‘Outside Screening Saved My Life’nounos

Maria Menounos knew one thing was off in her physique.

It was 2023 and the TV host and journalist had extreme stomach ache and relentless bloating. She acquired a colonoscopy, endoscopy, and CT scan, however her medical group nonetheless couldn’t discover the issue—and her signs continued.

A full-body MRI recognized the supply of her ache: a mass on her pancreas, later confirmed by her physician to be a Stage 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, a uncommon type of pancreatic most cancers.

“Outdoors screening is what saved my life,” Menounos stated in a dialogue earlier this month with Tom Beer, MD, practising oncologist and chief medical officer in multi-cancer early detection at Precise Sciences.

That’s why she’s partnering with Cancerguard, a brand new prescription blood take a look at from Precise Sciences (the makers of Cologuard) designed to detect greater than 50 most cancers varieties and subtypes, together with pancreatic, ovarian, and liver cancers.

“I’m so enthusiastic about exterior screening as a result of I notice how vital it’s to stack the deck,” stated Menounos. “A few of these cancers are actually evil—they don’t have signs.”

Now cancer-free—and lacking a part of her pancreas, her complete spleen, 17 lymph nodes, and a big fibroid following surgical procedure—Menounos advocates for everybody to be the “CEO” of their very own well being. Which means maintaining with appointments and common screenings, and getting solutions to your well being questions—all whereas specializing in the optimistic.

“When you have a ache, and it persists, it’s important to as properly,” she stated, including that she usually “envisions [herself] celebrating after” annoying scans and exams.

Menounos nonetheless practices what she preaches—and even extends that recommendation to her personal daughter, instructing her to worth and advocate for her well being. (The two-year-old loves nutritious meals and all the time asks to hitch morning stretches, she stated).

Her major purpose now, two years out from her most cancers analysis? Residing her healthiest and most optimistic life—and being there for her daughter “for each milestone, each second.”