A California man weighed 300 pounds and had a giant "beer belly."

Doctors discovered his gut was actually a 77-pound cancerous tumor.

The patient's surgeon said this is the largest tumor he's seen of its kind.

Despite rarely drinking beer, 47-year-old Hector Hernandez was constantly teased by friends for having a "beer belly." The California resident reached 300 pounds before doctors discovered his gut was actually a 77-pound tumor, the Washington Post reported.

Hernandez explained to the paper that he'd always been a big guy. But several years ago, his stomach grew larger until he reached 300 pounds. He also struggled with heartburn, constipation and difficulty breathing. Initially, Hernandez's doctor brushed off these concerns, so Hernandez blamed his expanding belly on weight gain.

"I just thought I was fat," Hernandez told the Post.

Hernandez finally decided to get a second opinion because his stomach constantly felt heavy and hard. He was then diagnosed with a rare cancerous tumor called retroperitoneal liposarcoma. The cancer is typically asymptomatic until the tumor grows very large, and then patients may experience abdominal pain, swelling and constipation, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hernandez isn't the only one to confuse this type of tumor for stomach fat. In 2017, New Jersey resident Kevin Daly was puzzled about why his stomach remained large despite losing 34 pounds. It turns out he also had a 30-pound liposarcoma tumor, which was surgically removed.

Doctors aren't sure what causes this type of cancer—which forms in fat cells—and surgery is often the best treatment to remove the mass.

Over the summer, Hernandez finally said goodbye to his "beer belly" thanks to surgeon William Tseng, oncologist and assistant professor at the University of Southern California, who surgically removed the tumor.

Tseng has performed dozens of operations to remove these tumors, which weigh roughly 20 to 30 pounds, during his career. Hernandez's tumor weighed 77 pounds.

"This is probably the largest one I've removed," he told the paper.

Hernandez now feels "totally different" after having the tumor removed, and relieved to know the cause for his weight gain.

"I was really lucky," Hernandez told the paper. "I had a lot of support and prayers from family and friends," he said. "I finally left it in God's hands.



Melissa Matthews Health Writer Melissa Matthews is the Health Writer at Men's Health, covering the latest in food, nutrition, and health.

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