4kg rare cancerous tumor successfully removed from patient

After experiencing severe abdominal pain, a 45-year-old patient was diagnosed with an unusual cancerous tumor that was extremely large in size. The tumor, which was approximately 20cm in diameter and weighed approximately 4kgs, was successfully removed by a team of five surgeons at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.

The patient was on his way home when he started experiencing severe abdominal pain that kept getting worse. He then decided to visit the nearest hospital, Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, to avoid any incidents and detect the problem. Once there, he immediately visited the ER, where assessments and evaluations were done, and surprisingly a very large tumor was detected.

Through imaging tests, doctors were able to detect a huge mass in the abdomen, which was then diagnosed as Lymphoma in the liver. Primary Liver Lymphoma is an exceptionally unusual and rare tumor, especially in such young patients. If not detected at an early stage, it could potentially spread leading to serios complications.

The case was undertaken by Dr. Mahmoud Tabbal, Head of the Surgery Department and Consultant Hepatobiliary Surgeon and Dr. Gokhan Cipe, European and Turkish Board-certified General Surgeon and Head of Robotic Surgery at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.

“Luckily, the patient had a good prognosis, and the tumor was detected at an earlier stage. He was diagnosed with a nonmetastatic lymphoma that primarily appeared in the liver with a high rate of cure. Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system and rarely localizes in the liver. It is extremely rare and in the patient’s case the tumor was also extremely large, requiring an open surgery and a team of five specialized surgeons to successfully remove it.” Dr. Mahmoud Tabbal, Head of the Surgery Department at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.

The doctors were able to remove the massive tumor successfully, finding that the lymphoma has localized in the abdomen and created a 4kg tumor.

“When I first went to the hospital, because of the abdominal pain, I was not at all expecting a tumor let alone cancer. The news came as a shock to me, but thankfully I was in the hands of significant doctors, and I believe they helped me greatly through this journey. I had a quick recovery, and I barely experienced any pain, the stitches were clean as well and there was no bleeding, even though it was an open surgery. The doctors also gave me great support after the surgery, helping me with my mental state. I visited the doctors for follow ups on almost a daily basis which was exceptionally helpful for my mental health,” said H.I., Patient at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.

“As a surgeon what we saw with this patient is a one in a lifetime medical case. It is very rare to find such a tumor in the liver and it typically has a poor prognosis, which was not the case with our patient. Additionally, the patient did not have any history of cancer or liver disease and is not within the age range of Lymphoma, making it even more unique. The treatment went remarkably well, the surgery was a success, and the patient had a quick recovery.” Dr. Gokhan Cipe, Head of Robotic Surgery in Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.

In addition to surgery, the patient received a multi-faceted treatment plan to help him recover completely. The team of doctors discussed his diagnosis with the tumor board to ensure that the patient receives all the care he needs including consistent follow ups to guarantee that the patient is improving both physically and mentally and rituximab, which is a form of maintenance therapy done to reduce the chances of recurrence.

The patient fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital just four days after the surgery.