Florida broadcast journalist says viewer spotted cancerous lump on her neck

A Florida broadcast journalist revealed on Thursday that a viewer detected a mysterious lump on her neck that was later discovered to be cancerous.

Victoria Price, an investigative journalist at WFLA News in Tampa Bay, shared the news on Twitter in a message to her viewers.

“As a journalist, it’s been full throttle since the pandemic began. Never-ending shifts in a never-ending news cycle. Adjusting to remote workflows and in my case, taking on a new investigative role,” Price wrote. “We were covering the most important health story in a century, but my own health was the farthest thing from my mind.”

“Until a viewer emailed me last month,” she added.

Price shared the email from an eagle-eyed viewer, which read: “Hi, just saw your news report. 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.

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

— victoria price (@WFLAVictoria) July 23, 2020

Price wrote that the email from the stranger spurred her to call her doctor and diagnostic testing later confirmed that she did in fact have cancer.

The reporter, an alumna of Boston University, wrote that she will undergo surgery on Monday to remove the tumor, her thyroid and some nearby lymph nodes.

She added in a follow-up tweet that chemotherapy “isn’t in the cards” and remains hopeful that treatment will not be needed.

“Doctor says it’s spreading, but not too much, and we’re hopeful this will be my first and last procedure,” Price wrote. “Had I never received that email, I never would have called my doctor. The cancer would have continued to spread. It’s a scary and humbling though.”

Price expressed thanks for the viewer who emailed her when she was under “zero obligation” to warn her and made a nod to the station’s catchphrase “On Your Side.”