Bonus: Colon cancer awareness: ‘I should have gotten my colonoscopy, that’s the lesson’
Next Question with Katie Couric
Katie Couric Media
4.4 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 31 March 2021
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this special episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie dives into a subject very close to her heart: colon cancer awareness. After Katie’s first husband Jay died 23 years ago, she’s been a fierce advocate for early screening and regular colonoscopies — she even, you might recall, got one on live TV. There’s a reason Katie goes to such lengths: early screening saves lives. In this episode, we first hear from a stage 4 cancer fighter who is living that lesson. Then, Dr. Edith Mitchell of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, helps to answer the question, why are Black people, Black men in particular, so much more likely to get colon cancer and also die from it (hint: it’s systemic). Finally, Katie talks with oncologist Dr. Charlie Fuchs about the state of colon cancer detection and treatment today.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
Visit Stand Up To Cancer, Katie’s cancer-fighting non-profit, for reliable resources and institutions.
Take the pledge to get screened for colon cancer
Read more about some of the health disparities Dr. Mitchell mentioned, here and here.
Watch a video on understanding healthcare disparities in colorectal cancer.
GUESTS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:
Donna Otis, CCM, CCE Chief Executive/General Manager of the Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Dr. Edith Mitchell, MD, MACP, FCPP, FRCP, is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and is Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine and Medical Oncology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and Associate Director for Diversity Programs and Director of the Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities for the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University.
Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH, Global Head of Hematology & Oncology, Product Development, Genentech.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | My mother lost her battle to cancer when she was 56 years old. |
| 0:10.6 | And so here I am at 57. |
| 0:13.2 | So my 57th birthday was so important because I wanted to reach and bypass that milestone. |
| 0:20.4 | She found out she had cancer right at the same age that I did at 55. |
| 0:26.8 | My name is Donna Otis. |
| 0:28.4 | I live in Senio, California. |
| 0:30.9 | I am a stage 4 metastatic cancer fighter. |
| 0:36.3 | Who, how do I say this without crying? |
| 0:40.6 | I'm a mom. |
| 0:41.6 | I'm a single mom. |
| 0:43.2 | I love life and cancer will never define me. |
| 0:49.8 | Hi everyone, I'm Katie Curric and this is next question. |
| 0:54.6 | You know, March may be calling cancer awareness month, but as many of you know, my mission has |
| 1:00.7 | been to increase awareness of this second leading cancer killer every day of the year. |
| 1:07.4 | So we've put together a special episode on this topic with the hopes that it will motivate |
| 1:14.4 | many of you to call your doctor and get screened. |
| 1:18.8 | As a lot of you all know, my first husband Jay died, gosh, 23 years ago. |
| 1:25.5 | He had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. |
| 1:29.0 | He battled the disease for nine months and then died at just 42. |
| 1:36.2 | I've been advocating for early detection ever since. |
| 1:40.3 | I even got a colonoscopy on television. |
| 1:42.8 | I'm a little nervous. |
... |
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