Maria Menounos reveals she beat pancreatic cancer: ‘God granted me a miracle’
TV personality Maria Menounos arrives at the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Actress and television host Maria Menounos has revealed that she survived a fight with pancreatic cancer.
In an interview with People, the former E! News host shared that she was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer in January.
Menounos, 44, underwent successful surgery to remove a 3.9-cm tumor and told the magazine that she is on a mission to encourage others to seek answers to their health problems.
"I need people to know there are places they can go to catch things early," she explained to People. "I had that moment where I thought I was a goner – but I'm okay because I caught this early enough."
On Wednesday, Menonunos shared the news on Instagram, writing," Obviously, there's so much to say about this and what I’ve gone through these last few months, and even year. First, dealing with the diabetes diagnosis last summer, second (my other miracle) preparing for my soon-to-be newborn baby and third, pancreas cancer."
Maria Menounos and longtime boyfriend Keven Undergaro get engaged on "The Howard Stern Show" on March 9, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
In February, Menounos and her husband Keven Undergaro announced on "Kelly & Ryan" that they were expecting their first baby after a decade-long journey. The baby, a girl, will be born via surrogate this summer.
"I still haven't come to grips with it all, including the fact that so very few even survive pancreatic cancer," Menounos continued on Instagram. "I have SO much information and SO many breakthroughs that I think/hope can save others."
She said she plans to share everything on her podcast "Heal Squad" and on as many platforms as she can.
"For now I'll say how grateful I am to be able, alive and well and that I WILL get to hold my baby!," she added.
But Menounos is no stranger to health battles, having been diagnosed and treated for a benign brain tumor back in 2017.
Then last year, a trip to the hospital revealed she had type 1 diabetes, which runs in her family. She still takes insulin daily and wears a glucose monitor, according to People.
But a month later she was back in the hospital, and this time "with excruciating abdominal pain." When a CT scan and extensive testing showed nothing, she agreed to do a full body scan through Prenuno.
On Friday, Menounos thanked the healthcare company for detecting the mass on her pancreas early enough to save her life.
"Know I’m working to get these scans covered by insurance for everyone!!," she added.
FDA approves new drug to treat pancreatic cancer
Earlier this month, a panel of experts at the FDA recommended Lynparza after a study found that pancreatic cancer patients who were treated with the drug could go nearly twice as long without their cancer worsening than those taking a placebo.
"I'm so grateful and so lucky," Menounos said, adding that she is currently putting the finishing touches on her baby's nursery and is excited to have a small meet-and-greet once she arrives. "God granted me a miracle. "I'm going to appreciate having her in my life so much more than I would have before this journey."
RELATED: Pancreatic cancer: What you should know about the disease that led to Jerry Springer's death
According to Mayo Clinic, pancreatic cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of the pancreas — an organ in the abdomen that lies behind the lower part of the stomach. The pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and produces hormones that help manage a person's blood sugar.
The new issue of People is on newsstands nationwide Friday.