FIFTH RECURRENCE: NMITS RADIOLOGY SAVES PATIENT AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF FIGHTING A RARE TUMOUR

A 40-year-old patient from the Stavropol Territory was admitted to the Thoracoabdominal Department of the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute – branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. She had spent seven years battling a rare and aggressive retroperitoneal tumor – liposarcoma – which kept recurring despite surgeries and treatments. The tumor was first detected in 2018. At that time, it was removed in a regional hospital, but the first recurrence occurred just two years later. Then followed the second, third and fourth recurrences. Each new surgery became increasingly complex: the tumor had grown into neighboring organs, requiring removal of a kidney, diaphragm resection, parts of the intestine, pancreas and spleen. In 2024, the patient also underwent a course of postoperative radiotherapy.

It seemed that the disease had retreated. But in 2025, during a follow-up CT scan, doctors discovered a new, fifth relapse: a massive mass in the pelvis and iliac region, already compressing the bladder and intestines, threatening obstruction.

«In such cases, it’s not just about removing the tumor», – explains Head of the Thoracoabdominal Department at the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute, PhD Ilia Kolobaev. «We are dealing with a patient who has already undergone multiple surgeries, with pronounced scarring and altered anatomy. Each subsequent procedure is work that must be done down to the millimeter».

The operation was carried out under conditions where an error could be extremely costly: large vessels, ureters, and pelvic organs were in close proximity. The surgeons managed to remove the recurrent tumor within healthy tissue and restore the anatomy enough to preserve the function of vital organs.

«A reference center, such as our NMIC of Radiology, is precisely needed for such cases», – emphasizes the General Director, Academician of the Russian Academy of Science Andrey D. Kaprin. «When a patient has exhausted local treatment options, when a team, experience with rare tumors, and a readiness to take on complex and sometimes unconventional decisions are required». Today the patient is recovering after surgery. Ahead lie follow-up, monitoring and, most importantly, the belief that even in the most difficult and rare cases, the patient has a chance!