Katie Couric Shares Biggest Misconception About Cancer (Exclusive)
Katie Couric Shares Biggest Misconception About Cancer (Exclusive)
Vanessa Etienne, Raven BrunnerMon, May 4, 2026 at 1:40 PM UTC
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Katie Couric at Runway for RecoveryCredit: Eric Moran/Runway for Recovery -
Katie Couric emphasizes that most cancers occur without a family history, urging people to prioritize routine screenings
Couric has been a vocal advocate for early detection after losing loved ones to cancer and surviving breast cancer herself
She highlights the importance of proactive health measures, especially for younger people, to address rising cancer diagnoses
Katie Couric is hoping people aren't underestimating the possibility of being diagnosed with cancer.
On Thursday, April 30, the former Today co-anchor attended the Runway for Recovery event and walked the runway to honor breast cancer survivors. During the show, the 69-year-old spoke to PEOPLE about some of the “many” misconceptions she's heard about cancer.
“I think a lot of women I've met don't think they can get colorectal cancer. They get confused with prostate cancer and I'm like, ‘Oh, no, no, no. Everyone has a colon.' And if you remember that children's book, Everybody Poops,” she says with a laugh. “Everyone has a colon, and they have to keep their colon healthy just like every other part of their body.”
“But one of the misconceptions that I have witnessed in all these years of my cancer advocacy work is that people often think if they don't have a family history, they're safe,” she adds. “But the vast majority of cancers involve no family history. As I've often said, ‘Your family history could start with you.'”
Couric points out that 85% of breast cancers occur in patients who have no family history, and 75% of colorectal cancer cases have no family history.
“So I think people feel this sense of security and as a result are complacent about screening because they're like, ‘Oh, it doesn't run in my family. I'm fine.' But that is no guarantee,” she says. “I always say no family history is no guarantee. So to me, that is one of the biggest misconceptions.”
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Katie Couric at Runway for RecoveryCredit: Eric Moran/Runway for Recovery
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For more than two decades, the famed journalist has used her platform to raise awareness for early detection and encourage others to stay on top of routine screenings.
After losing her husband Jay Monahan to colon cancer in 1998, losing her sister Emily to pancreatic cancer in 2001, and overcoming her own breast cancer diagnosis in September 2022, she often says she's a prime example of how life-changing early detection can be.
“There are things that you can do proactively as a younger woman. And so this is something that I care deeply about because having a husband who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at just 41, I know how painful and devastating it is,” Couric tells PEOPLE. “It's devastating for anyone, no matter what their age is, to face a cancer diagnosis if the prognosis is bleak. But when you're in your 20s or your 30s, your 40s, and of course even your 50s, but even especially these younger people, it's really concerning and distressing.”
“So I just want to make sure that people are aware of this trend and can act accordingly and be proactive to protect themselves and their health,” she says.
Runway for Recovery directly funds women and their families impacted by metastatic breast cancer, providing funds that cover everything from gas cards to get to chemotherapy treatments, grocery cards for food and funds for children's activities so they can maintain as normal a life as possible.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
