‘We Were Blown Away!’ Atlanta FOX Anchor Aungelique Proctor Shares That Her Tumor is Shrinking Rapidly

The 26-year veteran television journalist announced her stage 2 stomach cancer diagnosis during an interview with FOX 5 in November of last year, just before Thanksgiving. The tumor in her stomach, which was deemed a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), measured 13 centimeters, or about 5 inches, in length.

Proctor, now 57, is planning to undergo surgery to remove the tumor, but doctors are doing their best to shrink it before removing it. That's why Proctor started taking Gleevec (imatinib mesylate), a chemotherapy pill.

Her plan to shrink the tumor seems to be working. In January, when she visited her doctor for additional scans, the tumor had already shrunk from 5 inches to about 2 inches.

"Max (her husband) and I were looking at each other like, this is unbelievable," she told the television station. "We were blown away!"

Related: Jill Kargman on Relationships and Cancer

And most recently, in early April, when Proctor saw her doctor to set a date for her operation, it was revealed her tumor was down to just 5 centimeters in size.

"He said to us, 'The tumor is shrinking so well, we're not going to set a date; you're going to continue with the chemo pill, the Gleevec, until it won't shrink anymore," she said.

The thought of surgery plagued Proctor with a great deal of anxiety, so delaying the operation is welcomed news

"There is going to be a lot of anxiety with the surgery," she said. "So, the fact we're putting it off, and continuing the pills these chemo pills have been just a game changer because I'm not having any side effects, I am just taking it with dinner, and it has been just seamless."

Another goal of Proctor's is to get as physically fit as possible before surgery, which is why she's been working with Georgia-based personal trainer Quentin Pullen, or better known as Coach Q to his clients.

"I was already exercising, but I'm very deliberate about it (now)," Proctor said.

Understanding Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer occurs when an abnormal growth of cells begins in the stomach and becomes cancerous.

Treatment options for this disease include surgery, medications, radiation and chemotherapy. As previously mentioned, Proctor is taking chemotherapy pills to shrink her tumor as much as possible prior to surgery.

According to the American Cancer Society, there will be about 26,380 new cases of stomach cancer diagnosed in the United States this year (15,900 in men and 10,480 in women).

Stomach cancer typically affects older people, with the average age of diagnosis being 68. About six of every 10 people diagnosed with stomach cancer each year are 65 or older.

Symptoms of this disease include:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Feeling bloated after eating
• Feeling full after eating small amounts of food
• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Unintentional weight loss
• Vomiting

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.