The tumour grew to over 1kg in weight for eight years before it was finally removed.
KOTA KINABALU: A tumour that has been growing on the cheek of a woman here for the past eight years has finally been removed.
The woman, Nur Patma Jimlani, said she was diagnosed eight years ago with pleomorphic adenoma – a non-cancerous tumour that develops on the salivary glands.
She said it started as a small bean-like bump but it grew bigger by the day.
The medical team who performed the surgery on the woman with the removed tumour.
"There was no pain but it grew bigger and reached about 1kg in weight as it began to hinder my daily activities," said the 36-year-old.
The Lahad Datu Hospital then decided it would schedule a surgery for the patient to remove the tumour.
Lahad Datu Hospital director Dr Andi Shamsurezal Mohd Sainal said he and his team managed to remove the 1.03kg growth in a three-hour procedure.
"Our team consists of specialists from Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, Keningau and Lahad Datu," he said in a statement on Thursday (Aug 3).
Mouth and maxillofacial specialist Dr Rubinderan Muthusamy said the tumour would have caused the patient future health complications if left unattended, apart from the physical challenges she was already facing.
"If left to grow bigger, the patient would have found it harder to turn her head side to side and there would have been pain on her neck and other parts of the head," he said.
He said more serious issues could arise such as breathing difficulties and even blood vessel blockage.
"She could have also suffered psychological problems, among other things," said Dr Rubinderan.
It is learnt that this is among the largest facial tumours ever removed in the country.
