A 23-year-old man with a big belly thought he had gained weight so he didn’t go to the doctor. When he had difficulty breathing and was in pain, he was hospitalized and the doctor discovered an 8 kg tumor.
“This is a rare case recorded at K Hospital, because the tumor in the patient’s abdomen is too large, compressing the organs, surgery is the only method to help him escape the death sentence,” said Dr. Ha Hai Nam, Deputy Head of Abdominal Surgery Department I, K Hospital, on June 28.
Examination and biopsy results showed that this was a malignant soft tissue sarcoma originating in the soft tissues of the body (including muscles, tendons, fat, lymph, blood vessels and nerves).
The tumor was too large, which posed a challenge for the surgical team. Dr. Nam said that the initial prognosis was that the kidney would need to be removed to completely remove the tumor, to prevent the malignant cells from quickly reoccurring. In addition, the doctors had to discuss in detail the issue of controlling blood loss during surgery, especially the possibility of heart failure complications. Because the tumor was too large, when it was removed, a lot of blood would be pumped back to the heart, causing the atria to dilate, increasing the risk of heart failure.
On the morning of June 26, after a surgery lasting many hours, the doctor removed a tumor weighing 8 kg, preserving the patient’s kidney. Currently, the young man continues to be monitored at the hospital.
Sarcomas form in the lining of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, which collect and remove bacteria and viruses from the body.
Compared to other cancers, soft tissue sarcoma is relatively rare, accounting for only about 1% of cancers in adults and about 15% of cancers in children. However, this is a very diverse, complex group of cancers, which can easily cause confusion in diagnosis.
Doctors warn that cancer is on the rise in younger people. People should have regular health check-ups once or twice a year to screen for health problems.