Docs remove rare cancer from foreign patient

Afflicted with a rare cancer that affected a large part of his face, leaving intact only the eyes and a 10 per cent survival chance, a 22-year-old from Congo has now received a new lease of life from a city-based hospital, which reconstructed his facial structure.

Several hospitals in India and abroad had given up hope for Nkosi who suffered 90 per cent cancer in mouth, lip, cheeks, jaw bone and part of his tongue, which left him unable to speak and eat for the past four years.

“This is the sixth such case of its kind in the world. When Nkosi approached us five months ago, his condition was horrific and his mother had lost all hopes after her son was denied treatment everywhere,” said Rakesh Durkhure, leader of a team of surgeons who operated on Nkosi at Gurgaon-based Paras Hospital. “The poor guy had not been able to even speak, chew and eat for four years. His mother used to feed him in drops,” he said.

Several hospitals in India and abroad had denied him treatment due to the risk of death involved.

Durkhure performed the surgery in three stages with the final surgery slated in six months time. “We have performed his surgery in three stages and finally been able to bring back his voice. A third surgery will be performed after six months when we will carve out his lips and mouth,” the doctor said.

The schedule in the first stage of the operation involved four sessions of chemotherapy to decrease the bulk of cancer. Holes were drilled in the front in the neck to enable temporary breathing and higher dose of antibiotics given to reduce infection.

Only last week Nkosi’s teeth were brushed for the first time in four years. “He got emotional and was in tears,” said the doctor.

Nkosi, who is now able to speak, albeit with some difficulty, is going back to his country next week with new hope of life and is scheduled to come back for the fourth stage of surgery.