A NEWPORT woman has had a tumour weighing almost the size of a new-born baby removed from her womb.

Following an operation lasting nearly four hours, surgeons managed to remove the mass weighing five pounds from her womb.

She has also now been told that the fibroid tumour doctors thought was benign was in fact an aggressive form of cancer which has now spread to her spinal cord.

South Wales Argus:

Rachael Thomas, 45, from the Malpas area of the city, initially visited the Royal Gwent Hospital for a routine fibroid trim and a procedure to have a coil fitted in order to stop her anaemia getting worse.

After the pair returned from a holiday in France last summer, they noticed a dramatic change in Mrs Thomas’ health.

Her husband, Michael, also 45, said: “She went from a healthy eight and a half stone down to just six and a half in just two months,” said Mr Thomas.

“Everyone who saw Rach thought something was wrong, but still she was left waiting for her operation.”

South Wales Argus:

From August last year, Mr Thomas says his wife’s fibroid “started to grow so quickly it soon looked as though she was six months pregnant”.

She was admitted to hospital once more in October and treated for sepsis. However, Mr Thomas added that no biopsy was taken from her now sizeable tumour.

He said: “We were told fibroids were benign and that they weren’t a priority.”

Mrs Thomas’ condition continued to deteriorate to such a point where she phoned the gynaecology department to say, “unless you do something soon, you’re going to be carrying me out of my own house in a box”.

South Wales Argus:

She eventually had her hysterectomy operation on November 21, which saw the removal of a tumour which now weighed 5 pounds.

The family’s relief turned out to be short-lived however, as they received a call a week before Christmas to say that Mrs Thomas’ fibroid had in fact been an aggressive form of cancer.

Mr Thomas added that the surgeon did state however, that the cancer had been removed.

“The decision made was to leave Rachael three months and have another scan with no chemo treatment needed.

“I thought that was strange, as it was aggressive cancer.”

South Wales Argus:

Last week, Mrs Thomas went into hospital again. This time she had been suffering from a bad back and numbness in her legs.

“We both thought it was sciatica,” said Mr Thomas.

“We were given the devastating news that cancer had spread to the bottom of her spine.”

The pair were told that the surgery required came with a high risk of causing further damage such as paralysis. Mr Thomas is meeting with a sarcoma specialist in London this week to see if an operation can be done.

South Wales Argus:

He said: “This could have been so different if fibroids were treated at a higher level of care and this is what we must change and raise awareness of.

“I would never want this happening to any person again.

“Rach is going to smash this as she is one tough girl.”

A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: "Our thoughts are with Mrs Thomas and her family and we wish her all the very best as she undergoes treatment.

"Due to patient confidentiality we cannot discuss individual cases, although we are in correspondence with the family and would be happy to meet to further discuss their concerns.”