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Lucica Bunghez – Megatumour

Channel Four recently ran a most interesting programme about neurofibromatosis a, generally, benign form of tumour that can, occasionally, grow at an alarming rate and become a serious danger to the health.

Lucica Bunghez from Brasav in the Transylvania region of Romania developed a tumour on her back. The tumour began to grow at a worrying rate and was soon growing at 3lb per month. After six years this had reached an incredible 11 stone (70kgs). It had grown from her lower back and surrounded her hips and sides.

The tumour was now so large it was seriously threatening her life by drawing so much blood from her system. The doctors in Romania did not have the skills or experience to operate on such a large tumour. Fortunately, Dr McKay MacKinnon from the University of Chicago Hospital got to hear of the case. He had successfully removed a tumour of similar proportions some years earlier.

Dr MacKinnon and anaestheologist, Dr Madaleyn Kahara. made preparations to visit Romania to assess the situation. Together with a hand-picked team of nurses from America and Romanian Professor Joan Lascar they decided that surgery was the only option. Left alone Lucica would certainly die soon, but the operation had only a 50% chance of success. Failure would result in certain death.

The operation was going to be a 12 hour ordeal. The tumour was so large it had established many blood vessels into the body, each of which had to be cut and sealed, one at a time, to prevent Lucica bleeding to death. The tumour was lao so heavy it threatened to tear itself away as they began the removal process. However, after many hours, a team of 15 surgeons, 28 units of blood and 30 units of plasma, the tumour was successfully removed.

This, of course, was not the end. Lucica now had 40% of her body as an open wound, which would require great care to prevent infection.

After a further 9 months of care from Professor Lascar and multiple skin grafts lucica was able to return home with husband Mariun and son Marius.

Matt Peperill

Next we meet Mark, a young man from the United Kingdom, with neurofibromatosis. He had a number of small benign lumps which caused him little concern or anxiety. Then he noticed a new lump on the inside of his thigh. This grew to 5 inches diameter in the space of a month.

He met with Professor Gareth Evans who was very concerned that this growth rate may indicate the tumour had become malignant. These tumours when malignant become one of the most aggressive cancers, so speed was of the essence.

Matt was taken in for surgery within a week or two, to find that his surgeon was worried that the lump was very close to one of the main nerves in the leg. However, this did not concern Mark as he had already been informed, that if the lump was malignant, he may have, at best, 5 years to live.

During surgery it was discovered that the lump had grown around the nerve, so the nerve would need to be severed.

Matt is now recovered and walking with a leg brace. The lump, after biopsy, was shown to be non-malignant but, the activity Professor Evans had observed that it was on the cusp of becoming malignant, so surgery had been just in time.

Neurofibromatosis (or NF) is fairly common but stories like the ones above are mercifully rare.