Mumbai: 12 kg rare tumour removed from woman after 6 months
A 37-year-old woman had been living with a tumour that made her look pregnant for over six months. She did not have the slightest idea that it was malignant and prone to fatally affecting other internal organs as well.
A 37-year-old woman had been living with a tumour that made her look pregnant for over six months. She did not have the slightest idea that it was malignant and prone to fatally affecting other internal organs as well.
“Surprisingly, I never felt anything other than minor discomfort. It didn’t pain and did obstruct any of my activities in any manner,” said the homemaker.
However, six months ago she started to realise that her abdomen was stiff and not supple as it should be ideally. And, there had been stray remarks too in her circle asking if she was pregnant.
“It was all in lighter vein but, I finally decided to see our family doctor and, I was advised an ultrasonography,” said the patient. When the test reports came out it turned out that the woman had a liposarcoma, a malignant tumour, which weighed 12 kilograms. She was advised surgery.
“Liposarcoma is a kind of malignant tumour that is relatively rare. The incidence rate is approximately 2.5 in a million,” said Dr Nilesh Shah, consultant surgeon at Global Hospital in Parel. “The tumour had grown so big that it had pushed the internal organs like small intestine, colon and, kidneys further back from their normal position,” added Dr Shah.
On December 5, the patient underwent a four hour long surgery for removal of the 12 kg tumour. After the tumour was removed the woman weighed 69 kilograms compared to 82 kilograms while she lived the tumour. Now, she has to undergo oncological treatment that would involve a radiation therapy and chemotherapy as well.
“If the patient had delayed even a couple of week more things would have been rather unpredictable. It is imperative for people to understand that man times minor symptoms can be the underlying cause for something more grave,” said Dr Jignesh Gandhi, consultant surgeon at Global Hospital who was the part of team that operated the woman.