PMCH Doctors Save Life of 72-Year-Old Woman by Removing Rare 18 cm Chest Cancer Tumor

Udaipur — Doctors at Pacific Medical College & Hospital (PMCH) successfully performed a life-saving surgery on a 72-year-old woman by removing a rare 18-centimeter tumor from her chest and reconstructing her chest structure using bone cement at minimal cost, considering her poor financial condition.

The surgery was led by cancer surgeon Dr. Saurabh Sharma, CTCS surgeon Dr. Anuj Mehta, and the anaesthesia team including Dr. Prakash Audichya, Dr. Sameer Goyal, Dr. Krishnagopal, Nitesh, Kuldeep, and others, whose coordinated efforts were crucial to the success of the operation.

The patient, a resident of Ghatol in Banswara district, was admitted in a critical condition with a large mass in the central part of her chest. She had previously undergone surgery at another hospital, but the disease had recurred and the tumor continued to grow.

Dr. Saurabh Sharma explained that biopsy reports confirmed the case as sternal cancer, a highly rare condition found in only 1–2% of bone cancer cases. The tumor had also spread to the heart membrane and lungs. A pre-operative CT scan revealed that the tumor measured around 15–18 cm and was aggressively attached to the heart’s outer membrane, major blood vessels, and ribs—making the surgery extremely high-risk, where even a minor mistake could have been fatal.

During the surgery, part of the breastbone and affected ribs had to be removed to extract the tumor. The next challenge was reconstructing the chest area. Since the patient could not afford expensive implants, the medical team used advanced medical techniques and engineering solutions to reconstruct the chest using bone cement and metallic plates.

After the operation, the patient was shifted to the ICU, where dedicated care led to a rapid recovery. Within two days, she was moved to the general ward and was discharged in a fully recovered condition on the sixth day after surgery. Her family expressed gratitude to the doctors, calling it a “new life” for the patient.

PMCH Chairman Rahul Agarwal congratulated the medical team and stated that the institution aims to ensure that advanced technology and expert medical care are accessible to all sections of society at minimal cost.