Advocating Early Detection
- Journalist Katie Couric remains steadfast on her soapbox, advocating early detection and cancer awareness. She’s been touched personally by cancer – specifically colon and breast cancer – hence she takes advantage of any opportunities to discuss “colons and boobs.”
- Couric was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2022. She lost several family members to cancer, including her first husband and sister. Her breast cancer treatment included a lumpectomy and radiation. She’s used her experiences with cancer to become an advocate for the disease, including undergoing a colonoscopy on national television.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends women begin screening for breast cancer at age 40. Women should talk with their doctor to learn about their cancer risk and assess when a good time is to start annual mammograms.
- Prostate cancer does not behave the same in every man, and family history with the disease can also affect a man’s overall risk for the disease. The USPSTF recommends men at average risk between 55-69 years old. However, for men at higher risk, such as having a family history with the disease, they should consider screening between 40 and 45 years old.
- A colonoscopy is a screening method for colorectal cancer. An advantage of the procedure is that if your doctor finds any precancerous polyps, he or she can remove them immediately before full-blown cancer develops.
Journalist Katie Couric, 67, says she wants to “destigmatize” cancer screenings as part of her ongoing cancer awareness efforts. She’s spoken openly about her personal history with breast cancer, colonoscopies, and how her former husband’s colon cancer battle affected her emotionally.
“People must roll their eyes and say, ‘Oh, there she goes, again, from colons to boobs,” Couric said USA Today reports.
“I think about him often, but especially when our daughters are graduating from college or got a promotion or won a prize, and now, our oldest daughter, Ellie, is having a baby. It just reminds me of all the things that he has missed,” she added.
While admitting not all cancers have adequate screening methods, some do. Examples of cancers more challenging to detect in early stages include ovarian cancer or lung cancer. Both of these cancer types may present very subtle symptoms like bloating in ovarian or a persistent cough for lung cancer that are difficult to distinguish from other illnesses.
“For the diseases that do have screening, it’s really selfish not to take advantage of it,” Couric said.
Expert Resources on Early Detection and Cancer Screenings
- 6 Common Excuses for Skipping a Mammogram That You Need to Stop Using!
- How to Avoid False Positive Cancer Results in Women With Dense Breasts: Ultrasounds Used in Addition To Mammograms
- The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening
- Colon Cancer Diagnosis: What Happens After the Colonoscopy
- Getting Cleaned Out for a Colonoscopy
Couric’s Cancer Journey
Couric was diagnosed in June 2022 but revealed her cancer to the world during Breast Cancer Awareness Month last year. She was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, specifically stage 1A.
“I was nervous about it. I waited a few days so I could process it and really understand what we were dealing with,” Couric said to “Today” at the time.
Dr. Michael Zeidman, assistant professor of surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, tells SurvivorNet that stage 1 is divided into two subcategories, 1a and 1b. Stage 1a breast cancer means the cancer hasn’t spread outside the breast. Stage 1b means there’s no tumor in the breast; instead, small groups of cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes. Stage 1b can also mean there’s a tumor in the breast and small groups of cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Stage 1 also means the cancer was caught very early, he says.
She underwent surgery and radiation therapy to treat the cancer a few months after her diagnosis.
Perhaps equally as important is she learned more about her breast during her cancer journey. She has dense breasts, meaning more fibroglandular tissue and less fatty breast tissue exist.
Couric says she receives additional screening alongside her mammogram. She also receives an ultrasound. A breast ultrasound can supplement a regular mammogram in women with dense breasts.
The Value of Cancer Screenings
Mammograms are used to screen for breast cancer. Women who haven’t gone through menopause are encouraged to get a mammogram annually between the ages of 45 and 54. If you have experienced menopause, you can get a mammogram every two years.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women begin screening for breast cancer at age 40. Women should talk with their doctor to learn about their cancer risk and assess when a good time is to start annual mammograms.
“We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives,” Dr. Connie Lehman, a professor at Harvard Medical School, told SurvivorNet.
Suppose you fit into the high-risk category for breast cancer, meaning a close family relative has been diagnosed. People at higher risk may have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation or had radiation to the chest area when they were young. In cases like this, people in the high-risk category should begin annual mammograms at 30 years old.
Prostate Cancer Screenings
Most prostate cancer is caught with screening examinations.
Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about screening.
The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommends men at average risk between the ages of 55-69 years old should talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening. Most doctors agree that men over the age of 70 do not need screening. However, for men at higher risk, such as having a family history with the disease, they should consider screening between 40 and 45 years old.
Colorectal Cancer Screening and Colonoscopy
A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your colon.
This procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure.
Once your colon is cleared out, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present.
Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.
“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained.
“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So, there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added.
The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.
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