Story By: Maja Mishevksa, Sub Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

A massive 3.5-kilogramme cancerous tumor has been removed from a woman’s pancreas after a year of experiencing debilitating symptoms.

The procedure was done at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, 10th November.

The 50-year-old woman, whose name has not been revealed, had started experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite and extreme bloating about a year prior to being diagnosed.

Her problems only continued to get worse, until she was not able to sleep or perform her everyday activities including simple house chores anymore.

That was when she decided to finally get examined by a doctor and was told the devastating news – her diagnosis was pancreatic adenocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer in the pancreas, that is typically asymptomatic until it is in its advanced stage.

The woman had been rejected by a number of hospitals due to the size of the mass, which was 3.5 kilogrammes (7.7 lbs), and was on the verge of giving up when she was finally given hope at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where she received the proper care and treatment.

Dr. Naveed Ahmed, a surgeon in the Digestive Disease Institute​ at the Clinic, who was part of the care team involved in the operation, says in an official report by the Clinic that if the patient was left another two to three months without treatment it would have been too late.

In the report, Dr. Ahmed added: “She was very weak when she arrived at the hospital and her stomach had expanded to an extent that she felt pregnant.

“This is because the large mass kept growing inside the abdomen and was intimately attached to the major vessels supplying the abdomen, liver and intestine.”

According to Dr. Ahmed the size was problematic but by altering their usual technique, they managed to remove the giant cancerous mass completely and reconstruct the vessels around the pancreas.

After the successful surgery, the patient is undergoing chemotherapy and is under the supervision of medical professionals that monitor her progress and recovery.

In the report from the hospital, the patient says: “Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has made my journey so much easier.

“Everyone was so supportive and knew exactly what to do to make me better.

“I am so happy and am recovering very well.”

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