Colorectal Cancer Screening Today
We talk to the award-winning journalist about Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Katie Couric is determined to keep doing everything she can to help educate people about this type of cancer which—when caught early—is considered highly treatable.
Couric, 66, is a multi-media dynamo, heading up her own news and media company, Katie Couric Media (which she co-founded with her husband, John Molner); hosting a podcast called Next Question; and producing documentaries such as “No Ordinary Campaign,” which tells the story of Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, who became unintentional advocates for improving the healthcare system after Wallach was diagnosed with ALS.
But there’s one calling that is particularly meaningful to her: educating people about how to protect themselves against colorectal cancer. Couric, of course, already had a huge impact on colorectal cancer awareness years ago when, while serving as anchor of the TODAY show, she had a colonoscopy that was broadcast on national television. The cause is extremely personal to Couric. Her first husband, Jay Monahan, died from colon cancer in 1998 at the age of 42.
“It was 25 years ago that I lost my husband, and that's really hard to believe,” Couric told Parade. “But I think we've made some real strides in our ability to talk about this disease, and our ability to understand that if you're proactive, and you get screened, you have a better than 90 percent cure rate. And yet, there's so much we need to do in terms of making sure people take advantage of all the different screening techniques that exist.”
Related: Katie Couric Shares Urgent Reminder While Revealing Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Breaking Age-Related Colorectal Cancer Stereotypes
Couric noted recent changes that have made screenings more accessible to many Americans while also raising awareness of the rising rates of colorectal people among younger people. In 2021, the American Cancer Society updated its guidelines, recommending that people at average risk of developing colorectal cancer now begin getting routine screenings at age 45, instead of at age 50 as was previously recommended. (Those with an increased risk may need to start screenings earlier.) Soon after, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also lowered the recommended age to 45, meaning that most insurance companies will now cover screenings starting at a younger age.
The ACS said the change was prompted by data showing that colorectal cancer is becoming more common among people under age 50. Couric notes that people often mistakenly think they’re too young to worry about colorectal cancer—an assumption that can be dangerous.
“With younger people, because their symptoms may not be taken seriously by themselves or physicians, by the time they're diagnosed, the disease is often more advanced.” Many people may also wrongly believe their risk is minimal if they don’t have a family history, but according to the ACS, the majority of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer have no family history.
Couric says it’s important to ensure both patients and healthcare professionals recognize the possible risks of colorectal cancer in younger people. “I've lived with someone who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer when he was just 41. I’m happy the screening age has been lowered to 45, but we need to start considering if it should be even lower. And we need to educate doctors, because it's not within the realm of possibility in the minds of some doctors that a younger patient could, in fact, have colorectal cancer. They might dismiss the symptoms as stomach pain or hemorrhoids, or whatever. We need to make sure that when a younger patient comes in [with related symptoms], colorectal cancer is considered a possibility.”
Related: 5 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer
Stressing the Life-Saving Role of Early Detection
Couric is a huge advocate for accessible screenings that can catch colorectal cancer early. “I'll scream it from the mountaintops: early detection is key in saving lives.”
She notes that early detection is easier these days thanks to a wide range of screening options, including some that can be done quickly and easily at home. Last year, Couric began working with Exact Sciences, the maker of Cologuard—a noninvasive stool-based screening test for adults 45 and older who are at average risk for colon cancer—on an awareness campaign called “Mission to Screen,” intended to highlight the importance of early detection and screenings at a younger age. Earlier this month, she joined dozens of colon cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers at the Cologuard Classic, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament that also serves as a platform for those impacted by colorectal cancer to share their stories.
Couric welcomed the recent news that Medicaid, Medicare and private commercial insurance plans now cover the cost of a follow-up screening colonoscopy for anyone who gets a positive result from a noninvasive stool-based test. “I still think colonoscopy is the gold standard. But a lot of people are reluctant, or they can't take off from work. And my opinion is, the best test is the one that gets done.”
Related: New Research Says This Vegetable Could Cut Chances of Getting Colon Cancer
Overcoming Embarrassment for Better Health and Peace of Mind
Couric acknowledges that some people are uncomfortable talking about colorectal cancer and the symptoms, tests and screening processes that go with it. But she said it’s important to emphasize the significant stakes involved. “People are squeamish or think it’s icky. But it's part of our body that needs to stay healthy or it can have devastating ramifications. So I think we need to just grow up. There's a children's book called Everyone Poops that I used to read to my kids when they were little. We all have to understand it's a natural part of our bodies, and it's a natural human function. I've often said I don't want anyone to die of embarrassment.”
Next up, find out the top signs and symptoms of colon cancer.
