Maria Menounos reveals She Beat Pancreatic Cancer After Early Detection: ‘So Lucky’

Maria Menounos, the former E! News correspondent and “Heal Squad” podcast host, has shared the story of her experience fighting and beating pancreatic cancer in a recent interview. She credits early detection for saving her life, after her symptoms included abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Early diagnosis saved her life

Menounos was diagnosed with a 3.9 centimeter mass on her pancreas, a Stage 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, which was found to be cancerous, through a full-body MRI scan with a company called Prenuvo. She had surgery to remove the mass, a portion of her pancreas, a large fibroid, her spleen, and more than a dozen lymph nodes, and does not need additional treatment, just a once yearly scan going forward for five years.

Advocating for others to be proactive about their health

Menounos is advocating for others to be proactive about their health and to seek early detection. “I need people to know there are places they can go to catch things early,” she told People magazine. “You can’t let fear get in the way. I had that moment where I thought I was a goner—but I’m okay because I caught this early enough.”

Previous health complications

Menounos has dealt with a series of health complications, including a brain tumor half a decade ago and a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. She had the brain tumor removed and improved her glucose levels by taking insulin and following a specific diet, as she told People.

Pancreatic cancer has low survival rates

Pancreatic cancer makes up 3% of cancer diagnoses in the U.S. and 7% of cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. Pancreatic cancer’s 5-year relative survival rate across all stages is estimated to be 12% based on a number of factors. Early detection is key to improving the overall survival rate. An estimated 50,550 people will die this year from the disease which claimed the lives of Jerry Springer, Alex Trebek, Aretha Franklin, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and other public figures.

Connect With Debonair Magazine On Social Media [ Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn ] To Get Real-Time Updates On The Market.