Tune into Season 4 episode 2 of “Making Space” to hear Today co-anchor Hoda Kotb’s full conversation with Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos mentioned a problem with her pancreas months before being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in an episode of her podcast. Having been diagnosed with a rare type of pancreatic cancer, a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, in January 2023, she had it removed the following month.
When she went public with her cancer journey, Menounos shared with Hoda Kotb during a new episode of Hoda’s podcast, “Making Space,” that a viewer reached out to her and pointed out that she had predicted this on her show last April (2022) and went back to confirm it.
Season 4 of “Making Space” is set to launch on Nov. 15 with episodes featuring Menounos and “The Office” star Rainn Wilson.
Maria Menounos discussed her health struggles during the lead-up to her pancreatic cancer diagnosis, saying she had sensed something was wrong for many months and had discussed it on her podcast, “Heal Squad.”
She remembered taking pictures of her bloating and being concerned as it had never happened to her before. This led her to look for answers, but they were not found until the following year.
During a “Heal Squad” episode aired in April 2022, Menounos discussed the idea of her pancreas being the source of a problem, two months before being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and even then was in disbelief.
The following year, Menounos experienced a worsen of symptoms leading her to be concerned. An MRI finally revealed a mass on her pancreas. Biopsy results confirmed it to be a stage 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, and she underwent successful surgery to remove it.
Despite the cancer diagnosis and treatment, Menounos and her husband welcomed a baby girl in June 2022 via surrogate.
Menounos has since teamed up with PanCAN to star in a public service announcement encouraging early detection of pancreatic cancer, and she advocates for listeners to be proactive and fight for their health.
Make sure to catch this episode of “Making Space” to understand the full details and emotional roller-coaster of Maria Menounos’s story.
