Maria Menounos opens up about life-changing pancreatic cancer diagnosis: 'It's just like Tyson knocked you out'
The 46-year-old TV personality spoke to Kaitlyn Bristowe about learning she had stage 2 pancreatic cancer in 2023.
Maria Menounos is opening up about her health journey in a candid new interview. The 46-year-old TV personality spoke about her experience with pancreatic cancer during a recent episode of the "Off The Vine" podcast hosted by Kaitlyn Bristowe.
Menounos shared her shock and how she shifted her mindset to stay positive amidst the diagnosis. Here's what we learned from her appearance.
🏥 A shocking discovery
Menounos received the shock of a lifetime in December 2022 when a full-body MRI discovered a mass on her pancreas.
The TV personality considered herself "a vibrant, healthy person" when the doctor reviewing her MRI told her to "go to the hospital right away" and investigate the mass further.
"I think my eyes kind of watered a little," Menounos said. "...I texted my doctor, I said, 'I need to get in right away...I was terrified."
Menounous recalled the drive to the hospital saying: "It's just like [Mike] Tyson just knocked you out."
Menounos said her primary physician was pushing her medial team to perform a biopsy, even though many of her healthcare providers believed she had pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas). The results would later confirm she had stage 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour.
🩺 Past health issues
The discovery of the cancer wasn't something she saw coming. Menonos told Bristowe the only thing she expected to show up on her MRI were the remnants of a benign brain tumour she had surgically removed in 2017.
"My doctor was focused on my brain tumour. I said, 'Hey when I get out of the scan, I just want to give you a heads up, I don't want you to freak out and think you have to give me brain tumour news. I have a brain tumour in there, there's still left from surgery they couldn't get,'" the TV personality explained.
⚕️ Battling stage 2 pancreatic cancer and becoming a mother
During this tumultuous time, Menounos and her husband, Kevin Undergaro, were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child via surrogate. The pair would later welcome their daughter, Athena, in June 2023.
Menounos said she cried for two days after learning she had cancer. "I was like, 'God, how could you finally bless me with a baby... and I might not be here to meet her? This is insane.' I kept saying, 'This doesn't make sense," she said.
The former "Extra" host recalled a mantra her hypnotherapist told her and decided to choose "wonder over worry" which she credits with helping her remain positive.
"Why am I thinking the worst when I have no idea what's going to happen?" she recalled.
❤️🩹 Surgery and recovery
Menounos underwent a major surgery where the tail of her pancreas, her spleen, 17 lymph nodes, and a large fibroid were removed. She described the aftermath of the surgery saying she "had a C-section scar" but "didn't even have a baby."
As previously reported by TODAY, Menounos did not require additional treatment and is now cancer-free.
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