Katie is a member of the Young Survival Coalition. She agreed to do an interview about her breast cancer journey. She blogs here, when I just checked her blog she had a funny post to share about how her cleaning lady likes to party.

"i left an ativan on the bookcase last week.
she put it in the candy bowl."

How did you find out you had breast cancer?
In November 2006, I had an excisional biopsy to remove what I had been told was a fibroadenoma. A few days after the surgery I went back to the surgeon to have some stitches removed. At the time I was so convinced it was benign that I didn't think to be nervous about getting the results of the pathology report. When my surgeon told me it was cancer, I didn't get upset. I just really had no idea what "cancer" meant, as it was nothing I had ever thought about happening to me. I spent the rest of the day in shock - I didn't even cry. Incidentally, it was the same day as my nine-year anniversary with my husband. We ate a very expensive dinner in complete silence.

Ever since revealing her breast cancer had recurred, there has been speculation about a spread from Elizabeth Edwards' rib -- the initial metastasis -- to other spots in her body.

Last night, on the CBS news program 60 Minutes, Edwards told Katie Couric that a hot spot has been detected in her right hip. But doctors believe it is too small to pose a new health risk, she reports.

"There are a couple of hot spots, on the bone scan, in my right hip, for example," she said. "And one of the questions is whether or not to do radiation to reduce the size of that -- of the cancer in that location -- and for fear that it might weaken my bone and that I might break my hip. But their consensus was that it was too small an area for that to be a risk."

In addition to discussion about the cancer itself, Edwards and her husband John defended their decision to stick with the presidential race. Edwards said she just cannot deny her husband the chance to be president.

"That would be my legacy, wouldn't it, Katie?" Edwards said to Couric. "That I'd taken out this fine man from -- from the possibility of -- of giving a great service. I mean, I don't want that to be my legacy."

Presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth will appear tonight on 60 Minutes where they will publicly discuss with Katie Couric Elizabeth's newest cancer diagnosis and their decision to continue on in the presidential race.

Elizabeth, 57 and first diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2004, shared Thursday that her cancer has returned, this time in her bones. Considered stage four and treatable -- but not curable -- her cancer has generated much discussion and awareness about the workings of this life-threatening disease.

To view a clip from tonight's news program, airing at 7:00 PM ET/PT, click here.

Katie Couric spent her summer traveling the country visiting with future CBS news fans and raising money for cancer awareness. Couric, whose husband Jay Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998 at the age of 42, has become a prominent spokesperson for colon cancer awareness. She underwent a colonoscopy on-air in March 2000 and inspired many others to get checked. In October 2005, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Couric broadcast her own mammogram on the Today Show in hopes of motivating women everywhere to get schedule their own mammograms. Her influence on both cancer fronts -- known as the Couric Effect -- demonstrates the fact that one powerful person can draw much attention to important causes. And perhaps her influence -- soon to arrive on television screens everywhere -- will continue as she takes the driver's seat on the CBS Evening News beginning September 5 at 6:30 PM.

On her second day of work in her new job, Couric will interview President Bush at the White House as part of a primetime special. Other story plans include digging deeper into the stories of the day and answering questions viewers might have on all topics. Hopefully, cancer issues will continue to take priority in Couric's life so that we all may benefit from her advocacy.

KrisTv has published a feature story on Vicki Barrilleaux, a colon cancer survivor, who has started a colon cancer awareness and screening group in Corpus Christi Texas, and who claims Katie Couric saved her life.

"Everything I knew prior to my diagnosis was what I had heard from her because of her husband," Barrilleaux said. "I was lucky, I did have some symptoms. Usually, the number one symptom of colon cancer is no symptoms, but I did have some bleeding. I was more aware because I had listened to her. It can be embarrassing, and I don't know if it's something I would have talked to my doctor about if I hadn't had that concern."

New CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric is on a six cities tour to connect with viewers and promote colon cancer awareness to encourage colon cancer screenings. 

On Tuesday, Couric was in Dallas to attend a benefit luncheon for the American Cancer Society. According to reports, most of her talk was about her husband Jay Monahan's colon cancer diagnosis, treatment and death. She is quoted as saying, "He felt invincible, immortal, before doctors found that he not only had colon cancer but also that it was at an advanced stage, taking over his liver." She described Monahan's last day and the moment of his death. There were many tears in the audience.

Couric expressed the feelings many cancer patients and their families feel when the diagnosis of cancer is given. "Suddenly you need to have a medical degree to deal with all the options," she said. One of the reasons she worked to open The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, named in Monahan's honor, was because she wanted to create the kind of center for others that both her and her husband would have appreciated when he was first diagnosed with cancer. 

"It was a very lonely and isolating experience and very harrowing to go from one specialist to another. Having this comprehensive center full of compassionate caregivers all under one roof would have been a wonderful place for us to go. The opening was a bittersweet occasion, but the center is going to be incredibly helpful to thousands of families and what can be better than that?"

Couric began her six cities tour in Tampa, Florida. Today she was in Dallas and plans stops in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, San Diego and San Francisco. She takes over for CBS Evening News Bob Schieffer on September 5.

