Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

This is the giant “football-sized” tumour surgeons have cut from a Chinese patient’s armpit after it grew rapidly during lockdown and he could not seek medical attention.

Mr Xiao, from the city of Xi’an in Shaanxi Province in north-western China, consulted doctors recently after hospitals once again began scheduling elective surgeries.

Medics were shocked when Mr Xiao revealed a giant malignant growth developing in his armpit, which he explained first occurred two years ago.

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His Doctor, Xia Peng, of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, reported:

“When he unbuttoned his shirt, I saw an enormous growth under his arm.

“We were very shocked.”

The patient said the tumour under his right arm began as the size of an egg, which he had removed last year.

But it regrew in October and quickly increased in size in early 2020 as Mr Xiao and others were put on lockdown, and all elective procedures for non-medical emergencies were cancelled amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Xiao said “I was confined to my home for two months. It grew very quickly during this time.”

His wife said: “I told him to get it looked at last year, but he kept saying ‘it’s fine, it’s fine’. Now it’s not fine.”

Mr Xiao’s surgery took place on 30th March. The tumour was removed in its entirety and a skin graft was done using skin from his leg, the hospital says.

Doctor Xia said: “The tumour was being supplied by a very thick artery, allowing it to grow rapidly.

“The tumour we removed was about the size of a football, weighing about 6 lb.”

Mr Xiao is still recuperating at the facility, and further tests are being conducted to see whether his armpit growth returns.

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