Man has 22cm tumour covering heart removed

“FIT and healthy” man’s cough turned out to be a rare form of cancer - but a “huge” pioneering operation in Newcastle has saved his life.

- SAM VOLPE Health reporter [e-mail]

Jean Paul Goule, 23, had no history of medical problems until he noticed a “relentless cough”, fatigue, breathlessness and nausea.

These turned out to be symptoms of a rare and aggressive form of germ cell cancer known as primary mediastinal non-seminoma. What this meant was that there was a huge 22cm tumour in Jean Paul's chest affecting his heart.

The tumour was covering his heart, compressing his left lung, and impacting major blood vessels. Jean Paul was immediately put on a course of chemotherapy - and after this initial treatment was referred to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for surgery.