A 23-YEAR-OLD Dorset man is lucky to be alive after a rare malignant tumour - one of only 20 cases of its kind in the world - was found on his heart.

Tom Curtis, a gas engineer from Wimborne, was rushed to hospital with suspected heart failure, believed to have been caused by a viral infection.

But when the surgeon opened his chest, he discovered a 6cm by 3cm tumour which was eventually removed during a 12 and a half hour operation. Tom has since made a miraculous recovery and started work again.

He said: “I’d never heard of anyone having a tumour on their heart before. Being in the condition I’m in now makes me one of the lucky ones."

Tom’s symptoms started at the end of November 2013. His face became swollen and he felt breathless and tired.

His GP carried out an electrocardiogram that showed irregularities and Tom was admitted to Poole Hospital, where an X-ray showed his heart was enlarged.

He was transferred to Royal Bournemouth Hospital but suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to Harefield Hospital, a specialist heart and lung hospital.

Tom recalls: “I was heavily sedated for 12 days and the first thing I remember is waking up on Christmas Day and talking to my dad."

It came as a shock when doctors revealed his symptoms had been caused by an extremely rare cancer - less than 20 cases of this particular type have ever been reported worldwide.

He is still monitored and may need a further operation in future. But earlier this year he ran a 5K race to raise more than £1,000 for Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity with his sister Holly.

Tom said: “I am so grateful to all the team, especially to Mr Andre Simon. He worked under such pressure and what he managed to do for me was incredible.”

Mr Simon added: “In all my years as a surgeon I have never seen or heard of a case like Tom’s before. At the time we feared Tom wouldn’t leave the operating theatre alive so it is wonderful to see how well he is doing now.”