at least it wasn't cancer

This week, surgeons in Japan attempted to remove a softball-sized tumor from a man's abdomen.

The unnamed patient had been complaining about abdominal cramps and pain for quite some time. Pre-surgical tests showed a large growth near his stomach. Judging from the size and location, they assumed that it was cancer. It had to be removed.

During the surgery, the doctors located the tumor and found that it was a weird greenish-blue color. They were also surprised to find that it wasn't actually attached to any other tissue.

It was then that the doctors realized that their patient didn't have a tumor at all. It was a wadded-up surgical towel. The towel apparently had been left in his abdomen following an ulcer operation some 25 years earlier.

The 49-year old patient is not planning to sue the hospital. Rather, he is simply relieved that he doesn't have cancer.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23810400-2,00.html