A Bridgend school caretaker has told how what began as a painful shoulder turned out to be a rare form of cancer and led to a six‑hour operation to remove the tumour and rebuild the area.
Rapid growth prompted tests
The father of two, who lives in Caerau and works at Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen in Tondu, first noticed discomfort in his shoulder while helping set up a school concert in February. A small lump developed and for a time he thought little of it, but by April the lump had doubled in size, prompting his wife to urge him to see their GP.
Diagnosis and specialist care
Following scans and a biopsy, he received a diagnosis of sarcoma, an uncommon cancer of the body's connective tissues. Patients in South and Mid Wales with confirmed or suspected soft tissue sarcoma are treated by the South Wales Sarcoma Service, hosted by Swansea Bay.
"When the doctor told me, I thought he was wrong," Lee said. "Then it sunk in and I started crying. I thought, 'This can't be real.'"
Consultant plastic, reconstructive and sarcoma surgeon Thomas Bragg led the operation at Morriston Hospital on 2 June. The procedure lasted around six hours and involved a microsurgical reconstruction, taking soft tissue from the patient's thigh and transferring it to the shoulder with microsurgical suturing of blood vessels under a microscope.
Next steps and recovery
Surgeons said operating promptly gave them the best chance of clearing the tumour while preserving shoulder structures and maintaining function. The patient now faces several weeks of recovery followed by physiotherapy and radiotherapy.
- Initial symptoms: shoulder pain and a small lump (noticed February)
- Recognition of growth: lump doubled by April
- Surgical treatment: six‑hour operation, microsurgical tissue transfer (2 June)
- Planned follow‑up: physiotherapy and radiotherapy
| Event | Date / Timing |
|---|---|
| First noticed shoulder pain | February |
| Lump doubled in size | By April |
| Operation at Morriston Hospital | 2 June (approx. six hours) |
| Next steps | Recovery, physiotherapy, radiotherapy |
The account underlines the importance of seeking medical advice for rapidly changing lumps or persistent pain. It also highlights the role of regional specialist services in treating rare cancers and the complex reconstructive techniques that can help patients retain function after tumour removal.
Local readers seeking more information about sarcoma services in South and Mid Wales should consult their GP or the South Wales Sarcoma Service for referral pathways and support options.
Reporting from Bridgend County.
