Katie Couric at the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala on Oct. 24, 2023 in New York.Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Katie Couric attends the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on October 24, 2023 in New York City.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Katie Couricis sharing a update on her health after her battle with breast cancer.

“I’m a living, walking example of the importance of early detection and getting screened,” Couric, 66, told PEOPLE on Tuesday at the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala in New York.

“It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” says Couric, whose first husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer at age 42. “It’s something that I talk about all year round, but especially this month when everybody is so focused on it,” she continues.

She adds: “I’ve been writing a lot about this in my newsletter, which goes out to a million people. I’m trying to spread the word on social media and really every time I get a chance to talk about it I try to do that. I try to use my platform in a really positive way.”

Malcolm Carfrae, John Molner, Katie Couric and John Wattiker at the American Ballet Theatre Fall Galaon Oct.24, 2023 in New York.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Malcolm Carfrae, John Molner, Katie Couric and John Wattiker attend the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on October 24, 2023 in New York City.

Couric, who is now married to John Molner, revealed her diagnosis with breast cancer diagnosis inSeptember 2022.

At the time, she explained in a personal essay that she learned she had cancer after a madd was found through a mammogram and breast sonogram — another screening method that detects abnormalities in dense breast tissue.

A biopsy of the mass came back as cancerous.

“I felt sick and the room started to spin,” Couric wrote of the moment she learned of her diagnosis. “I was in the middle of an open office, so I walked to a corner and spoke quietly, my mouth unable to keep up with the questions swirling in my head. ‘What does this mean? Will I need a mastectomy? Will I need chemo? What will the next weeks, months, even years look like?’ "

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Calvin Royal III and Katie Couric dance during the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Calvin Royal III and Katie Couric dance during the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on October 24, 2023 in New York City. (

Couric had a lumpectomy on July 14, 2022, and doctors removed a tumor that was “2.5 centimeters, roughly the size of an olive,” she wrote at the time.

Since her diagnosis, the journalist has been advocating for the importance of early detection.

“This #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, help me spread the word that screening saves lives,” shewrote on Instagramin October 2022. Share a photo with whoever or whatever inspires you to put your health first, and share it on social using the hashtag, #IScreenYouScreen.”

Sharing a photo of herself with hertwo daughters— Ellie, 31, and Caroline, 26 — in the post, she added, “I will repost you! Here are two of my reasons… what are yours?#iscreenyouscreen.”

source: people.com