Woman Sees ‘Huge Cancerous Mass’ on Scan—Doctor Reveals Unexpected Truth

A woman was put through the emotional ringer when she thought she was looking at a tumor on her ultrasound scan, only to learn that it wasn’t a cancerous mass after all—she’s actually heavily pregnant and it was the top of her baby’s head.

Krista Sciscoe, 33, felt perfectly fine throughout much of 2025, but that changed around November. She’d gained about 15 pounds but blamed that on the combination pill. Sciscoe requested to change her birth control and set up an appointment for late January. Little did she know, it wouldn’t be needed.

By mid-December, Sciscoe, of Indianapolis, Indiana, had severe back pain that lasted for days, so she booked an appointment with her OBGYN. In 2023, she suffered her fifth miscarriage and had to have a D&C—dilation and curettage, which consists of removing tissue from the uterus. It resulted in her uterus being punctured, so she presumed her symptoms were related to that in some way.

“For months I bled consistently without a break,” Sciscoe told Newsweek. “I bled inconsistently, but more than just once a month for almost three years without answers. I finally changed doctors last year and I was diagnosed with a bladder infection in December.

“He wanted to do an ultrasound to find the cause of the bleeding before changing birth control. I was told I could have a polyp, cyst, fibroid, or a possible tumor. I was prescribed three more months of the birth control I was already on, antibiotics, and scheduled to come back January 9 for an ultrasound. “

During the appointment, the ultrasound technician told Sciscoe that she had something to tell her. As soon as Sciscoe heard those words, she instantly assumed it was a “huge cancerous mass.” She started thinking the worst and wondering how her husband and stepson would cope without her, imagining all the huge milestones she wouldn’t be around to see.

Before Sciscoe could spiral, the technician moved the ultrasound wand slightly to the side and it revealed a heartbeat.

“I thought I had cancer, I never in a million years thought she was going to show me a baby. When she showed me the screen and the big circle appeared, my heart sank. I knew I was looking at an abnormal mass or tumor. But what I was actually looking at was the top of our baby’s head,” Sciscoe said.

“My stomach dropped and I started having a minor panic attack. I thought the baby could only be 10 to 12 weeks gestation. I knew it had to be over six weeks because of the heartbeat, but I had no idea what I was about to be told.”

To her surprise, Sciscoe was well beyond the first trimester; she was in fact at 29 weeks and five days gestation. It was a terrifying realization, as she started to think about all the junk she’d consumed without knowing she was carrying a baby, the birth control she was taking, and how she was still bleeding despite being pregnant.

Fortunately, her baby boy is doing incredibly well and was an estimated 2lbs and 13 ounces at the latest scan. While her bump is only just starting to pop out, Sciscoe has an anterior placenta so the baby is positioned closer to her back.

After the shock news of her pregnancy sunk in, it dawned on Sciscoe that she only had a matter of weeks to get everything sorted before his arrival. She and her husband are undoubtedly delighted to welcome a child of their own, especially because they lost all hope after five miscarriages.

Sciscoe said: “My husband was in complete shock. We were both under the impression that I was going in to find out if I had a tumor, polyp, cyst, or fibroid. Pregnancy never crossed our mind. When he walked in to see an ultrasound on the table, he almost passed out. We have wanted this for eight years but never thought it could happen.

“I wish we had more time to save and prepare, but part of me thinks the reason that this time didn’t turn out like our other pregnancies is because I wasn’t stressed and wondering if everything was OK. I didn’t have to worry the way I did before,” she told Newsweek.