Caregiver, Survivor and Advocate: Katie Couric

After losing her husband and sister to cancer and surviving colorectal cancer, broadcast journalist Katie Couric became an advocate for collaborative efforts to improve research, awareness and treatment of the disease. The legendary broadcast journalist sat down with CURE® to discuss her advocacy work in increasing cancer awareness.

“I wanted to really reach out to patients emotionally and caregivers as well, because I know firsthand what they’re going through and it’s a very lonely experience,” said Couric.

Couric is the co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer, an organization that has raised over $600 million that goes to scientific researchers working in collaboration on “dream teams” that are attempting to come up with better treatment options, said Couric.

Couric also joined Merck on the “With Love, Me” campaign, where patients with cancer can talk about what they wish they knew through writing letters to their newly-diagnosed selves. Couric said, “I thought this could be extraordinarily useful to people who are going through it right now.”