What has caused the lump in my rectum and surrounding swelling?
Hello, my multidisciplinary team can’t work out what has caused the lump in my rectum and surrounding swelling which are giving me ongoing toilet problems (in effect fecal incontinence), so I’m throwing the question open on here to find out whether anyone else has any ideas.
I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in May and told I also had widespread bone metastases, so in June I started first taking daily letroloze, then 2 weeks later, after my 5 day gravel biking holiday, I started on daily Ribociclib tablets (targeted cancer therapy) and had Denosumab injections to help strengthen my bones along with Calcium and vit D tablets. Within 2 days of starting the Ribociclib/ Denosumab I developed very bad constipation, which was relived somewhat a couple of weeks later by taking daily laxido. My oncologist kept reassuring me it would settle down. However, since then I can only pass thumb size poos at a time, I can’t stop them once they decide to come out, and they come out frequently through out the morning and quite often the afternoon, so I need to spend a lot of time near a loo. This has severely restricted my life. I’ve been told it is very unusual for the Denosumab or the letrozole to be causing this.
4 months later I still have these toilet problems, my life is still very restricted and I’ve hardly been anywhere or done anything. This a huge change for me as I was very active up until 21st June, as a hill walker, cyclist and runner.
I’ve not taken the Ribociclib for 6 weeks and no Denosumab injection for 5 weeks, because I don’t think my rectum can take it, and my secondary breast cancer oncologist now understands sorting out my rectum is now my priority (I’ve been trying to make it the priority since July). I’ve continued with the daily letroloze to keep my oestrogen low.
A few weeks ago I had a sigmoidoscopy which clearly showed I had a large lump at the bottom of my rectum, very sore to the touch and the surrounding area felt woody hard. Four biopsy were taken and these have come back negative for cancer. The colorectal team don’t appear to be giving me any follow up in relation to my lump, so my breast cancer oncologist is planning to chase them up to find out whether they have any idea why I have lump in my rectum which has started giving me problems almost immediately after starting treatment.
To complicate it more my left kidney is now extremely swollen, there is a lot of fluid near it leading into the ureter which is partially blocked. The Urologist assumed it’s because of the breast cancer, and the many swollen lymph nodes near the kidney. I couldn’t engage him in a conversation about the swelling in my bottom and whether any of it was linked. I’m due to have a stent put to drain the kidney in 3 weeks time.
Even though I’m not in pain, apart from the pain in my arse, I realise that I’m on the way out and probably have less than a year to live if I don’t start on cancer treatment again. Nevertheless I said from the beginning I wanted quality of life rather than longer life.
Does anyone understand what is going on with me and how I might improve my quality of life?
Thank you