TV host Maria Menounos privately battled stage 2 pancreatic cancer this year, with doctors removing a 3.9-centimenter tumor, she revealed in a new interview.
The former E! News star received the diagnosis in January, she told People.
“I need people to know there are places they can go to catch things early,” Menounos said. “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.”
Menounos started suffering severe leg cramps in June and was diagnosed shortly afterward with type 1 diabetes, which runs in her family. She began experiencing “excruciating abdominal pain coupled with diarrhea” in the fall and got a full-body MRI that revealed the tumor on her pancreas, she told People.
She underwent surgery in February to remove the tumor. Menounos is doing well now and doesn’t require treatment beyond annual scans for five years, her doctor said.
Menounos, 44, is expecting her first child with husband Keven Undergaro via surrogate over the summer.
“I’m so grateful and so lucky,” Menounos said. “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.”
The Massachusetts-born Menounos’ cancer diagnosis came more than five years after she had a benign tumor removed from her brain in 2017. Amid that recovery, Menounos stepped down from E! News, where she hosted an evening show and appeared on red carpet specials.
Menounos has also hosted the entertainment news show “Extra” and worked as a correspondent for “Access Hollywood” and NBC’s “Today” show. She and her husband co-created the podcast network Afterbuzz TV.