3-year-old girl diagnosed with rare tumor after doctors dismissed bump on toe as wart and told parents ‘it’s nothing to worry about’

A Gwynedd toddler was fobbed off by doctors after being told that a giant tumour on her foot had been a ‘wart’ for two years.

Nansi Alys visited the doctor in May 2021, when she was only three years old, after her mother discovered a small bump on her toe.

Despite the fact that the growth continued to increase, several doctors told the girl’s mother, Leila Evans, that the The mass was “nothing to worry about” — he dismissed it as a wart, and then as a cyst.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2023, when Nansi underwent surgery to remove the lump, that surgeons realized the extent of the risk to the girl’s health.

After tests were conducted, Nansi was diagnosed with a rare tumor, which affects approximately five in every million people.

Mrs Evans said: ‘We kept going to the doctors and they said they thought it was a wart and there was nothing to worry about.

‘In June 2022 we were seen by another doctor who said it looked like a benign cyst.

‘He referred us to a specialist at Bangor Hospital who said it looked like a benign cyst and that there was nothing wrong.

He said they could take it out or leave it there and keep an eye on it.

“I said I wanted it all to be taken out and tested. I had no idea what it was, it was growing and growing.”

In 2023, Nansi underwent surgery to remove the tumor and after a six-week wait, the family received answers.

She was diagnosed with desmoid fibromatosis (DF), a rare type of intermediate soft tissue tumor that is somewhere between benign and malignant.

DF is not a specific cancer in itself, but falls under the heading of sarcoma, a group of rare cancers that arise in the bones or soft tissue.

According to Sarcoma UK, these types of tumors can come back on or near the original tumor, but they do not spread.

These types of tumors usually occur on the arms, legs, or abdomen, but can also develop in the head or neck area.

It is extremely rare. Out of every million people, five to six may develop DF.

However, it is difficult to predict how DF will develop. Sometimes they can grow slowly and have also been known to shrink without any treatment, says Sarcoma UK.

“All sorts of things were going through my mind: What if my daughter gets cancer?” Evans said.

‘I wish the doctors had listened to me.

“It was scary for the whole family. After all, she was my baby and she was only six years old.”

After receiving the shocking diagnosis, the family sought information and support from the charity Sarcoma UK.

“When we found out, the doctor said if we were going to google it, we should look on the Sarcoma UK website, so that’s what I did,” Evans said.

‘Within a week of Nansi’s diagnosis, Sarcoma UK sent us a wealth of information about the cause and next steps.

“They helped us keep track of our appointments and told us what we could do as a family to help her. They’ve been really good.”

Inspired by Nansi’s story, the family climbed Mount Snowdon on Saturday and raised over £1,300 for Sarcoma UK during their five-hour climb.

“I’ve never been up Snowdon before so if I was going to do it it had to be for a good cause and what better way to raise money than for Sarcoma UK?” Evans said.

“It was a beautiful day. I had a hard time at first, but it was amazing. All I had in my mind was, ‘I’m doing it for Nansi.’

‘I’m over the moon that we’ve been able to raise so much. My initial target was £500 and we’ve reached that in the first few days. I’m absolutely thrilled.’