A 69-year-old woman had half of her face, including her eye, surgically removed after an aggressive skin cancer spread across her face and into the tissues surrounding her eyeball.
The woman, known as Mrs AB, who had previously undergone both liver and kidney transplants, battled the rare cancer for four years before doctors were forced to carry out the operation as a last resort.
The woman, who suffered from recurrent porocarcinoma, a rare cancer arising from sweat glands, first underwent surgery in 2021 after a tumour was discovered on the right side of her forehead.
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Doctors found the cancer had already invaded nerves and surrounding tissue, while scans also revealed an abnormal growth in her parotid gland near the jaw.
Mrs AB, from Saskatoon, Canada, underwent extensive surgery including removal of lymph nodes from her neck, a total gland removal and facial reconstruction using a skin graft.
However, pathology results revealed the cancer had continued spreading through blood vessels and nerves, with surgeons unable to fully remove the disease.
She then endured a gruelling course of radiotherapy delivered over 33 sessions to the right side of her face and neck.
But despite treatment, the cancer cruelly returned in 2023, as reported by Need To Know.
Surgeons again attempted to remove the tumour and took out part of the frontal skull bone and further skin grafting.
Before the operation. (Picture: Jam Press)
A second cancerous lesion later developed close to the inner corner of her eye and required additional surgery followed by another course of radiation.
By 2025, the disease had spread aggressively across her face.
Doctors documented multiple recurring tumours including a large ulcerated mass around the eye socket, severe facial swelling and cancer spread into nearby lymph nodes.
Specialists concluded there were no remaining conventional treatment options.
Further radiotherapy was ruled out because she had already received the maximum safe dose, while chemotherapy was considered unlikely to work.
Before the operation. (Picture: Jam Press)
Immunotherapy, often used for advanced cancers, was also deemed too dangerous because it carried a near 40% risk of transplant rejection and a 70% chance of organ failure due to her immunosuppressive medication.
In one final attempt to control the disease, surgeons performed an operation, removing large sections of the right side of her face.
The procedure included complete removal of the eye socket contents, along with removal of widespread cancer cells within the skin and more lymph nodes from the neck.
Doctors then reconstructed her face using tissue transferred from her abdomen, chest and scalp, alongside skin grafts.
Before the operation. (Picture: Jam Press)
Shocking images show the devastating extent of the cancer before surgery, with large ulcerated tumours consuming much of the right side of her face and eye.
Post-op photographs reveal extensive reconstructive work using large muscle and skin flaps to cover the defect left by the life-saving surgery.
Porocarcinoma is an exceptionally rare and aggressive skin cancer arising from sweat glands, accounting for fewer than 0.01% of all skin cancers.
It most commonly affects older adults and can spread rapidly through lymphatic channels and nerves.
Mrs AB’s case was detailed in a recent medical journal report.
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During the operation. (Picture: Jam Press)
During the operation. (Picture: Jam Press)
During the operation. (Picture: Jam Press)
