A new report has detailed a remarkable medical procedure: doctors removed from the stomach of a Peruvian woman a 35-pound tumor. She had been hosting it in her body for 8 years. According to Tech Times, the tumor was approximately 50 centimeters in diameter.
The woman, 22-year old Irianita Rojas Rasma, from Lima, Peru, had lived with a massive tumor in her ovaries since she was 13 years old. The tumor itself, given its placement in her body and its gargantuan size, made Rojas look as if she was pregnant.
Rojas had chosen to live with the tumor. She lived in a remote area of the Peruvian jungle where treatment was not readily available. However, she was discovered by Peru’s health minister during a trip to the area for the purpose of overseeing the construction of a health center in the area.
Anibal Velasquez Valdivia, the health minister, immediately noticed Rojas’ condition. She was transferred to Lima for treatment.
Surgeons were able to remove the tumor during a three-hour surgery on Feb. 20. Rojas is currently in the facility, recovering.
Interestingly, there was no need for any sort of chemotherapy. The tumor was malignant, but it was considered low intensity. Patients in cases like these are typically able to recover fully once the tumor has been removed.
This case has reinforced the idea that both men and women need to be regularly screened for cancer. However, women typically need to be screened for cancer more than men do because of risks unique to women.