Katie Couric’s Health: Her Battle With Cancer & How She’s Doing Now

Katie Couric has been so open throughout her battle with breast cancer. See why she feels “fortunate” today after her diagnosis.

• Katie Couric is a famous journalist and TV presenter.
• She was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2022 but waited three months to announce the diagnosis.
• Katie underwent a lumpectomy and radiation to treat her cancer.

Katie Couric, 66, said she is healthy one year after learning that she had breast cancer in summer 2022. The famous journalist waited several months until she revealed her diagnosis to the world, which prompted everybody to rally around her. Katie has purposely been extremely open with her fans throughout her health journey so that she can help others.

“I am really fortunate, and I am a walking example of how important early detection is,” she told Entertainment Tonight on October 26. “There are a lot of people out there who I know are dealing with breast, cancer and they’re really in a lot of pain, or their suffering, their anxious or worried, and my heart goes out to those people.”

The journalist referred to herself as the “screen queen,” explaining that she “was extremely fortunate that my cancer was detected at a very early stage, when it’s the most treatable.”

Keep reading to learn more about Katie’s cancer battle.

Katie Couric Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

Katie found out her breast cancer diagnosis on June 21, 2022, after having a mammogram and biopsy. She learned the news of her health on the day of her 8th wedding anniversary with John Molner. Ironically, Katie’s first husband, Jay Monahan, died from colon cancer in 1998 at just 42. Her sister, Emily Couric, died of pancreatic cancer at 54, and her mother-in-law, Carol, died of ovarian cancer.

In an essay on Katie Couric Media, the journalist said she “felt sick” when she was told she had cancer. She revealed that she waited four days to tell her daughters Carrie and Ellie about her health.

“I FaceTimed each of them. I tried to be as reassuring as Dr. Newman,” she wrote in her essay. “Their faces froze in disbelief. Then shock. Then they began to cry. ‘Don’t worry,’ I told Carrie then Ellie, ‘I’m going to be fine,’ trying to convince myself as well as them. They’d already lost one parent. The idea of losing another was unfathomable.”

Katie was told by her doctor that her “tumor is hormone receptor-positive, Her2neu-negative and highly treatable, particularly if it was detected early.” She underwent a lumpectomy on July 14 and started radiation on September 7. The tumor that was extracted from Katie’s breast was “roughly the size of an olive,” she revealed in her essay.

What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the breast divide out of control and are able to invade other tissues, according to the Center for Disease Control. Breast cancer can spread outside the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels. Typically, most breast cancer patients undergo surgery and receive additional treatment such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiation.

In Katie’s case, her Oncotype, the likelihood of her cancer returning, was 19, so chemotherapy wasn’t required for her treatment. She got a lumpectomy and did radiation but didn’t need hormone therapy.

How Long Has Katie Been Sick?

As mentioned before, Katie was diagnosed with cancer in June 2022. She wasn’t feeling sick before she found out she has cancer; she merely scheduled a mammogram with her doctor when she got the bad news. She went on get surgery and completed 15 rounds of radiation in September 2022. Katie told NBC in October 2022 that she was “not too tired” from the radiation.

How Is Katie Couric Doing Today?

She said she is feeling “really well” in October 2023. The Virginia native underwent a lumpectomy and radiation and will have to take medicine for five years. Since her cancer was detected early, there was a low chance the cancer would return, and she did not have to undergo chemotherapy.

Prior to that, Katie gave a positive update on her health at the 45th annual Kennedy Center Honors in December 2022. “I’m doing great. I’m feeling great,” she told ET. “I’m really lucky. Like one in three women, I was diagnosed with cancer. But, you know, I was very fortunate because early detection is everything and it was detected early. So, it’s not only treatable, it’s curable. And that’s why everyone needs to get screened.”

The former TODAY Show co-host also implored other people to get check ups as frequently as possible. “I wanted to make sure people knew that they have to get their mammograms. And if they have dense breasts, they should talk to their medical provider about getting ultrasounds,” she explained. “I think we all need to be advocates for our own health and support cancer research,” Katie also said. “So one day, you know, we’ll see the end of cancer. Maybe not in my lifetime, but hopefully in my daughters’ lifetime.”