Michelle Velez of NBC News Discovers She Has Rare Form of Cancer Caused by a Molar Pregnancy

A news anchor Michelle Velez got candid with her social media followers after getting diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that resulted from a molar pregnancy.

In August, Michelle Velez, who works for the Las Vegas news outlet KSWU News 3, found out she was pregnant and expecting her third child. However, things took a heartbreaking and complicated turn when her first ultrasound showed zero sign of a fetus.

Velez, in an Instagram post, got candid with her followers on what went wrong with her pregnancy. She wrote,

"… Last week, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer caused by an abnormal pregnancy."

I can't really put into words what it's like to find out you have cancer

The news reporter explained there was no fetus despite testing positive to a pregnancy test, and rather than miscarrying, her body produced invasive placenta tissue. It created a high level of pregnancy hormones (HCG), and

"Essentially, it was as if I was pregnant with five babies at once."

Although the placenta tissue can get cleared with surgery, Velez could not go under the knife as her condition already turned cancerous, with chemotherapy as the only solution. Describing how she felt upon getting diagnosed, the mom-of-two wrote,

"I can't really put into words what it's like to find out you have cancer; shocking, devastating, and terrifying for starters."

Velez condition happens in 1 out of 1, 000 pregnancies, and it becomes cancerous in 1 out of 15, 000 cases

Despite the seemingly gloomy future, Velez assured her followers that with chemo, she'd be as good as new as soon as her HCG gets to zero. The Las Vegas resident revealed she had undergone two rounds already, and promised to carry her followers along on her journey.

In an interview with Today Health, the reporter said she had never heard of a molar pregnancy until it happened to her, and she felt overwhelmed by the news. Velez condition occurs in 1 out of 1, 000 pregnancies, and it becomes cancerous in 1 out of 15, 000 cases.

According to the National Cancer Institute, most molar pregnancies are benign, and it gets termed as a gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). Its symptoms include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pain, or pressure in the pelvis, high blood pressure, fatigue, and an enlarged uterus.

In a separate post, Velez, uploaded a video while at the hospital receiving treatment, and she's keeping her spirits up, and hoping for the best.