‘Overweight’ man’s 55lb tumour missed by doctors for nine years

A MAN whose malignant tumour went unnoticed by doctors for nine years discovered it had grown to a weight of 55lb when an operation was finally carried out to remove it.

Trevor Smithson, 53, of Yateley, Hampshire, says he was told to lose weight by experts at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, who failed to notice the growth despite carrying out three operations on him.

When he was finally referred to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, the surgeon there asked him: “So you’ve not been to see your doctor for years and years, have you?”

Mr Smithson has now registered a complaint with the Healthcare Commission, the independent healthcare inspection body, and says he intends to take legal action against the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

He was first referred to the hospital in 1994 with circulation problems and underwent three operations which he says did not resolve the issue and “left me in a very bad state.”

“Nobody ever bothered to do a scan and find out that there was a monstrous tumour in there,” he said.

“I’m very fortunate that it’s a form of tumour which develops very slowly.

He was eventually referred to the Royal Marsden in 2003, where he was operated on the same month.

The surgeon there, Meirion Thomas, asked whether he had been receiving medical care and was “astonished” that he had been, Mr Smithson said.

A massive liposarcoma, a slow-growing tumour which develops in fat tissue, was removed during the operation.