New Jersey woman who went to an emergency room complaining of stomach pain and severe swelling of her abdomen is due to leave the hospital this week -- minus a 51-pound tumor.
Officials at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank say the 65-year-old woman was rushed into surgery June 10 after a CAT scan revealed the life-threatening tumor inside of her stomach.
"I didn't want to scare everybody, like my husband and my sons. I kind of kept a low profile on it," said the patient, Evelyn, who only wants to be identified by her first name.
Dr. David Dupree took about five hours to remove the mass in one piece from the woman, who is from Union Beach, hospital officials said. They said he also had to remove organs engulfed by the tumor, including segments of intestines.
Dupree said the tumor was compressing her vena cava, the largest vein in the body that supplies blood to the heart.
"I knew the tumor had to be removed right away to save her life," he said. "I'm elated to report that the patient is doing well and will resume normal activities."
In Vietnam, a nearly 200-pound tumor was reported in January to have been removed from a patient. And Mexican doctors this week removed a 33-pound tumor from a 2-year-old.
