Man's rare cancer led to 10kg tumour! Now he wants to warn others about the early signs
A man from West Bromwich is raising awareness of a rare cancer after having a 10kg tumour removed.
Tarlochan ‘Tarli’ Garcha discovered he had a sarcoma, which is a cancer of the bone and soft tissue, after going to A&E for an unrelated reason.
The 43-year-old was originally admitted to A&E for breathing difficulties as a result of Covid complications, as his GP thought he might have a problem with his lungs.
It was during this stay in hospital that doctors found an unrelated mass, which would eventually be diagnosed as a liposarcoma, after a misdiagnosis of a benign tumour.
In February 2022, Tarli underwent a six-hour operation to remove the sarcoma.
“The doctor described the tumour as expanding like a basketball, as it had been stuck behind my kidney,” said Tarli.
Now, Tarli is raising awareness of this cancer with national charity Sarcoma UK, after he was featured in the charity’s Sarcoma Awareness Month campaign in July.
Tarli is urging everyone to familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of sarcoma and to contact their GP if they have any of those listed below:
A lump which is growing, changing, or bigger than a golf ball
Swelling, tenderness, or pain in or around the bone which may come and go and may be worse at night
Stomach pain, feeling sick, loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food
Blood in either poo or vomit.
“Despite 15 people in the UK being diagnosed with sarcoma every day, only 25 per cent of the population know what sarcoma is, with even fewer people recognising its signs and symptoms,” added Megan Fletcher, early diagnosis officer at Sarcoma UK.
“Getting diagnosed as early as possible is key, so if you have any signs and symptoms, contact your GP.”
“The greater awareness we have of sarcoma, and the importance of early diagnosis, the more chance we have of being able to help people like Tarli when it will really make a difference.”
Sarcoma UK have set out how they intend to combat this problem, such as targeted education programmes for medical professionals, as well as resources for patients and their families.
Details can be found via the charity’s dedicated early diagnosis website page.
