Prevention
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Katie Couric spoke about the loss of her first husband, Jay Monahan, due to colon cancer.
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The old one Today The host is encouraging others to get tested early after Monahan developed stage 4 cancer at the age of 41.
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Couric founded Stand Up To Cancer, an organization that raises money and raises awareness of cancer research in 2008.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, but that’s just one reason why Katie Couric is encouraging people to take advantage of early detection tests. In a new interview with Today, the journalist and founder of Katie Couric Media said she started advocating for the exams after her first husband, Jay Monahan, died of colon cancer in 1998.
“The end result is that early screening saves lives. Early detection saves lives, ”said Couric. Monohan was 41 when he developed stage 4 colon cancer and died just a year later. Couric said earlier HealthDay who, after being tucked in pain in his abdomen, Monohan found that his colon was “completely blocked” by a tumor.
“Jay never had any symptoms of colon cancer, other than being tired all the time, which we attribute to a hectic lifestyle, having small children and his travels from coast to coast providing legal analysis for NBC,” she said.
The America Cancer Society (ACS) says colorectal cancer generally does not cause symptoms before it grows or spreads, which is why screening is so important. The ACS has recommended screening for people aged 45 and over since 2018, and in October 2020, a draft guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also recommended that screening begin at age 45.
“The screening wouldn’t have crossed our minds for Jay when he was diagnosed at 41,” said Couric. “My hope is that we will find a way to do even broader screening and that we can save even more lives, but until then, people need to pay attention.”
A study published in the BMJ found that having a colonoscopy – an exam that uses a long, flexible tube to check for abnormalities in the colon – was associated with a 67% reduction in the risk of death from any colorectal cancer.
Colon cancer rates in adults under 50 have increased since the mid-1980s, says the ACS, and younger groups have seen the sharpest increases. In fact, a 2017 study found that people under 55 are 58% more likely to be diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer than older people. This is “largely due to the delay in monitoring symptoms, sometimes for years, because cancer is not normally on the radar of young adults or their providers,” wrote the authors.
Couric famously underwent a colonoscopy in the air during a Today in 2000, when she was 43 years old. She also had colonoscopies “his and hers” in 2019 with her husband John Molner, where she revealed on Instagram that her doctors removed two polyps during the procedure. (A polyp is a tumor in the colon that can sometimes become cancerous, says the ACS.)
“They have the potential to develop into cancer, which is why screening is SO IMPORTANT!” Couric wrote in an Instagram caption. “Yes, preparation is not so much fun, but it is MUCH better than being diagnosed with colon cancer!”
Couric also pointed out that more research is needed to explain why black adults are 20% more likely to have colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die than other groups.
“We need to diversify our patients (clinical trials),” she said. “We need to study why people of color, blacks in particular, have much greater incidents of rectal cancer. … We are making a very concentrated effort to expand our network and to ensure that populations in need or who do not have access to medical care are screened for colon cancer and that they are included in all cancer research. “
She also added that she is “very concerned” that people may be missing tests due to the pandemic. “We really have to make up for lost time,” said Couric. “As we get out of this pandemic, you need to speak to your doctor, you need to make an appointment.”
Although Couric lost her husband two decades ago, she continues to honor him by spreading awareness about colon cancer. “You live in your girls and in our hearts,” she wrote in an Instagram post of January 2020. “We love you and miss you every day.”
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