What began as routine fatigue for a 55-year-old farmer from Nashik turned into a rare and life-threatening cancer diagnosis over several months, underscoring how abdominal malignancies can remain undetected until advanced stages.

Anil Kadam first began experiencing persistent weakness in November 2025, which his family initially attributed to the physical demands of farming. However, as his condition worsened over the following weeks, with vomiting and difficulty swallowing, he was taken to hospital for evaluation.

Subsequent blood tests revealed his haemoglobin had dropped to a critical 3.5 g/dL, indicating severe anaemia and necessitating urgent transfusions. Doctors said he eventually required nine units of blood, pointing to ongoing internal bleeding. An endoscopy detected an ulcerated growth, and a biopsy confirmed a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a rare cancer of the digestive tract.

A contrast-enhanced CT scan later revealed the full extent of the disease. There was a 14 cm tumour originating in the jejunum, an uncommon site for GIST, with spread to multiple organs including the stomach, pancreas, spleen, and parts of both the small and large intestine. The tumour also showed areas of internal necrosis, significantly increasing the risk of bleeding, doctors said. Despite the advanced stage, Kadam had experienced only weakness, highlighting the silent progression of such cancers.

Following the diagnosis, Kadam returned to Nashik in February 2026, where he was started on Imatinib, a targeted therapy aimed at shrinking the tumour. However, shortly after the first dose, he developed life-threatening internal bleeding, a rare but serious complication, leading to a further drop in haemoglobin levels and requiring emergency transfusions and intensive care admission.

Recounting the episode, his daughter Bhakti said, “Around that time, he became restless. One day, during a short walk, he suddenly started sweating profusely. When we brought him home, he collapsed, his hands had turned pale, and he had started passing blood in his stool.”

With medical therapy no longer sufficient, he was treated at Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai, where doctors decided to proceed with high-risk curative surgery. Led by surgical oncologist Dr Deepak Chhabra, a complex multivisceral resection was performed, removing the tumour along with parts of the stomach, the tail of the pancreas, the spleen, and segments of both the small and large intestine. All affected organs were removed in one piece to prevent tumour spillage and ensure oncological safety.

Following tumour removal, surgeons carried out intricate reconstruction procedures, including Roux-en-Y reconstruction and bowel reconnection to restore digestive continuity.

“The case was particularly unique because the only presenting symptom was weakness. The tumour was unusually large, originated from a rare location in the jejunum, involved multiple organs, and triggered severe bleeding after initiation of targeted therapy. Despite these challenges, a single-stage curative surgery was successfully performed,” said Dr Chhabra.

Doctors said the surgery achieved complete removal of the tumour, and the patient is expected to continue follow-up care as part of standard cancer management.

Kadam was discharged nine days after surgery, after an uneventful recovery despite the complexity of the procedure.

Doctors emphasised that such symptoms may be early warning signs of internal bleeding or hidden cancers, and timely diagnosis can significantly improve outcomes.