Heidi Neas was diagnosed with cancer at 16 weeks pregnant, became cancer-free at 22 weeks and delivered a healthy baby boy.Heidi Neas, 33 of Huntsville, Alabama, was 16 weeks pregnant when she was referred to UAB Medicine for answers following abnormal genetic test results. Following these results, Neas’ local OB/GYN quickly referred her to UAB Medicine’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic, which treats and provides care for high-risk pregnancies. MFM physician Carolyn Webster, M.D., and genetic counselor Olivia Kesler met with Neas to explain what her diagnosis meant and guide next steps.
Further reviews and tests did not indicate any cancers common during pregnancies. Even though kidney cancer is rare in young women, Neas’ family history made Webster pause and conduct a CT scan. The scan revealed an 11-centimeter cancerous tumor. Maternal-fetal medicine and cancer specialists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham worked together to discover and safely remove the kidney tumor that threatened her life and her pregnancy at 24 weeks. She delivered a healthy baby boy, Abram, and all follow-ups with UAB Hematology and Oncology to date indicate that she is cancer-free.