New Delhi, January 23: In a rare surgical feat, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi announced today, January 23, the successful removal of a 19.9 kg tumour from a 43-year-old woman. The patient, Munmun, a resident of Durgapur, West Bengal, had been diagnosed with Stage-4 colon cancer and given only three to four months to live after multiple hospitals deemed her condition inoperable. The high-risk procedure has given her a second chance at life, with the hospital confirming she has been discharged in stable condition.

A 'Terminal' Diagnosis Overturned by AIIMS Delhi Doctors

Munmun arrived at AIIMS in July 2024, suffering from extreme abdominal distension, where a massive tumour had occupied her entire abdominal cavity. Advanced CT and PET-CT scans initially showed no identifiable organs, as the tumour burden had infiltrated several vital systems. AIIMS Delhi Sets Public Healthcare Benchmark With Over 1,000 Robotic Surgeries.

Despite having undergone several cycles of chemotherapy previously with no success, a team led by Prof. M.D. Ray, a prominent surgical oncologist at AIIMS, decided to attempt a complex, two-stage surgical intervention.

The Two-Stage Surgical Strategy by AIIMS Delhi

Due to the sheer size of the mass and the patient's frail state, Prof. Ray opted not to perform the entire resection in a single session.

Stage 1 (January 12): Surgeons performed a massive "cytoreductive surgery" to remove the bulk of the 19.9 kg tumour. This involved resecting the ascending colon, parts of the ileum and liver, the uterus, and the fallopian tubes. The surgery was exceptionally challenging as major blood vessels were at risk due to severe inflammation.

Stage 2 (January 15): After allowing the patient to stabilise for two days, the team performed a second surgery to administer HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy).

Targeted Heated Chemotherapy (HIPEC)

Unlike traditional intravenous chemotherapy, HIPEC involves circulating heated chemotherapy drugs (at 41-43 degrees Celsius) directly into the abdominal cavity for 90 minutes. This targeted approach is designed to kill microscopic cancer cells that remain invisible to the naked eye after the physical tumour has been removed, significantly reducing the chances of recurrence. Fast Food Addiction Turns Deadly: Teen Girl From UP’s Amroha Dies at AIIMS Delhi Due to Excessive Junk Food Consumption.

Recovery and Discharge of the Colon Cancer Patient

The results of the staged approach were immediate. "On the first postoperative day, she was already smiling and laughing," Prof. Ray told reporters. Following the second procedure on January 15, Munmun’s recovery progressed rapidly, and she was officially discharged from the hospital on January 20.

Colon Cancer in India

Colon cancer is currently the third most common cancer among women and the sixth most common among men in India. Medical experts at AIIMS emphasised that while the disease is often considered terminal in its advanced stages, evaluating cases at high-volume centres with specialised expertise in HIPEC and complex resections can lead to curative outcomes.

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