Former “The Bachelorette” star Hannah Brown revealed she had a “crazy” pancreatic cancer scare at age 11, and nearly died.
Brown shared the news during a recent appearance on “Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe.”
“I had a really crazy scare when I was little,” Brown told Bristowe, who also appeared on the reality television show. “I got really sick really fast where. I still think it’s like a weird medical mystery of what caused them to find it because I got my period really early but just one time,” she said.
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“And I was having really bad stomach cramps but I was also just having really bad stomach issues to the point like couldn’t go to school, doubled over in pain, couldn’t go to the bathroom like serious,” she said.
Brown described “declining in health” so severely that it was physically visible to others that something was wrong.
Her primary care doctor suggested a full-body scan when other experts failed to identify the root of her health issues, and that led to her diagnosis.
“I had an encased malignant tumor. I hate to say it because there’s people that have really gone through the battle of cancer and I was very fortunate that my doctor was able to get out my encased tumor fully,” Brown said.
“If it would have burst or something was left, it could’ve been a lot worse,” she said.
Brown discussed how rapidly her situation evolved. (RELATED: Sarah Ferguson Undergoes Breast Cancer Surgery)
“It was very quick — found out I had it, two weeks later having the surgery. I really didn’t go to school much my fifth grade year,” Brown said.
Fortunately, she was cancer-free after her treatment.