Katie Couric's Notebook: Farrah Fawcett

She was the golden girl whose clean cut beauty epitomized an era.

Farrah Fawcett died today losing a hard-fought battle with anal cancer.

While we may remember her as one of Charlie's Angels, or for the sexy swimsuit poster that sold millions of copies, Farrah's legacy is now much more than skin deep.

She spoke out about her cancer battle and raised awareness of a disease that affects more than 5,000 people every year, and kills more than 700.

While it's a very serious illness, doctors say it is curable if detected early. The cancer has been linked to the human papillomavirus, and anal Pap smears, digital rectal exams and colonoscopies are all ways to discover it.

As I've said before about colon cancer, no one should ever die of embarrassment.

Farrah's story will hopefully inspire people to seek treatment earlier - it might even save lives.

Today, one of America's most beloved angels has earned her wings.

That's a page from my notebook.