A 71-year-old man who had a tumour said to be the "size of two babies" has had it removed with no remaining signs of cancer. Ian Holden's story features in tonight's final instalment of Channel 4's 'Super Surgeons: A Chance of Life'.
Mr Holden, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with a rare tumour, retroperitoneal sarcoma, in June 2021 and was told it was inoperable. These tumours develop at the back of the abdomen next to the kidneys.
He sought a second opinion and was referred to Dr Dirk Strauss at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, which runs a specialist cancer treatment centre in London. By this time the tumour had grown to 7.5kg - around 18lbs - and Dr Strauss managed to successfully remove it in a complex surgical procedure.
Mr Holden told NottinghamshireLive: "In my twenties, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which left me with lots of long-term side effects. The radiotherapy was much more brutal back then.
"When I started feeling unwell a couple of years ago, it took some time to realise there was something really wrong. Before my diagnosis, I had never heard of sarcoma, let alone retroperitoneal sarcoma, which grows deep in the abdomen.
"It doesn't respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy and, as mine was so large, my original team thought the tumour was too risky to operate on. When I met Dr Strauss, he said that, although he hadn't done many operations this big, he thought he could do it. While there was risk, I immediately agreed to go ahead. I had thought I was going to die, but now there was hope.
"The operation was a major piece of work. My right kidney and some of my bowel and diaphragm were removed and I was left with nearly 60 stitches. My recovery has been OK and, while I'm in some physical pain, this time last year I wasn't even sure if I'd make Christmas. Instead, I'm alive and I have extra precious time, which I plan to spend much of in my garden while my wife rides horses."
Dr Strauss has worked at the The Royal Marsden since 2008. He is a consultant surgical oncologist and general surgeon in the sarcoma unit and skin unit.
Asked why he wanted Mr Holden's story to feature in the Channel 4 documentary, he said: "Sarcomas are rare and both the general public and professionals may often be unfamiliar with the disease. I felt it would be an ideal opportunity to raise awareness of sarcomas and specifically retroperitoneal sarcomas.
"It was furthermore an opportunity to showcase the expertise offered by The Royal Marsden's sarcoma unit, which I am very proud and grateful to be part of. Watching the patients telling their story and how they experienced the journey was remarkable and made me more aware of their perspective of the whole experience."
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