Catching Cancer Early: Maria Menounos' Health Journey

Maria Menounos, a familiar face on TV, has had her share of health scares. In 2017, she had a brain tumor called a meningioma removed. It was benign, but it still caused problems. She had to deal with the aftermath of surgery and learned to pay more attention to her health. Fast forward to 2022, Maria started feeling bloated and had pain in her upper abdomen. Doctors did tests like endoscopies and colonoscopies, but nothing explained her symptoms. The pain got worse, and a CT scan showed nothing unusual. But Maria didn't give up. She decided to take charge of her health and did more screenings. That's when she found out she had a rare type of pancreatic cancer. The cancer was in its early stages, which meant it hadn't spread yet. This was good news because it could be removed by surgery. The operation was long and tough, but it worked. Maria had to recover, but she was lucky. The cancer was caught in time. Maria's health journey has taught her a lot. She now hosts a podcast called Heal Squad, where she talks about health and helps people navigate the healthcare system. She also works with Exact Sciences to promote cancer screening. She believes that people should take control of their health and do regular screenings, especially for cancers that don't have routine screening methods. Exact Sciences makes a blood test called Cancerguard. It can detect biomarkers for over 50 types of cancer, including pancreatic, liver, and ovarian cancer. The test isn't perfect, but it's better than not screening at all. Maria's story shows how important early detection is. It can save lives.