Woman’s suspected endometriosis turned out to be rare cancer requiring 9 organs to be removed
A woman who experienced excruciating pain in her right side, and heavy bleeding every month believed she had endometriosis - before finding out she had a rare form of cancer.
Claire Gerring had a number of scans and tests, when it was finally discovered that her appendix was inverted. Plus, it was found she had a ruptured tumor which was caused by a rare form of cancer.
Due to this, she needed nine organs removed, in a 10-hour operation.
Claire had her painful symptoms for years, before doctors found out her appendix was inverted following a laparoscopy. Shortly before this, she was preparing to undergo surgery for endometriosis.
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A laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that looks inside your stomach or pelvis, as per Cleveland Clinic.
Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Claire said: "From there, I had a CT scan, which could see that my organs were scalloped." It was then that Claire was told she had pseudomyxoma - a word she had never heard before.
Pseudomyxoma is an extremely rare form of cancer that begins as a small growth in the appendix.
Dr Sana, who joined Claire on the This Morning sofa, revealed that 'only one in four people per million get this per year' get the rare form of cancer. She then went onto explain that when it ruptures in the appendix, it releases cancer cells, and 'a jellylike substance called mucin, which coats all of the all of the organs and tissues in the abdominal cavity'.
There were only two hospitals in the UK that specialized in the type of cancer, with Claire having to visit Basingstoke to visit her surgeon.
Doctors then removed all the visible cancer around the organs, before going in with a 'heated chemotherapy,' which Dr Sana said acts like a 'deep clean' to take out all microscopic cells.
The organs that Claire did have removed were 'not necessary were survival, and included the reproductive organs, the gallbladder, spleen, and appendix.
Doctors described this as the 'mother of all surgeries,' and Claire said she's left with bowel and bladder issues, although it's a 'small price to pay for being here'.
The mother of two credits her family for getting her through the illness, saying she 'wouldn't be here without them'.
What are the symptoms of pseudomyxoma?
Dr Sana explained to This Morning viewers that the symptoms of this rare form of cancer can be very subtle.
As per Cleveland Clinic, these can include:
- Swollen abdomen
- Abdominal pain
- Consipation
- Loss of appeitite
- Hernia
- Nausea
As these symptoms can be caused by a number of conditions, those who notice have symptoms or pain that are persistent, or unexplained, are advised to go to their doctor for a check up.
"With cancer, you hear you lose weight, but with this, I just started to balloon, and I thought it was just because I was middle aged," she said.
Topics: Cancer, ITV, Health, This Morning
Kiesha Dosanjh