Gurgaon, May 24 (IANS): A seven-year-old boy from West Bengal, Dildar Sheikh, who developed a major cancerous tumour on his lower back, successfully underwent a surgery at a city hospital, doctors said on Sunday.

Son of a rickshaw puller, Dildar started facing problems after a small lump on his lower back went undiagnosed for seven months. The lump later developed into a major cancerous tumour, making it difficult for the boy to walk.

Since they could not find right facilities in West Bengal, Dildar's parents turned to hospitals outside the state for help, and found one in Gurgaon's Paras Hospital, which has expertise in treating cancers.

Dildar was then brought to the hospital in Gurgaon and was asked to undergo certain tests. Based on clinical examination, an MRI screening, blood tests and a true cut biopsy, it was found that Dildar's tumour was lethal and that it required an immediate surgery.

The doctors performed a two-hour long surgery and removed the cancerous tumour from the boy's back.

"Given the tumour's position, the little boy was in immense pain. The tumour was large and we decided to proceed with the surgery as we found it a safe mechanism to remove the tumour from the child's body. The surgery was successful and the boy was back on his feet in three days," said Rakesh Dhurkhare, a senior consultant - general surgery at Paras Hospital.

He said if the child was not treated at the right age, it could have led to many complex issues, including the spread of the tumour to several other parts of the body.

"Moreover, since the tumour's size was increasing, the boy could have faced problems in walking and running. Since children respond to recovery quickly as compared to the adults, it is important to treat them at the right age," Rakesh Dhurkhare added.

Since the boy's father wasn't financially sound, the hospital treated the child free of cost.