Maria Menounos believes stress caused her pancreatic cancer and brain tumour

Maria Menounos has spoken out about her stage two cancer diagnosis and tumour which she suspected was induced by stress.

The former E! News presenter revealed she had been living with pancreatic cancer and had surgery in February to remove the tumour.

Her treatment is said to have also included removing part of her pancreas, spleen and lymph nodes and a fibroid in hopes she won’t need chemotherapy or additional treatment.

Although Maria is now on the mend, she reflected on the scare during her appearance on Dear Media’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast.

She said the “breakthrough” was down to a holistic psychologist who helped get to the bottom of her health issues.

The mom to be explained, the holistic expert helped her get an explanation rather than a diagnosis, as Maria shared: “Now I know. It’s stress.”

As a result, Maria said she’s gone from living in “fight or flight [mode] every single day,” and has made “incredible strides” to become more tranquil.

Thanks to the speed of discovering the cancer, the host revealed she won’t have to undergo any radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Instead, she will need regular checks for the next five years to ensure the cancer is gone for good.

The diagnosis came just five years after the star had a brain tumour removed in 2017, Maria has been insistent on speaking about the warning signs to help others.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Maria explained how she initially went to the doctor with severe leg cramps in June 2022, and was diagnosed with type one diabetes.

“I was feeling so good, and then I got slapped in the face with a new diagnosis,” she said.

“I’d scream out loud, I was inconsolable.”

However, several months later, after more bouts of abdominal pain, she went for a full body MRI scan and discovered a 3.9cm mass on her pancreas.

As Maria was also pregnant at the time of her diagnosis, she admitted: “All I could think was that I have a baby coming.”

After receiving the all-clear, she told the publication: “I’m so grateful and so lucky, 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,” Maria concluded.