Woman diagnosed with rare cancer after doctors discovered tumor by accident during pregnancy
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Handout/Stupidcancer.org
One woman who was confident she didn’t have cancer, and was reassured by doctors ahead of her diagnosis that it wasn’t anything too concerning, had a pretty devastating surprise during her pregnancy.
Pregnancy can put a strain on anyone at the best of times, and most are just happy and hoping to deliver a healthy bouncing baby.
There likely isn’t much more frightening than to learn that while pregnant, you have a life-threatening illness as well.
Well, 39-year-old Michelle Kaba from New Jersey had to deal with this reality, but the difference is doctors insisted that there wasn’t anything she should be concerned about.
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Speaking about her cancer diagnosis in a candid report for the Stupid Cancer organization, she said: “When I was pregnant, I was diagnosed with pancreatitis. I went through 4 different hospital stays in the span of 5.5 months and was placed on a strict, low-fat diet.
“After the birth, the pancreatitis was going to be gone for good and life would go back to ‘normal’.
“They said the growth they found while I was 20 weeks pregnant was benign, and it just needed to be removed after our baby was born. The doctors weren’t concerned, so neither was I.”
However, it soon turned out that the growth was no longer benign; in fact, it had even grown larger. Another biopsy was taken, and it was eventually revealed that Kaba had ampullary cancer.
After multiple tests and second opinions, Kaba and her family got some good news: the cancer hadn’t spread, it was still in stage one, and could be removed via surgery after some chemotherapy.
Speaking about her difficult road to recovery, she added: “My Whipple Procedure was successful.
“With part of my pancreas and small intestine removed along with my whole gallbladder, the tumor was gone and the pathology reports confirmed there was no longer cancer in my body.
“In a 3-week period, I was diagnosed and freed from cancer, all while becoming a new mom. It was a complete whirlwind that I still haven’t fully processed.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, ampullary cancer is a rare and aggressive type of carcinoma that forms in an area of your body called the ampulla of Vater.
This area is a small opening where your bile duct and pancreatic duct join.
Due to its location in the body, there are often fears that the cancer can spread to the liver, pancreas and other digestive system organs.
Regarding symptoms, people with this type of cancer can experience jaundice – yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Other ampullary cancer symptoms include:
If you begin to experience these symptoms, it is advised you speak to your healthcare professional and get tested.