Educating Women About Breast Density

When journalist and breast cancer survivor Katie Couric was diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer, she chose to share her experience publicly in order to educate others.

​

“One of the reasons I wanted to talk about my breast cancer journey and about getting my mammogram,” Couric explained, “was that I realized women were not educated about breast density.”

​

Couric’s diagnosis opened her eyes to the lack of awareness surrounding breast density, a factor that can make breast cancer harder to detect. She emphasized that this isn’t a rare concern.

​

“45% of women aged 40 and older have what are considered dense breasts,” she said. “If you have dense breasts, your insurance often doesn’t pay for additional screenings, so it’s only women of means who are able to prevent breast cancer in those cases.”

​

Access to life-saving screening often depends on financial privilege. This is a deeply systemic issue that Couric didn’t shy away from calling it out.

​

“Women’s health is so ignored and neglected. It’s really a travesty.”

​

Through her advocacy, Couric urges women to learn more about their breast health, to ask questions, and to push for better education and policy change.

​

“Women need to be empowered with knowledge about their breast health to advocate for themselves,” she said. “Without important topics like these being brought to light, anybody could be left in the dark about life-saving options.”

​

Awareness can save lives, as a better understanding one’s body, one’s risk, and one’s rights can make all the difference.

​

Credit: Katie Couric, in an interview for “Cancer Straight Talk from MSK,” Episode 37 — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.