Journalist Katie Couric, 66, sends her youngest daughter a touching tribute for her 28th birthday. The breast cancer survivor taking time to acknowledge the milestone moment within her family is something many other cancer warriors tend to do when milestones emerge within their lives.
Reaching milestones during or after a cancer battle matters. Milestones may include things like getting engaged or reaching another birthday, except they may mean even more than they did previously. Hence, taking them all in is important, and celebrating all you’ve overcome is important.
Couric has shared many vulnerable and candid moments, including her breast cancer diagnosis in 2022 during a “Today Show” segment. Since her diagnosis, she’s been a staunch advocate for breast cancer screenings and healthy living.
A mammogram is a standard breast cancer screening that examines breast tissue for signs of cancer. When combined with an ultrasound, a more accurate result can be produced. Women with dense breasts are encouraged to get a regular mammogram and a 3D ultrasound. Dense breasts have less fatty tissue, which makes it more difficult for a routine mammogram to detect cancer.
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 is a good time to start annual mammograms.
Women at higher risk of breast cancer, such as possessing the BRCA gene mutation or having a family history of cancer, should talk with their doctor about beginning screening younger than 40.
Journalist Katie Couric, 66, takes a moment to celebrate her youngest daughter, Caroline’s 28th birthday with a rhyming and touching tribute. Couric, a beloved breast cancer survivor, not only highlights the love she has for her daughter but also marks a cherished milestone for the mother of two.
For cancer survivors and their families, reaching life’s milestones is always worth celebrating. Examples of these milestones can be the birth of a child, getting married, or a birthday like Couric’s daughter.
“Happy Birthday to sweet Caroline, You’re aging like fine, fine wine, Your intellect’s boffo, your humor divine, I can hardly believe that you are mine! Hope 2024 is your best year yet! You’re going to be an Aunt! Love, You weird Mom,” Couric wrote in a post accompanied by a collage of photos of her daughter through the years.
Supportive fans joined the accomplished journalist in wishing Caroline a Happy Birthday.
“This was just beautiful, Katie. You’ve raised lovely girls. Happy Birthday, Carrie!” Instagram user Sabrina Duncan commented in a social media post.
“Happy birthday. She is so lovely. I’m one of those weird moms. My children are in their 40s, and they still roll their eyes and shake their heads,” Instagram user Christine Wyman commented.
Cancer warriors tend to gain an added sense of gratitude along their cancer journeys. When milestone moments arise, either during or after a cancer battle, they have a more significant meaning.
Katie Couric and her daughter, Carrie. Courtesy of Katie Couric’s Instagram.
According to Cancer.net, patients and their support groups filled with loved ones may engage in some activities to help recognize and celebrate memorable milestones. These activities include planning a nice dinner or party-like gathering and spending time donating money or volunteering to a cancer charity. Perhaps the way you memorialize your cancer milestone could be independent of others. Examples include a solitary walk-in nature and allowing your senses to take hold while you reflect.
Katie Couric’s Cancer Journey
Couric was diagnosed in June 2022 but revealed her cancer to the world during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, specifically stage 1A.
WATCH: Understanding stage zero breast cancer.
“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.
WATCH: How enhanced mammograms help women with dense breasts.
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 gets an ultrasound. A breast ultrasound can supplement a regular mammogram in women with dense breasts.
Couric has used her public platform to advocate cancer awareness and promote healthy living. More recently, she partnered with the wife of the late Alex Trebek, who died of pancreatic cancer. Couric and Jean Trebek kickstarted the “Alex Trebek Fund,” which was created to help support research into pancreatic cancer.
Couric also promotes breast cancer screenings. She tends to draw added attention to women with dense breasts, which can be trickier to catch without undergoing enhanced screening.
More Resources for Women with Dense Breast Like Couric
Breast cancer screening methods all aim to look for lumps in the breast and signs of cancer. The medical community has a broad consensus that women between the ages of 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
Dr. Jeannie Shen, medical director of the Breast Program at Huntington Hospital, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai, told SurvivorNet that she agrees with starting mammogram screenings for women with an average breast cancer risk at age 40.
The new recommendations apply to women with an average risk of breast cancer, including people with a family history of the disease and risk factors like dense breasts. Dense breasts mean you have more fibroglandular tissue and less fatty tissue in your breasts. The density can make detecting cancer more difficult for a routine mammogram. To screen dense breasts more closely, a 3D mammogram is often used, which looks at the breast tissue in several layers.
“With digital mammography and 3D tomosynthesis, we’re taking thin slices through the breast tissue, like slices of a loaf of bread,” saidDr. Connie Lehman, the Chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital.
However, she disagrees that screening occurs every other year between 40 and 50, when “interval cancers (cancers which develop between screening mammograms) are more common.”
For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
How a Woman’s Breast Cancer Risk Factor Into Screening Decisions?
A woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn’t have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Kavontae Smalls is a writer and reporter for SurvivorNet. Read More
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