Doctors were convinced that a Norwegian man was simply fat for 12 years — but his growing belly was actually expanding with a 60-pound malignant tumor.
He was diagnosed with obesity and even got prescribed Ozempic before they discovered the growth, leading to a 10-hour surgery for its removal.
Thomas Kraut, 59, had the operation in Oslo, Norway, after his stomach kept getting bigger, with doctors initially convinced that he was simply overweight.
They sent him on weight loss and nutrition courses, according to reports, while the cancer grew inside him.
Kraut, originally from Germany, moved to Norway to work as an optician in 2008, while his wife, Ines, works in the health sector.
In 2011, he began having health problems, with his stomach growing more and more. He was initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and obesity in 2012.
But 12 years later, a doctor took a closer look at him while preparing him for a gastric sleeve operation to tackle his obesity. That’s when they realized that Kraut was not just overweight but had a giant malignant tumor growing inside him.
“My stomach kept getting bigger. I went from doctor to doctor and in 2019 I was finally approved for a gastric sleeve,” he said.
“The doctors only ever talked about being overweight and diabetes. I was given Ozempic for diabetes and before the gastric sleeve I had to attend nutrition and fitness courses for several years.”
The doctor quickly realized that the hard surface of Thomas’ stomach was not fat.
“It pressed on my stomach. It was hard and not soft, as is the case with fat,” Kraut said.
“In addition, I had lost so much weight with the change in diet and Ozempic that my face and arms were very thin. Only my stomach was huge. The doctor even said that I was actually malnourished.”
The doctor immediately ordered a CT scan which revealed the huge tumor.
“It was a real shock for me,” Kraut admitted. “My kidney was affected because the tumor was feeding on my right kidney.”
It took doctors two weeks to diagnose Kraut with a rare fatty tumor that was actually made up of multiple smaller cancerous areas surrounded by fat.
Kraut underwent a 10-hour operation to remove the huge tumor on September 26, 2023. Once removed, it weighed 60.18 pounds (27 kilograms) and measured 20.59 inches (52.3 centimeters) in diameter.
It had caused significant damage to his body and part of his small intestine as well as his right kidney had to be removed, and he still has cancerous tissue growing inside him.
“I go to a psychologist for therapy every two weeks. I have to go to the oncologist twice a year because I still have tumor tissue inside me that is growing. I was told that it cannot be removed because it is connected to several organs,” he said.
Kraut and his wife have filed a lawsuit against the doctors who failed to detect the huge and potentially deadly tumor.
It was initially dismissed because the type of tumor is so rare that the doctors said that they could not be blamed for having failed to detect it.
His lawyer has already filed an objection against the dismissal.
“My lawyer has lodged an objection. It will work out somehow,” Kraut said.
