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

These pictures show the diseased and tumour-riddled liver of a cancer patient whose organ was urgently removed and found to be “heavier than two newborn babies”.

The 28-year-old, named only as Mr Li, was diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer, and his tumour-infested organ weighed over 12 pounds and measured 14 inches in length when it was finally cut out of him.

The patient has been living with hepatitis B for over a decade, and doctors say his condition was exacerbated by his love for strong spirits and his habit of smoking two packs of cigarettes per day.

Mr Li, from the city of Shenzhen in South China’s Guangdong Province, first sought medical attention three months earlier at the city’s Third People’s Hospital.

He complained of poor appetite and constantly feeling sick, and shocking scans showed that his liver had swollen to several times its normal size.

After further tests, including a liver biopsy, concluded that he had late-stage cancer, he was put on the transplant list for a new liver.

The lucky patient waited just one month and received his new liver on 21st November.

Transplant surgeon Jiang Nan told local media: “During the operation, we discovered the patient’s liver was extremely large. It was much larger than one typically found in a normal person.

“We later weighed and measured it, and found it to be 11 jin (12 lbs).”

The hospital described Mr Li’s diseased liver as being “heavier than two newborn babies”.

Doctor Jiang said it was the largest he had ever seen in his 20 years in the field.

He added: “Firstly, the patient already had hepatitis B. Secondly, hepatitis was in his family medical history.

“Thirdly, he was a heavy drinker and smoker, all of which greatly increase the risk of developing liver cancer.”

Mr Li told local media that he also had a habit of staying up late, which further weakened his liver by causing liver cirrhosis.

The hospital reported that Mr Li is already up and walking on his own following his successful transplant surgery.

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