If the belly of a female patient suffering from colorectal cancer gets bigger, this is not pregnancy, but may be a worse situation. At this time, you need to be alert to the possibility of metastasis. A few days ago, the fifth medical department of Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital admitted a female patient with sigmoid colon cancer with a "big belly" and provided her with precise "bomb disposal".
Check carefully breakthrough
Patient Ms. C has always been troubled by constipation. At the beginning of 2023, she went to a local hospital due to abnormal physical examination and was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. There is a possibility of metastasis in the right adnexal area, abdominal cavity, and peritoneum. After targeted therapy and chemotherapy, the efficacy is still unsatisfactory. By the end of 2023, Ms. C's tumor progressed at an accelerated pace. Not only was her belly as big as a six- or seven-month pregnant belly, but it also pressed on the intestines, causing intestinal obstruction, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and blood in the stool. Ms. C, who went to many hospitals and was told that the operation was inoperable, came to Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital for treatment after accidentally seeing the cancer-fighting story of the "big-belly girl" Xi Mei.
After checkup, it was confirmed that Ms. C had an advanced stage of colon malignant tumor and a huge pelvic mass, causing abdominal distension and intestinal obstruction. However, one examination result caught the doctor's attention: Ms. C's tumor was mainly supplied by the right ovarian vein and a small artery from the abdominal aorta. Although the tumor is huge, it does not surround the intestines and large blood vessels, but squeezes and causes intestinal obstruction. After multidisciplinary (MDT) discussion, experts from our hospital believed that the integrity of the tumor was probably high and there was a chance of surgery. At the same time, the patient and his family had a strong desire for surgical treatment to improve intestinal obstruction, so they formulated an individualized surgical plan.
Join forces to accurately "dismantle bombs"
Being courageous requires being resourceful. The more carefully you consider the surgical plan and the more fully you prepare the plan, the greater your chances of success will be. Experts from the general surgery department, urology department, gynecology department, anesthesiology department, and ultrasound department jointly performed the operation on the patient. After 5 hours of hard work, a huge mass measuring 24 × 24 × 20 cm and weighing 7 pounds and 2 taels was removed. The postoperative pathology showed metastatic adenocarcinoma (abdominal and pelvic), which was considered to be metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer.
After the operation, the medical team worked together to perform precise nutritional support, infection prevention, and strict infusion management, and the surgical incision healed well, the colostomy was deflated, and she was eating normally. After a brief adjustment, Ms. C continued to receive interventional arterial infusion chemotherapy to control the tumor and avoid disease progression. Today, Ms. C has been discharged from the hospital and hold expectations for her follow-up treatment.
Serves the people and faces challenge
Over the past 20 years, Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital has forged ahead bravely amid challenges. Fuda has treated many patients with giant tumors: For example, in 2009, a girl was brought back and treated for free Zhanjiang, for which 55 kilograms of tumor (including cystic fluid) were removed; in 2010, Nana from Saudi Arabia, in just 11 months, a 3.5 kilogram "giant tumor" grew in her abdominal cavity; Bingbing from Harbin in 2014, her abdominal giant tumor made her "cannot see her feet for 4 years"; a 13-year-old girl from Indonesia in 2023 , a 12-pound giant tumor grew in her stomach. But they are all lucky as they have long been away from the "giant tumor", restored to health, and enjoy life.
The accumulation of rich experience and the powerful combination of multiple disciplines have given doctors the confidence and given patients hope. All medical staff at Guangzhou Fuda Cancer Hospital will continue to uphold the principle of putting people and life first, taking risks and never giving up for the sake of patients' lives and health.
