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NBC News correspondent Antonia Hylton has revealed that she was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, a neuroendocrine tumor.
The symptoms manifested about two years ago, the 30-year-old Hylton said in a Today interview. She started having stomach issues.
“It was easy for me to just write it off,” Hylton said.. “I travel. I’m on planes (and) maybe I don’t have the best diet. But I love what I do, so it’s worth it, and I’m not going to let these symptoms hold me back.”
A segment on the Today show about Craig Melvin’s brother’s death because of colon cancer was her wakeup call.
“Something about that really stuck with me,” she said. That and a TikTok video of a woman diagnosed with colon cancer at 24 resonated with Hylton.
Meanwhile, her symptoms were getting worse. “I was waking up (and) my face was swollen. I was having trouble going to the bathroom for days on end,” she said.
“I went to see a specialist who sent me for a colonoscopy.”
Three weeks later, her doctor called. The screening revealed a polyp that turned out to be a neuroendocrine tumor, which is a rare type of cancer that releases hormones into the bloodstream.
“I was panicking,” Hylton said.
Fortunately for her, they found t early. “I had a series of procedures to remove tissue and screening tests to see if the cancer had spread,” she said.
“The last scan showed I’m all clear.”
The experience has left her with a new perspective, she said.
“I learned a really important lesson at 30 to listen to myself and to put myself first. I love my job. I worked hard here at NBC, and I’m not going to stop doing that. But I’ve learned the lesson that I really need to put my health first and not push these things off.”
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