Woman has 2kg tumour the size of a football removed from her neck after 20 YEARS



Joyce Haigh, 79, finally had the tumour removed after it started bleeding

Doctors say it is the largest head or neck tumour to be removed in the UK

Mrs Haigh said she put off seeking treatment because she was scared

Removed growth is now being tested and she may need further treatment

But Mrs Haigh says she is delighted that people no longer stare at her



A woman astounded doctors after she turned up at hospital with a football-sized tumour on her neck which weighed two kilograms.



Joyce Haigh, 79, had been living with the tumour - thought to be the largest ever reported in the UK - for an incredible 20 years.



Mr Muhamad Quraishi, the ear, nose and throat surgeon who removed the tumour during a five-hour operation at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, said it was the largest growth he'd seen during his 20-year career.

Scared: Joyce Haigh, 79, lived with the football-sized tumour for 20 years before it was removed. Surgeons have now confirmed it was the largest lump to have been removed from a head or neck in the UK

Mrs Haigh, from Thorne, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, said she hadn't realised the size of the tumour until doctors showed it to her in a mirror.

She said: ' I know I should have done something sooner about the tumour, but I wasn't in any pain and, I am ashamed to say, I was afraid to go to the doctors about it.

'Now though, I wouldn't hesitate to see a doctor about anything, and would encourage people who may be experiencing health problems of any kind to get help right away, because the people at the hospital are fantastic.

'My husband George, our nephews and nieces were all worried when the lump started getting bigger.



Skill: Ear, nose and throat surgeon Mr Muhamad Quraishi (right), removed Mrs Haigh's tumour during a five-hour operation at Doncaster Royal Infirmary

'I could cope with it when it was small but over the years it just grew and I suppose in the end I feared the worst.'

Then on October 13, Mr Haigh insisted his wife saw a doctor when the growth started to bleed.

Mrs Haigh said: ' I saw Mr Quraishi before Christmas, and he was wonderful. He showed me the

photos of the side view of the lump which I had not seen before. It was at that point that I realised just how bad it was.

'I was frightened of having the operation, but actually everything was fine. They took two biopsies and although I do need further treatment, I'm just so glad the lump has gone.

'I plan to get back to being normal again, buy some new clothes and enjoy life.

She added: ' The operation has given me a new lease of life as I can go out now without worrying about people staring at me.

Relief: Mrs Haigh (with husband George) said: 'The operation has given me a new lease of life as I can go out now without worrying about people staring at me'

'The staff at Doncaster Royal Infirmary were marvellous and I can't thank them enough.'

Mr Quraishi said: 'In the whole of my 20-year medical career, I can honestly say that I have never seen or treated such a massive tumour.

'The operation itself was quite challenging and I am happy with the outcome and that the operation was a complete success.

' The greatest challenge was to prevent the side of Joyce's face from becoming permanently paralysed, which we successfully prevented.