As Breast Cancer Awareness Month nears its end and the election looms, healthcare is top of people's minds. It became a focal point during Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court hearings as the Affordable Care Act waits for another day in court.
As the CEO of Susan G. Komen, Paula Schneider, a breast cancer survivor herself, told Cheddar's Opening Bell, "People need to care that their healthcare is one of the most important rights that they should have."
During the same interview, journalist Katie Couric, founder of Katie Couric Media, also called healthcare an essential right saying, "if you have a system that isn't open to people, it's just blatantly, terribly, un-American."
The National Cancer Institute estimates that as of January 2019, there are 16.9 million cancer survivors in the United States. This represents approximately 5 percent of the population, and that number of cancer survivors is projected to increase by nearly 30 percent, to nearly 22 million, by 2029.
Now amid the pandemic, people are delaying screening and routine care with a sharp drop in screenings and cancer diagnoses this year. According to a recent JAMA study, breast cancer diagnoses alone saw a 51.8 percent dip in March and April compared to previous years. According to Schneider, some reports show that drop being as large as 80 percent when it comes to breast cancer. "That doesn't mean it's not happening," she said. "It just means it's not being diagnosed, and therefore it's not being treated."
"Ladies get your mammograms."
As for Couric, she has faced the heartbreak of cancer within her own family. Her first husband Jay and her sister Emily both died following their battles with cancer. She said that one of the most important things a support system can do for a cancer patient is just to be there. "When Jay was sick he said having cancer is the loneliest experience in the world," Couric said.
That's part of the reason she partnered with pharmaceutical giant Merck for a new project called Your Cancer Story. The program provides information and support to cancer patients from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship. Couric said she wishes she had access to this kind of program for her own family years ago.
"You can see people talking about what they're going through. You can get advice. You can get guidance. You can get support," she explained. "Other survivors and other caregivers can talk about some of the things they wish they had known."
Entertainment journalist Scott Evans joins Cheddar News to discuss his latest hosting gig on 'America's Big Deal' and play a little game with Baker called 'Deal or Dud.'
Living in 2021 brings a lot of distractions from mindlessly scrolling down your timeline for hours, to stretching yourself thin by multi-tasking daily. How do we find the ability to train our brains to focus on being present in the moment? Author, Dr. Amishi Jha joined Cheddar to discuss her new book “Peak Mind,” that tackles these issues.
David Ewalt, Editor in Chief of Gizmodo, joins 'Fast Forward' to paint a picture of what a metaverse-driven future looks like, and how it will propel the future of work and education.
Two years after its launch, Disney's streaming service is celebrating Disney+ Day by offering new and eligible returning customers a reduced subscription price of $2 for one month. The regular $7.99 monthly fee will kick in at the end of the promotion.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, CEO and co-founder of HitRecord, and Jared Geller, president and co-founder of HitRecord, join Cheddar News to discuss the platform's 'Class Projects'. Gordon-Levitt also talked about playing Jiminy Cricket in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
Comedian Aida Rodriguez is baring it all in her new stand-up comedy special on HBO Max. 'Fighting Words' was filmed in the Bronx and touches on topics from race to family. In the end, viewers will get a glimpse into Aida's personal life as she travels to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to connect and celebrate her heritage. Aida Rodriguez joins Cheddar News to talk about the new special.
One e-commerce company is putting diverse beauty brands first. 'thirteen lune' was launched last year and carries 100 brands, 90% percent of which are founded by Black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC). The company has grown tremendously within the past year and just landed a $3 million funding round led by Fearless Fund, a venture capital firm created by women of color, for women of color. Nyakio Grieco, co-founder of thirteen lune joins Cheddar News to talk about the new funding.
On this episode of 'Your Future Home', David Kaufman, Global Digital Director of Architectural Digest, breaks down ways to refresh your home this winter without breaking the bank.; Michael Barlow, co-founder and CEO of Fernish, discusses how Fernish is making it effortless to create your perfect home. Cheddar breaks down how to successfully research your next potential neighborhood.
