When Katie Couric had her famous on-air colonoscopy in 2000, physicians across the country noted a rise in the number of patients requesting the detection test. They dubbed it the ‘Couric Effect’. Could yesterday’s revelation by Robin Roberts similarly raise awareness about breast cancer?
“I predict that (her) brave announcement will produce a ‘Robin Roberts effect’,” says Donnica Moore, M.D., a women’s health expert interviewed by WebMD Medical News. “I give (her) a tremendous amount of credit for going public from the beginning and using her experience to help others.”
USA Today’s Peter Johnson talked with breast cancer survivors Cokie Roberts and Linda Ellerbee. Ellerbee recalls, “the letters and the hugs in the airport gave me encouragement that neither my family, friends or health care workers were able to… By going public, Robin is going to help a lot of women, but a lot of women are going to help her.”