06/20/2007 -- A Chinese man known as the "Elephant Man" in his local province is about to get surgery to have a 33-pound tumor removed from his face.
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Doctors said it may be the most extreme case of this type of facial tumor seen in the world.
The 31-year-old man has suffered from the tumor since birth. But left untreated, it has grown to more than 30 pounds.
The weight of carrying the tumor on his face has deformed the man's backbone, stunted his growth and left him in physical and emotional pain.
A team of doctors will try to remove the tumor.
However, the surgery isn't without risk. Ultrasounds have revealed several large blood vessels that may hemorrhage and cause the patient to bleed to death during the operation.
Despite the risks, doctors said they are optimistic they can remove the giant tumor and reconstruct the man's face.
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