A new painting of Tom Cruise will be sold as a limited edition print and poster to benefit Gilda's Club, an organization that provides free emotional, social and community support for people living with cancer. Gilda's Club online offers cancer resources and information on how to connect with others, as well as a Spanish-speaking version of the website for the Latino community.

Artist McKenzie, commissioned to create an original painting of Cruise for her celebrity series, calls the new work Intrepidity.

The release of the limited edition print and poster coincides with the premiere opening of Cruise's latest movie this week -- Mission Impossible 3. A portion of the profits from each of McKenzie's newest paintings have been donated to a specific charity. She said she chose Tom Cruise as the subject of her painting to benefit cancer charity because of his strength and temerity in the face of adversity. "It seems so fitting that part of the profits from the painting will go to a cancer charity where strength and fortitude seem often to be the difference between life and death." You can view more of McKenzie's art, and purchase her work, at McKenzie.

Celebrity Naked Chef Jamie Oliver, on a quest to transform the eating habits of school children, appeared on NBC's Today Show with Katie Couric this morning to share fun healthy recipes and tips on how to encourage children to eat healthy. Oliver suggested involving your children in meal preparation, from planning the menu -- to visiting the fishmonger in selecting fish for dinner -- to preparing the meal. In the spring cooking school episode, Fake out your family with these healthy dishes, showed Oliver preparing Summer Pan-Baked Salmon that children would not turn down. NBC features the salmon recipe, as well as several others, for viewers online.

In addition, Oliver hosts Jamie's School Lunch Project, which airs on The Learning Channel. This television series covers a range of issues, from diet and obesity, behavior, nutritional standards, food education -- to the need for a clear government policy on school meals and children's diets. I cannot imagine a better long-term cancer prevention plan than teaching children how to eat healthy when they are young. Oliver makes it easy and fun. TLC hosts an online feature of Oliver's show, with tips, recipes and advice. To learn more about Oliver's projects, programs and where to find his blog, go here.

So, Katie Couric is moving to CBS, and Meredith Viera, one of the ABC co-hosts of The View, accepted an offer to replace Couric at NBC. Which left Viera's job at ABC open. Who did Barbara Walters choose as the new co-host? Rosie O'Donnell. What are Walters and ABC thinking? Jerry Springer ratings steeped in controversy is all I can figure out.

Once upon a time, I was a Rosie O'Donnell fan. As a comedian, I thought she was funny. As an advocate for children, I thought she was generous. But she cancelled all that out the day she allegedly told one of her staff, who was battling breast cancer, that "liars get cancer," because apparently, O'Donnell was feeling even more mean-spirited than usual that day. To be accurate, during a lawsuit Rosie magazine publishers filed against O'Donnell for breach of contract -- Cindy Spengler -- who was head of marketing at Rosie magazine, testified that O'Donnell made the remark after a meeting to discuss the magazine's problems. Spengler said O'Donnell told her that her silence in the meeting was tantamount to lying. "You know what happens to people who lie," the witness tearfully quoted O'Donnell as saying. "They get sick and they get cancer. If they keep lying, they get it again.

Before that, I do not think the larger audience had any idea O'Donnell harbored such dark spite in her heart. The statement, while obviously appalling and unforgivable, is also stupefying considering O'Donnell -- at the age of 10 -- lost her mother to breast cancer. But no matter now, as to the why of it all. You can't unring a bell. I am not a huge daytime television viewer, but come September, you can rest assured, no one at my house will be channel surfing ABC. People has the bland noncommittal announcement of The View's choice for new co-host. The Boston Herald has a snarkier version of the story. As a breast cancer survivor, now you have mine. 

According to Max Pemberton, Tom Cruise should stick to acting and stop going around speaking as an expert on mental health. Pemberton, a mental health professional who pens The Telegraph's Trust Me I'm a Junior Doctor column, was motivated to put on his investigative journalist hat and go see for himself what Scientology had to say about depression. I know, this is a cancer-related blog and you might be wondering why I might be discussing Cruise, Scientology and depression. Wait. Wait until I tell you what Pemberton was told when he arrived at the central London Scientology headquarters. Because, as Pemberton tells it, Scientology can explain cancer too.

On arriving Pemberton was invited in for a stress test. The woman conducting the test told him he was suffering from depression caused by a family member or friend. She assured him Scientology could help. She could not tell him more unless he signed up for a course, but she did assure him that the majority of illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, schizophrenia and depression, were the result of being suppressed by other people, but this suppression could be cleared away by Scientology. Oh really? Pemberton goes on to say he learned that Scientologists believe depression and disease are best alleviated by removing the sufferer's covering of tiny disembodied souls of aliens dispersed by the Galactic Federation leader Xenu. Nah -- no way. You cannot tell me that ten million Scientologists believe this is the cause of diseases like cancer. Do they? I invite any Scientologist who might wander by here to chime in and clarify this matter. In the meantime, Pemberton's first person account of his experience at the Scientology headquarters, and the Scientology explanation for the cause of diseases including cancer  -- leaves me feeling depressed.