Maria Menounos revealed the bizarre symptom that led to a diagnosis of one of the deadliest cancers.
The 45-year-old TV personality suffered excruciating pain that felt like she was “exploding inside” after eating farro salad on a flight.
Doctors initially dismissed her bloating symptoms, but after she went to a second hospital for a checkup, she was diagnosed with stage two pancreatic cancer.
Menounos, who was awaiting the birth of her daughter Athena via surrogate at the time, had surgery to remove the 1.5-inch tumor and said she is now in remission.
Maria Menounos shows her postoperative scars in February 2023
Doctors initially dismissed her bloating symptoms, but after she went to a second hospital for a checkup, she was diagnosed with stage two pancreatic cancer.
The mother is pictured with her husband Keven Undergaro and their newborn daughter Athena
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in America; Only one in ten patients survive more than a year after diagnosis.
Menounos, who has 1.1 million followers on Instagram, said today that her case highlights the need to listen to the symptoms in the body, even if doctors dismiss them.
She told TODAY that, after eating the salad, she had “this kind of pain where you felt like you were going to explode inside”.
Early warning signs of the “silent killer” pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is sometimes called the “silent killer” because the symptoms are so easily overlooked.
“I thought it was the farro. “I thought I was really going to develop a gluten intolerance and my stomach wouldn’t handle it well,” she added.
Massachusetts resident Menounos went to her doctor for an endoscopy and colonoscopy after experiencing stomach pain in 2022, but found nothing unusual.
She also underwent a CT scan, which also found nothing; In the results, her pancreas was even described as “unremarkable.”
But her symptoms continued, and the TV personality also suffered from diarrhea and was in pain again in November 2022.
That prompted her to go to another hospital in January for a full-body MRI scan, which discovered the tumor in her pancreas.
She was later told that it was missed on the CT scan because it was not as clearly visible as on the MRI.
She underwent emergency surgery and in February 2023 the tumor was surgically removed, along with part of her pancreas and part of her spleen, as well as 17 lymph nodes – which are part of a separate circulatory system in the body for fluids.
The cancer had not spread to her body and she did not need further treatment.
After the stomach pain started in 2022, Menounos went to her doctor for an endoscopy and colonoscopy, but nothing unusual turned up
Maria holds her daughter Athena, born by surrogacy
The images above show the cancer in stage 0 and stages IA and IB
The above shows stage two pancreatic cancer, where a tumor has developed in the pancreas
In stage three, the tumor has grown and started to spread to nearby lymph nodes
And in the fourth stage, it begins to spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body
Menounos is now doing well, but she continues to monitor symptoms and write down any troubling feelings in a book so she can keep track.
The mother posted a photo of herself in a bikini showing the scars from her surgery and wrote on social media: “I look back on the surgery earlier this year and am grateful for the strength God blessed me with to get through it . ” and of course to all the wonderful people he sent to help me!
“Now I see the scars I carefully applied sunscreen to protect them and I smile.”
Her daughter Athena is now four months old and she described her as “the love of my life” and “my best medicine”.
‘She will learn that health is the most important thing in her life and from there she can achieve and do anything she wants,” Menounos said.
She opened up about her diagnosis and encouraged others to advocate for their health, even when doctors tell them her symptoms are nothing to worry about
Pancreatic cancer is a rarer type of cancer. About 64,000 cases are diagnosed each year – three percent of all cancer cases
She underwent emergency surgery and in February 2023 the tumor was surgically removed, along with part of her pancreas and part of her spleen, as well as 17 lymph nodes – which are part of a separate circulatory system in the body for fluids.
‘I think my next chapter of my life will be the healthiest because I have been forced to reevaluate my health in such a profound way. It changed everything.”
Pancreatic cancer is a rarer type of cancer. About 64,000 cases are diagnosed each year – that’s three percent of all cancer cases.
However, it is usually only discovered in later stages when the disease is more advanced and has spread to other parts of the body, making treatment more difficult.
This is because it rarely causes symptoms in the early stages and the warning signs can be so subtle that they are dismissed as minor health problems.
According to the American Cancer Society, about two-thirds of patients diagnosed with cancer are over the age of 65 and almost all are over the age of 45.
She is presenting her case as part of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November.
Dr. Julie Fleshman, Chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, said: “We are so grateful to Maria and our other PanCAN ambassadors for bravely sharing their stories to raise awareness of the importance of early detection for survival.”
“In addition to educating the public about the risks and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, PanCAN will continue to invest significantly in research to find a strategy for early detection of this disease.”
Pancreatic cancer causes few symptoms in its early stages because it grows deep in the abdomen – which also makes it difficult to detect.
Symptoms caused – such as stomach pain and bowel problems – can also be easily overlooked or attributed to other health problems.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
