Updated September 22nd, 2022

Man, 71, Is Told His 18-Pound Tumor Is Inoperable, Then Has It Successfully Removed By Star Surgeon After Crucial Second Opinion

Ian Holden's story was just featured on 'Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life,' a documentary series showcasing innovative surgeries at the prestigious Royal Marsden in London

Marisa Sullivan

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A Highly Impressive Surgery

Ian Holden, 71, is clear of cancer after doctors discovered an 18-pound tumor deep in his abdomen and told him they were unable to remove it. Then he got a crucial second opinion.
The survivor’s diagnosis was retroperitoneal sarcoma, a rare tumor that develops in the body’s muscle, fat, and blood vessels.
One of the greatest cancer researchers of our time says get multiple opinions when you are diagnosed with cancer, and learn about all of your options. Being proactive about your health is one of the most vital life lessons.

Ian Holden, 71, is clear of cancer after doctors discovered an 18-pound tumor deep in his abdomen and told him they were unable to remove it. Then he got a crucial second opinion.

Ian’s diagnosis was retroperitoneal sarcoma, a rare tumor that develops in the body’s muscle, fat, and blood vessels. He had been feeling ill for a couple of years, but it wasn’t until June that they found the extremely large tumor.

“In my twenties, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which left me with lots of long-term side effects,” the survivor told Nottingham Live. “The radiotherapy was much more brutal back then.”

London-based specialist Dr. Dirk Strauss from The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust said that he could do the surgery, and amazingly carried it out successfully

“It doesn’t respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy and, as mine was so large, my original team thought the tumour was too risky to operate on,” he recalled. “When I met Dr Strauss, he said that, although he hadn’t done many operations this big, he thought he could do it.”

“While there was risk, I immediately agreed to go ahead. I had thought I was going to die, but now there was hope,” he added.

The “piece of work” operation was intense. Ian racked up around 60 stitches after his right kidney and some of his bowel and diaphragm were removed. Ian and Dr. Strauss were just featured on the documentary series Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life, which features innovative medical stories from Royal Marsden patients.

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“My recovery has been OK and, while I’m in some physical pain, this time last year I wasn’t even sure if I’d make Christmas,” he admitted. “Instead, I’m alive and I have extra precious time, which I plan to spend much of in my garden while my wife rides horses.”

Getting a Second Opinion

One of the greatest cancer researchers of our time says get a second (or third) opinion when you are diagnosed with cancer, and learn about all of your options. Being proactive about your health is one of the most vital life lessons.

"What would you do if someone in your family got cancer?" We put that question to some of the most renowned cancer doctors in the country. National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg recommends seeking out multiple professional opinions to confirm a diagnosis and figure out the options.

Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions

As we highlight in several areas of SurvivorNet, highly respected doctors sometimes disagree on the right course of treatment, and advances in genetics and immunotherapy are creating new options. Also, in some instances the specific course of treatment is not clear cut. That's even more reason why understanding the potential approaches to your disease is crucial.

If you've exhausted options in treating very advanced cancer, there is a huge new wave of clinical trials. Some offer genuine hope. You should know the data and the risks. The best recommendation is to push your doctor to help you look for appropriate options. You can also use clinicaltrials.gov, which is the national registry of trials, but it's vast and a bit hard to navigate.

The National Cancer Institute, which has a long track record of pushing the envelope on new treatments, has a patient referral service that helps guide patients so they can gain access to experimental therapies and clinical trials.

What is Sarcoma?

About half of soft tissue sarcomas start in an arm or leg. Most people notice a lump that’s grown over time. The lump may or may not hurt.

When sarcomas grow in the back of the abdomen (the retroperitoneum), like Ian’s, the symptoms often come from other problems the tumor is causing. For instance, they may cause blockage or bleeding of the stomach or bowels. They can press on nerves, blood vessels, or nearby organs. They can grow large enough for the tumor to be felt in the belly. Sometimes the tumors cause pain. About 4 of 10 sarcomas begin in the abdomen.

In rare cases, sarcomas can start in the chest or in the head or neck. .

If you have any of the these problems, see a doctor right away:

A new lump or a lump that’s growing (anywhere on your body)
Abdominal pain that’s getting worse
Blood in your stool or vomit
Black, tarry stools (when bleeding happens in the stomach or bowels, the blood can turn black as it’s digested, and it might make the stool very black and sticky)

These symptoms are more often caused by things other than sarcoma, but they still need to be checked out by a doctor.

Contributing by SurvivorNet staff.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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