Woman Thinks She's Having an Allergic Reaction — but It’s a Rare Cancer That Affects One in 1 Million People

Melinda Nelson’s unexplained swelling turned out to be cancer on her adrenal gland, a rare condition that often comes back

A Florida woman thought her swollen face was a sign of an allergic reaction — but instead, it was a symptom of a rare adrenal gland cancer.

Melinda Nelson, 35, tells South West News Service via Gloucestershire Live that she was feeling “really good” and working out twice a day when, in January 2021, she noticed her legs "were losing muscle. My face looked a bit rounder."

Then, she says, “my face started getting really big. They call it moon face.”

"My stomach started swelling as well. My hands and feet too. I thought I was having a type of allergic reaction. I was pretty unrecognizable," she told the outlet.

She sought medical care and in August, was put on medication for high blood pressure.

However, she says, "my face continued getting really big. My hair started falling out. I developed hair growth on my face. I thought 'maybe this is hormonal'."

The St.Petersburg, Fla., resident returned to the doctor, who was concerned about Nelson’s stomach swelling and ordered scans.

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That’s when, Nelson says, she was told she had a 16-centimeter tumor on her adrenal gland, a gland that sits on top of the kidneys and produces hormones that manage metabolism, blood pressure, and stress reactions.

"The doctor called me and said 'I'm 99 percent sure you have this rare cancer,'” she said.

Nelson underwent surgery to remove the tumor, during which they discovered it was actually double the size — and later testing confirmed that she did, indeed, have adrenocortical carcinoma.

It’s a “a rare cancer” in the outermost layer of your adrenal glands, the Cleveland Clinic explains, with 1 in 1 million getting diagnosed a year.

“In this condition, your glands have tumors that release large amounts of hormones. The tumors may grow large enough to press on nearby organs.”

"It was very shocking, but part of me was so relieved that someone knew something was wrong with me. Living undiagnosed was scarier. Hearing you have cancer at 32 is awful, but I'm glad there was some kind of plan going forward."

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But it’s a cancer that often comes back, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

For Nelson, she was given the upsetting news that her cancer had returned in March 2022.

"We found out the tumors were growing. It was a really scary time for me," she told the outlet.

Nelson, who works with the nonprofit, the Adrenal Cure Collective, as the communications and advocacy coordinator, shares that she’s had a recurrence of tumors in her spine, hips, shoulder, lungs, and liver.

Since August 2022, Nelson has "stable shrinking tumours," and is living with stage IV cancer.

But for Nelson, the emphasis is on living.

“I hope I don't have growth again and I outlive the cancer. Cancer is a huge part of my life, but it is not going to define me. There is still so much to life.”

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