Preston woman had tumour the size of newborn baby removed from stomach. WARNING: Graphic images

Beverley Jaundrill, from Preston, had the 8.8lb tumour - the size of a newborn baby - surgically removed at Royal Liverpool Hospital.

She had first noticed a lump 13 years ago but ignored it, whereupon it grew into a massive sarcoma.

As it continued to grow it became more and more painful until eventually she had to buy bigger clothes to hide it.

She said: "Back in March I had been sick with gastroenteritis and lost some weight and that’s when I noticed the large lump was there.

"I knew it shouldn’t have been there, but I was scared and didn’t do anything about it.

“When it got to a certain size, it was growing outward from the side of my body, so I couldn’t wear a normal top. I had to buy bigger clothes just to hide it really.

"It became very painful and very heavy. I had to put my hand underneath the tumour to carry it. I also had a really bad cough – it was scary wondering what it was."

“I would struggle to sit as it was such a big size so I had to sit sideways, and on the sofa downstairs I had cushions all around me as it was just too painful. When I needed to turn in bed, if I turned to the right it felt as it was dragging and then pulling, which was quite painful too.”

Eventually she plucked up courage to seek help, and was referred to the Linda McCartney Centre for the operation and was placed under the care of Dr Coonoor Chandrasekar, a consultant at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

She said: “I was really scared the morning of the operation; I kept thinking am I going to wake up after this? But I had a brilliant stay and couldn’t ask for anything more – everyone was so nice to me.”

Bev is now having radiotherapy treatment to eradicate any further risk of the sarcoma returning.

She has now chosen to share her story to raise awareness of the importance of getting lumps checked out.

She said: “I’ve learnt the hard way, but I am so glad that I did get help eventually and I am very lucky at where the tumour was located and that it wasn’t wrapped around any of my organs. Just get to the doctors and get checked out. Don’t be scared.”

Dr Chandrasekar added: "Any unexplained lump needs to be seen by a doctor and a scan or MRI arranged at the earliest possible opportunity. Sarcomas are treatable conditions and we prefer to treat them when they are small – but it doesn’t mean that we can’t help people if they are larger."