A chance opportunity for a diagnostic test resulted in cancer diagnosis for a Lansdale woman. A 6abc report chronicled her diagnosis, treatment, and progress fighting neuroendocrine tumors.

Bonnie St. Onge, a hot air balloon crew chief, said that when her full-body scan was finished, her technician told her, “You need to tell your doctor that you have a five-centimeter mass in your mid-gut.”

Her pancreatic lump was a collection of neuroendocrine tumors, a gathering of cells that regulate functions related to respiration and digestion.

“You can develop a neuroendocrine tumor in literally any part of your body,” said Dr. Neena Vijayvergia, St. Onge’s oncologist.

Vijayvergia explained that common sites for these growths are the lungs, small intestine, pancreas, rectum, and appendix. Symptoms can mirror diabetes (thirst, frequent urination, dizziness), and little is known about their cause.

St. Onge’s case is being treated by a drug regimen that includes the ability to deliver radiation directly to the cancer.

Her tumors are already shrinking, news that delights her.

“I felt like I had a new lease on life,” she said. “I’m here and I’m able to see my family and my grandchildren grow older.”

The full story on this case of neuroendocrine tumors is at 6abc.