TV Reporter Credits Viewer with Noticing Cancerous Lump
A local TV reporter at WFLA News Channel 8 recently discovered she had thyroid cancer, all thanks to a viewer.
Investigative reporter Victoria Price shared on Twitter that a viewer emailed her last month after seeing one of her reports.
“Hi, just saw your news report,” the email said. “What concerned me is the lump on your neck. Please have your thyroid checked. Reminds me of my neck. Mine turned out to be cancer. Take care of yourself.”
A bit of ~personal news~ to share.
— victoria price (@WFLAVictoria) July 23, 2020
Turns out, I have cancer. And I owe it to one of our wonderful @WFLA viewers for bringing it to my attention.
I’ll be off work for a bit after tomorrow, but I’ll see y’all soon 🥰 pic.twitter.com/UMsoj2SjtM
Price heeded that advice and was diagnosed with cancer. She will undergo surgery to have the tumor, her thyroid and some nearby lymph nodes removed.
Dr. Julie Hallanger-Johnson, chair of Moffitt's Endocrine Oncology Program
“’8 On Your Side’ isn’t just a catchphrase at WFLA,” Price said in a statement. “It’s our cornerstone. But the roles recently reversed when I found a viewer on MY side, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Almost 53,000 Americans will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer this year. Women are three times more likely to develop the disease than men. It is also commonly diagnosed at a younger age than most other adult cancers.
“Thyroid nodules are very common, occurring in half of the population,” said Dr. Julie Hallanger-Johnson, an endocrinologist in Moffitt Cancer Center’s Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology Program. “Eighty five to 95 percent of the time, they are benign, non-cancerous. Fortunately, most thyroid cancers are found in the early stages, and are treated well with surgery alone.”
Price says while her cancer is spreading, doctors are hopeful she will not need any further treatment after surgery.
